What motivates you to stay sober?

Motivation
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What motivates you to stay sober? What do you do instead now?

I’ve had a hard time in the past remaining sober because of the boredom I’ve felt when I wasn’t drinking. But now I feel guilty about all the time I’ve wasted on my addition. I’m getting so many hours of my days back it’s exciting and frightening!

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I try to think about the reasons I actually want to drink, and boredom is definitely on that list, not very high, but it’s there. I try to think of all the other ways I can entertain my mind without numbing it. Learning a new craft or hobby, researching something I’ve been struggling with, cleaning, creating a new playlist to workout to, creating a new workout, organizing my closet, going for a walk, focusing on quality time with my kids, putting my phone/laptop down and being in the moment.

There were lots of reasons I would drink and I tackle each one of those daily to make sure they don’t creep up on me. Loneliness, depression, bordem, guilt, anxiety etc. They all can be dealt with with out alcohol, I just need to find out how and that really keeps me busy.

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I agree I drank when bored. I am recently doing more around my house, taking regular walks, reading books and going to yoga class now that I am not drinking and I als feel that I wasted so much time drinking and being hungover and missed so much. Definetly being productive and not feeling awful physically and mentally beating myself up from the guilt of drinking and the messed up dopamine levels from over drinking I feel
Like my brain is regulating as it should.

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I love to educate me now, for example how to get healthier and a better me each an every day. I would lose this energy if I would start drinking again.
I used to feel bored in the beginning too and I just started to discover my true interests :blush:

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I stay sober to be a better wife and mother to my children, the Last time I drank I was bathing my children and they were messing about so clipped them round the head, my youngest son moved and I marked his eye, I am never going down that route again where my children end up hurt because of my drinking, 55 days sober

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Basically to live, and i dont mean just to be alive in the litterary way. When i was drinking everything was so unclear and foggy, my biggest worry was not what i would say or do when i was blackout drunk but rather the feeling of just being empty the days after.

Since i stopped drinking i feel much more alive, iam able to make plans, have more energy and can relate much more to the everyday life.

And sure i still sometimes crave a beer or a glass of wine, and i wish i could be able to just have a drink or two and then stopp… but i cant.

  • so i simply accepted the fact that life is not fair, just a fact of life. Some people cant eat nuts some cant drink alcohol.
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Waking up guilt-free, rested, and clear-headed beats the heck out of waking up hungover, ashamed, and anxiety-ridden…every time.

I cannot be the best me with alcohol holding me back. Thats what alcohol represents to me: a hindrance.

I am 102 days free of that burden and I will continue to be rid of it. Too many days lost to it already. No more. The rest of my days are mine, and I plan on making the best of them.

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