Sometimes all it takes to get your mind off food when you’re feeling bored is a little change of scenery. Make notes in a food journal about what you’re doing and your environment when you feel the urge to eat. In certain situations, being bored too often may have detrimental health effects, such as increased rates of depression and altered eating habits (1, 28). If you’re feeling content with your food choices for the day, you might be less likely to reach for a snack when you’re bored. Most people drink in order to fill a void of some sort, e.g. an unhappy relationship, an unfulfilling job, loneliness or feeling bored with your daily routine.
How can I identify my boredom drinking triggers?
Knowing why you drink is essential, says Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC, a Virginia therapist specializing in addiction treatment and alcohol moderation. All the same, “a quick drink” often turns into three or four drinks. When you’re having a good time, you find it hard to stop, especially in the company of friends having the same amount.
Have regular meal times
Karlie says the best advice ever received is to not fall in love with potential. Chanel describes herself as a humanistic therapist focused on building rapport and trust. She knows that when both of those are realized, they can accomplish each client’s unique goals how to stop drinking out of boredom together. She specializes in mood and personality disorders as they relate to addiction and is passionate about healing trauma by way of brainspotting and other trauma therapy methods. She has a goal to visit every state capitol and has been to 29 so far!
tips to stop eating out of boredom
Learning a new skill keeps your mind active and engaged, providing a sense of purpose and accomplishment. You can learn a new language, take a cooking class, or enroll in a course at a local community college. When you challenge yourself to learn something new, you build your confidence and expand your knowledge base, which can help create a fulfilling life in sobriety. It also provides a great opportunity to connect with others with similar interests. For example, exercising or enjoying a nice meal will release dopamine to reinforce the action.
- Changing the environment by getting outside can alleviate boredom and improve a person’s mood.
- A drink or two while bored might make you too tired or too wary of driving to meet your friends.
- At the end of the day, one of the most important tools you have at your disposal is self-compassion.
- This cycle can lead to unhealthy consumption patterns when feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
- If it’s at all possible in your circumstances, therapy is 100% the best way forward.
- It signals a feeling of satisfaction, pleasure, or reward, encouraging us to repeat the behavior that led to this good feeling.
#3 Make a Schedule to Structure Your Days
For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website. We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol. As part of your daily “boredom prevention plan,” schedule a reward for not drinking when you otherwise would.
You’re prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
You put off starting a new hobby or working on an existing one.
