Many cities host live music events or shows. Check out your local listings to see what’s coming up in your area over the next few weeks. Are sober house dorchester ma you a football, soccer, or even an MMA fan? If so, invite your friends or loved ones over the next time you plan to watch a live event.
How can I find local sober communities or events?
This one is a toughy for those who live in NYC like me. In the spring and summer, I make more of an effort to leave Manhattan and explore other areas with actual trees and animals. As I get older and spend another year living in an incredibly crowded, tree-free city, I’ve noticed how much I long for Mother Nature.
Host a Game Night
Attending a concert or sporting event when you’re not secure in your sobriety can often lead to relapse. Consider bringing a sober friend to these events to help keep you accountable and check in with yourself throughout the night. Look for local or online support groups that organize sober events. From hiking trips and book clubs to craft nights and coffee meetups, these groups provide a supportive environment to meet people with similar interests. Increasingly popular, sober bars and cafes offer the ambiance of nightlife without alcohol. These venues often host events, mocktail happy hour, live music, and open mic nights.
Learn a new language
I recently signed up to be an AMC Stubs member. I pay $25 a month and can watch up to three movies per week! One of my close friends lives a couple of blocks away from me, and we frequent the AMC in our neighborhood about once a week. It’s also an easy, frequent date-night activity with my fiance. I treat myself to a Coke Icee basically every time I go. It’s such an easy thing to do when sober, and I’m really enjoying doing it with my family and friends.
Consider attending a sound bath to relax and balance your energy. The sounds of gongs, chimes, percussion instruments, tuning forks and chimes can help you feel more calm and at ease. Forget a beer crawl—sober folks opt for food crawls.
Go For a Long Drive and Listen to Music
- Here are some ways to maintain a social calendar while you’re exploring sobriety.
- Steve Kobashigawa, a marriage and family therapist based in L.A., said that when you feel a craving come on, do what you need to do to get into a more positive headspace.
- Many community colleges and art schools offer evening classes such as painting, photography, or even glass-blowing.
Now, attending concerts sober is one of my favorite parts of going alcohol-free. Wow, this activity is something I never, ever knew would be 100% better when sober. I remember (well actually, I don’t remember) attending The Kooks concert in NYC about ten years ago. I was really excited about the show because The Kooks were one of my favorite bands. My friend was supposed to meet up with me at the venue, but he never did. I got so blacked out by myself, I don’t remember the concert whatsoever.
Explore local art and music
Bring the kids if you have them, or borrow some from your friends. Bonus points if they’re teens and you embarrass them at any time. Getting more active can be as simple as taking your dog on those walks you’ve been promising them. Find outdoor activities that you actually enjoy to build sober habits that stick. Getting outside is good for your well-being no matter what the weather throws your way. If you moderate your drinking, getting outside will feel even better.
Things to Occupy Your Mind
Some towns feature clubs that teach various dance forms and host socials so you can meet new people while learning how to dance. Learning a specific style, such as swing or West Coast swing, can boost your confidence to socialize and dance sober if you used to rely on alcohol in social situations. Exhilarating adventures are exceptional sober activities if you seek the occasional adrenaline rush.
- And part of pulling together, Rust says, is being open and honest about the struggles of addiction.
- There’s a non-fiction book out there for nearly anything you’d ever want to learn about.
- They get bonus points if the food is on theme, if your sober party is sticking to a particular motif.
- Choose the loveable losers for cheap tickets.
- Mrs. Blackman would carry her watercolors with her so that the kids could paint the scenes of sheep in lush green fields and sunsets over the Irish sea.
Join a Local Sports League or Club
Here you’ll find suggestions for when you’re alone and when you’re not; some that engage your body and some your brain; and quite a few that don’t cost even a nickel. Discover the fulfillment of contributing to larger community projects. This can include participating in local clean-up efforts, building homes with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, or contributing to community gardens.
And, it’s a chance for those who think that addiction doesn’t impact them or their loved ones to learn a thing or two, Rust says. Alcohol provides a surge of dopamine and when that’s taken away, you initially might feel sad, but that usually fades within a few months, Kobashigawa said. Sometimes giving up drinking involves anhedonia, which is an inability to find pleasure in the activities you once enjoyed. But you can help avoid that feeling by keeping active. Skoulas advised staying away from places where you used to drink regularly while you set new, healthful patterns and rewire your brain.