Living Sober - "To Do" List
When you begin your new sober life, you might find yourself getting bored out of your skull. You used to spend hours drinking, then even more hours sleeping off a hangover. Here's a list of things that you can do with your newfound sober time. None of these things require drinking to make them fun. Some of these things do require money - but drinking required money. Some of these things may sound dull, mundane or boring. But you never know how interesting they may be until you start doing them. Some of them may be things that you have been avoiding or putting off.
I welcome YOUR input on this list. Email me your ideas for the Living Sober "To Do" list. You won't receive junk email from me or be put on any email lists.
Thank you for your help and participation.
Here's an idea for something fun to do that was submitted by a site visitor:
Dance in your Underpants - Dancing around to music in one's underpants in the privacy of your own home. This dancing around may not appeal to some, but it is a humbling and funny experience for most. There is no need for sex-appeal or posturing which can be a huge draw. It gets me going and requires less focus than masturbation. There was a point when my brain was too addled even for that simple human pleasure.
PS: my personal let it all out music preferences include older White
Zombie for that awesome angry roar or.....bear with me... Just Fine by
Mary J Blige when you need a refresher in how to feel good after
dealing with scary shit.
(My personal note): That is a great idea. It's a way for someone to practice freeing their inhibitions in the privacy of their own home. It can be tough to re-immerse into social life without feeling awkward and inhibited. I'm an outgoing
freak and it took me well over a year before I became comfortable with
myself and stopped being concerned what other people think. I realized that
most people don't care and they seem to be drawn to those of us who are
genuine. So not only does it sound like fun, I think it's a good exercise in
uninhibited expression.
These are things I came up with:
Exercise - Go for a walk, jog, do pushups, pilates, yoga or join a health club.
Read - Books, magazines, websites of interest.
Go to a bookstore or library - You can sit there and read their books for FREE.
Clean your house - Work on small areas. Clean out a closet, basement or storage area.
Have a rummage sale - Once you've cleaned your house, apartment, basement or garage, you can have a rummage sale. Or sell your unwanted stuff on Craigs List or eBay.
Do your laundry - Boring, but it probably needs to be done anyway.
Go test drive cars - (Unless you've already lost your drivers license.) This can be fun, but you will have to put up with car salesmen. But that can be fun too - I love tormenting car salesmen. I was one, so I think it's okay to do that.
Go to a go-cart track - Hey, if you lost your regular drivers license, at least this is a chance to get behind the wheel for a while.
Go to an amusement Park - The rides might give you the adrenal rush we miss and it's fun to watch other drunks stumble around and barf as they get off rides.
Volunteer - At an animal shelter. Go to an "Old Folks" home and read the paper to some of the residence.
Paintball or LaserTag - This can be a fun event with a group of people.
Take a class - Check online for local colleges that offer free or low cost classes in art, crafts or any other hobby you are interested in.
Further your education and knowledge - Consider going back to school to expand your knowledge base or make yourself more valuable to potential employers
Play an instrument - If you already know how to play an instrument, you can practice getting better with it. (You think Eddie Van Halen doesn't practice? Or simply play for pleasure?) You're reading this website, so you have a computer, why not record some of your own music?
Masturbate - This always peps me up when I'm feeling low (even if I'm not low it peps me up). It will give you something to do with your hands and keep your mind occupied. Do it often enough and it might tire you out so you can get a good night sleep.
More ideas on the way!
