Ideas on How to Have Sober Fun

One of the main reasons people become dependent on drugs or alcohol is because addiction fills in a lot of downtimes. Just like you’re more likely to go out or cook when there’s less junk food lying around, you’re less likely to turn to drugs when you have other things to fill your time. At our Orange County rehab, we focus a lot on teaching people the essential, healthy habits to lead a sober life, like exercise, cooking, and scheduling. But not every sober activity has to be healthy or tedious. Here are a few fun, simple ideas on how you can not only avoid using drugs and alcohol in your downtime but how you can have sober fun in your free time.

1. Fun and Sober Craft Mocktails

Craft virgin cocktails are a rising hobby because of the tactile and social nature of experimenting with tasty ingredients. The idea of shaking up herbs, juices, and syrups into a cold, flavorful drink has an obvious allure. At your next party or summer BBQ, try making a refreshing blueberry ginger cooler or brew together some peaches, lemons, and sugar into a syrup to add to iced teas or lemonade. Because these drinks are sober and non-alcoholic, they’re also great fun for the whole family, and a hit with kids and adults alike. Making your own juices and sodas also means cutting back on high-fructose corn syrups, artificial flavors, and colors found in commercial brands!

2. Gardening

Did you know the average grocery store apple could have sat in cold storage for 9 months or longer? Growing your own food can give you the experience of sun-ripened, delicious produce that you can’t find at a typical grocery store. This doesn’t mean you need a large backyard or to spend hours pulling weeds. Many home gardeners start out with a small pot of strawberries, tomatoes, or cucumbers. Rare and exotic fruits can even be grown at home for just a couple of dollars.

Not everyone is going to be a Soccer or Basketball pro. Nonetheless, sports clubs exist for people of any passion. From paintball to laser tag, bowling to disc golf, or aquatic and weightlifting activities, there are a number of different options to find your perfect sport. YMCA’s, local gyms, libraries, colleges, and other public service facilities sometimes offer cheap or free classes. Less athletic options also include board game nights and card game clubs that are always looking for extra players, all just a Google search away.

Addiction often burns many bridges. Getting in touch with local groups is a great way to meet new people, build a support network that cares about you, and get invited to a number of other fun, sober activities that you might not have even tried on your own.

4. New Hobbies and Skills

Youtube and a number of other sites have every tutorial on anything you might ever need learning languages, cooking, painting, playing piano, or a million other skills. If you spend 15 minutes of your lunch break learning a single skill, by the end of the year you’d have accumulated 65 hours of practice in a new skill or talent. Ever had an idea for an app you wanted to create or a novel you wanted to write? Replace a single smoke break with a few minutes of a new, fun skill and you can make it happen.

At Experience Recovery, we focus on helping our patients find their passions in life after recovery. Interested in seeing what your life would look like beyond addiction? Call us at (714)782-3973 and we can help you plot your path forward.