Now that you are on track with your life in recovery it is time to make your life have meaning and enjoy yourself to the maximum. Living a sober life is no easy feat for someone who has been abusing substances to forget your insecurities and shortcomings. You must guard yourself at every turn so that you do not succumb to the feelings of shame and inadequacy that led you down the path of alcoholism and addiction.
So, what are your options for having fun and living a full life? Read on and discover how to rebuild your life in a meaningful way.
Take up new sports
Sporting activities are useful on so many fronts. You will become fitter and healthy. You will have an event that keeps you occupied and busy for periods so that you are not tempted to indulge in drinking out of boredom. And, you have the added advantage of having a neurological feel-good sensation when your body releases the chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins make the anxiety hormone. Cortisol does not affect you with depression. Your feelings of anxiety will be under control and not allowed to color your emotions. The overall effect is that sports will neither let you be idle nor anxious, and you will also enjoy stronger health.
Make new friends from sober communities
One of the many choices you have to make when seeking a life of sobriety is, which friends can you continue keeping, and where can you form new relationships with sober people. Your friends can impede your hard life choices, or they can encourage them. Friends who enable you to continue addictive behavior are the ones you must avoid at all costs. Finding new companions is easy in today’s world of the internet. You can join e-communities that are dedicated to sober living and find like-minded people who share your experiences and the walk of sober-living.
You can reach out in your community to people who have been living a teetotal life in various clubs. Look up the Alcoholics Anonymous chapters that are in your preferred neighborhood. Churches and other spiritual organizations have activities that cater to sober lifestyles.
Start a sober club if you do not find one that is near you. You will be amazed to discover that other people around you were hoping to join one. If you pioneer a club, you will be able to make the sober rules as strict or as flexible as you require them to be!
Attend celebratory meetings for recovery from addiction
Everyone feels satisfaction when they meet their goals. When you have hit a milestone in recovery, you ought to celebrate your achievement. Any time you reach a target in sobriety, you should acknowledge it. You will feel motivated to continue on the course you have chosen and get better at doing without the crutch that was your addiction.
The celebratory meetings allow you to be in a mix of people who are not judging you and instead, who are going to give you more confidence to get to the next steps. Sometimes you will find that you can bond with a member who has been on a similar journey and become a support team for each other.
Rediscover books and the library
Reading is something that we have all done at one stage or another, in school, university and work. Is there something that you have always been interested in discovering? Maybe the ancient civilizations that built pyramids. Were you ever curious how frontier Americans wondered all over and established roots in the land? You can learn all about astrology and Mediterranean cooking if that is your taste.
The library is a great place to get books and reading material about any topic that has ever held your interest. Libraries also hold book readings and other activities that may interest you. And if you cannot go to the concrete building in the middle of a winter snowstorm, the internet is your online resource for all you reading and viewing materials.
Try your hand at a new hobby and crafts
Do something different. Try to pick up a new hobby. You can start gardening or a welding class. Ballroom dancing is enormous fun and has precision moves! When you get something that can hold your attention for a long while, then you will have hit the jackpot. Just make sure that your new hobby does not cause you anxiety and stress.
Conclusion
Finding a way to have fun in your life will not only give you happiness, but it also makes you feel younger and looking forward to the next day. Sobriety is a journey that you will enjoy if you make a strategy that allows you to have some physical exercise, and pick up new friends and habits along the way. When you start living your life without guilt and shame, you will see how much more fun you can absorb.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, don’t be afraid to reach out. Contact Multi-Concept Recovery today to find out more about treatment options.
