I quit drinking just before Christmas 2021 and honestly I’ve been doing well with it. My life is better, I’m happier, my relationships with the people close to me have improved.
But I’m bored 
…
The monotony is wearing on me.
Did anyone else experience this and if so how did you handle it?
I got just about 7 months myself and I’m running into the same problem, nothing is very fun or enjoyable much anymore. But it beats drinking and making more wreckage. I have to remind myself of that.
Way to go on your 7 months! That’s awesome!
Sometimes boredom is a sign that you are ready to get started on something new! Maybe it is time to take an inventory on your interests and dreams and see what steps you can take to get started.
Something athletic you’ve always wanted to try? Look up stuff about it and see how to get started. Maybe there is a group of people nearby with a similar interest.
Something artistic or creative you have admired or would like to learn more about? YouTube is full of subjects that can teach you crafts and do it yourself projects.
Do you like food? Grow a garden, learn to cook anything, help out at a food pantry!
What are your political interests? Can you read more about it, find local leaders you can support? Start a blog and write about your thoughts.
What did you like to do as a kid? Can you revisit those activities now that you are an adult! Riding a bike, going for a run, playing a sport, swimming in the lake… these are all things you can do just for the fun of it.
Public libraries have so much more than when we were kids. Make a list of movies you would like to watch and get them checked out from your library. Get online reading apps in your device and you can stream and read any magazine the library gets for free.
Do you like animals? Find out about rescue and volunteer opportunities from your local shelters. Lots of dogs and cats need foster care until they are adopted.
Do you have an interest in housing? Check out your local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. They have lots of volunteer opportunities, some of them even involve international adventures.
Your local homeless shelter, the Red Cross, the food pantry…. They could all use some help.
Every public school in America is trying to get kids caught up on reading and math and a bunch of them have new students who don’t speak much English. Volunteering to help kids read and practice math could be a great way to support your community too.
Technology advances mean we can learn music, art, and languages from the comfort of our couches or in the company of others online. Do any of these appeal to you?
I’m finding my sobriety is bringing me more time to pursue interests I’ve had on the back burner for decades. It does take an effort to get started, but it really can be fun. Many times I picture myself as a pretty mature 12 year old. Old enough to learn new things pretty independently, but young enough that I’m not caught up in the addictions that came later in life. This mindset has helped embrace change and new growth.
I wish you the best and hope you have a great day!
There is a great quote out there that says “the cure for boredom is curiosity”. Take a deeper look at your world and latch on to something that interests you. Join a club for an interest and see where that takes you. Keep up the good work!
In my experience, this is where the real work of recovery begins. Finding out who we are, what excites us, what we are drawn to, etc without the numbing drink or drugs or the false chaos / fun of ‘the party’. There is truly so much more out there to be engaged with other than getting wasted and wasting our precious short life in a haze.
Do you engage in any physical activities? I find the mental and physical exertion and release of pushing my body to be so healing. Any hobbies you enjoy or have thought to start? Now is a great time for such things. Have you delved into why you were drinking or using? What need you were meeting / what you were avoiding by the escape? Therapy can take many forms.
I get it, when we have lived the life of chaos and partying …it is all we know. And we need to reset our system …settle in to our self and actually feel and think and consider and that is new for many of us.
I hope you find some things that help you feel more alive and help you heal. Life offers up so much and sometimes we need to move beyond our comfort zones to engage fully with our new selves. 
I’ve been working with others on getting and staying clean & sober, volunteering at community events and attending my weekly meeting.
Boredom and isolation will be my end.
What a fabulous list!
@Yellow I wasn’t bored exactly, with a job and kids and housework, etc, I had and have plenty of things to do, but that feeling of satisfaction, of fulfillment, just being sober gave me that for a good few months, and then I had to search inside for who I was, and what was important to me, and I am still discovering and thinking about it.
There’s some great advice here! Enough so that I won’t even try add to the lists of suggestions, but I will say that I have been where you are before. To keep the boredom at bay I was running, working out, playing guitar, writing songs, and learning several crafts related to my long-time hobby of 18th century reenacting. But I still had occasional bouts of boredom, and one day I allowed that little voice in my head to convince me that having a few drinks would relieve that; wrong again! As I slowly returned to drinking, those healthy pursuits, that I had come to love so much, fell by the wayside, until drinking was all that was left… AGAIN! You know where you were, and you know why you wanted to leave that place. You’ve come far, and you have to constantly remind yourself that going back is NOT an option.Stay strong.
I just accepted the boredom calmly after a while
Is it boredom? Or is it peace and quiet?
Face to face meetings for me helps with the loneliness and boredom for me.
Also participating regularly here is detrimental to helping me stay sober.
Also added in some exercise and swimming to challenge myself, see how I do at it.
Reading and meditation are really good for the amount of time I spend alone I no longer have to live in my head and thoughts.
Finding who you are and what you like. Trying new things, embracing the new you and challenging yourself with some fun activities 
Wow very good post!
Filling the void of time I spent drinking with healthy activities has been huge for my recovery.
I used my beer money to finance my hobbies. I took a deep look inside myself and began taking steps towards following forgotten dreams. I started doing things I always talked about doing. As a drunk, I was a lot of talk with no action.
Today, I’m never bored. I always have something to do that I enjoy.