What are good techniques or strategies to avoid boredom drinking? I am currently drinking either beer or wine most evenings as a bad habit out of sheer boredom.

36 comments

1. 1. Go for a walk.
   2. Don’t have it in the house. When sober, don’t buy it.
   3. Call a friend

2. I’m having fairly good luck with alcohol free beer. It panders to the “habit” while removing the alcohol. It doesn’t always work, but even when I am drinking I tend to space things out with a bottle of 0.0% between drinks.

3. Consider it not a drink but poison.

   Don’t drink poison.

4. How much beer and wine? If it’s a small amount it may not be a problem.

5. Find some good books to read. It’s a great way to relieve stress in another mental compartment away from your work and other responsibilities. Before you know it reading a book on a subject you are interested in will have you mesmerized and feeling energized mentally. I think it is a great comparison. Casual drink at home to relax or read to relax. You are essentially doing the same thing. Sitting on your ass.

6. I have been going outside more even though it’s cold as hell!
   I also have been working on a bunch of stuff around the house. Like painting and other misc projects that have been in dire need of my assistance. Finally and most excitingly… I’ve been reading. Picked up a copy or Art of War and Rich Dad Poor Dad. Both books have been helping me regain some purpose. I highly suggest both. Hope you keep it up. Just remember the only failure is giving up completely.

7. I would have to review the research. If I remember correctly 1 beverage a day is healthy keeps the do tor away. Wine is very good.

   Isn’t the saying “moderation”? Have a glass of wine but not the whole bottle.

   Edit: Find out why your drinking every night? Are you truly board? Is it excessive? What’s going on with you and life? What’s changed?

8. Omg, I have the same problem. I don’t depend on alcohol but I drink a lot of almost anything. Like I can finish a can of beer in less than 10 minutes.

9. Hobbies!

   If you have hobbies that keep you active and interested then you won’t be bored and looking to drink.

10. Seltzer water. Find other stuff to do with your time. You shouldn’t be bored and you may feel that way bc you have a drinking problem? Figure out the real root to why you’re drinking out of habit and Eliminate it, KO style, 360!

11. Attend an AA meeting instead.

12. Why are you bored? I’d start there. What are your hobbies, or things you’re working towards? Give yourself something interesting, fun, or fulfilling to turn to instead. Not scrolling or finding something random on Netflix – something you can progress with and explore more deeply as time goes on. What are you interested in?

13. Drinking is not an habit, its an addiction. Quit while you’re ahead. (Not too addicted…yet).

14. I just stopped full stop. It wasnt a concious decision but after joining a gym I was repulsed by the idea of working out with a hangover.

    There are very little upsides to drinking alcohol, whether studies say a glass of red is ‘ok’ or not, going for a walk is infinitely better.

    Outside of that its peer pressure when socialising, just pick and choose your peers and frequency of social events.

15. Do you have responsibilities most days? A job, kids, spouse? That’s usually enough to keep me away from drinking too much as the hangovers are just too much.

    But I am on my second glass of bourbon right now watching WWE lol. Just got random house shit to do tomorrow.

16. You don’t need strategy or techniques. If you want to stop, stop. It’s just a habit. And I’m not just saying this, I used to do the same thing. Haven’t had a drink in a year & remember the movies I watch now.

17. I never drink during the week and my energy level has vastly improved. Just do it for two weeks and you’ll notice the change. Good luck!

18. I literally just had to stop. You have to want to. Do pushups to get a jolt. I bought a cheap fixed gear on facebook and go for rides when I feel like using. Play video games. Read. Walk. Volunteer. Sell your extra stuff and simplify.

    It’s been 4 months with nothing, not even caffine and feeling good. I have 2 bottles of wine chilling in my cupboard, amd they will remain unopened.

19. I colored a lot whenever I first got sober.

20. Like with every bad habit you have two choices, stop doing it with sheer force of will, or if your will power is not strong enough but you still want to reduce the damage replace it by a healthier but equally pleasant habit. I vape small amounts of weed every night when I’m done with duties for the day. It kicks boredoms ass. Bonus points it motivates me to exercise and hobbies are also fun when slightly high. But please don’t do joints with nicotine, don’t combust and don’t do large amounts, it will just turn you to couch potato. For reference I vape about 0.1g per day, or half of the dynavap chamber.

21. Drink more

22. Find something that would be ruined by drinking, so that drinking one evening ruins the progress of the thing.

    The obvious reason would be working out with a goal, but it could be anything you want.

    The reasoning is that boredom drinking is easy because ”hey might as well”. When you got something to lose on it other than abstract health reasons it becomes harder to justify drinking and you got something to put against the impulse of taking a beer.

    Just stop drinking without replacing the energy with something else is useless, tried that and paradoxicaly i think that made it harder.

23. Get a stomach ulcer.
    It worked for me.

24. Get a good hobby. Alcohol is often times an escape, so a hobby can help you escape, as well.

25. Start smoking weed instead!

26. Stop for two weeks and you may not want to start again. I give up alcohol for Lent some years and by the time it’s over I’m pretty hesitant to start drinking again.

27. How much do you drink nightly? I enjoy a beer or a bourbon most nights. Never more than one drink. It’s nice and enjoyable, and I don’t feel like it’s a problem.

28. Replace drinking with another hobby.

29. So I don’t consider myself an alcoholic, but I have been drinking more during the pandemic mostly because of limited out of the house activities.

    I decided that I would frame beer as a reward for doing something productive – like exercise. Now my evenings usually consist of getting the kids to bed, doing 30 minutes of exercise, shower and then a beer. It cut me down by about 50% in terms of the beer consumption and of course exercise has its own benefits.

30. I found that crapping out blood one morning after a night of drinking was a pretty good deterrent and scare tactic, worked for me.

31. I started drinking sparkling water out of a can, I’m still drinking something cold out of a can. It’s helped me a lot

32. Find something to drink that you really enjoy that isn’t alcohol. Preferably, not soda either. That’s shit probably even worse for you.

33. For me, I started with a 3 months experiment of drinking less. It was wired. But in the end I liked the result. I just felt much better.

    Also, soon after the experiment, I found a sports group, which had a great improvement on my mental health, and I never looked back on drinking alone.

34. Pick up a hobby, good book, Netflix, use that time to workout or get a pet. A puppy will keep you busy and you will have a companion

35. Exercise instead! Getting into shape was a huge step in achieving sobriety for me.

36. When I am tempted to get a beer for no reason I get some sparkling water and add some bitters for flavor.