10 Interesting Sober Activities
For those in addiction recovery, the need to engage in sober activities for the winter season cannot be underemphasized. Winter can be a long, dry and dull wait.
As a result, to find some spark, many people turn back to drugs. Also, the holiday season comes with many parties and festive occasions. As we all know, alcohol and hard drugs tend to get passed around at these parties. This is why we recommend safe sober activities for the winter season.
In your stay in rehab, there are routines for sobriety that you adapt to. Routines like attending therapy, making connections and spending tint in the company of those that support your recovery. These routines are to give you a structure to help you stay sober and prevent relapse in the world outside rehab.
If you have a routine that you follow during the winter season, the probability of a relapse decreases drastically. Keep reading to find out how to prevent the winter blues this holiday season.
Why You Need Sober Activities For Winter
Most people in recovery have a challenging time in winter. The loneliness that accompanies winter is enough to lure you into old, destructive patterns. In the end, these patterns will only lead you down a path of drug abuse and relapse.
“Winter blues” is the term that describes the mild type of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Usually, people struggle with SAD in colder months like winter. Some symptoms of “winter blues” include:
- Continual fatigue
- Abnormal drowsiness
- Social separation
- Irritability
- A plunge in mood
Fortunately, there are some winter activities that can boost your mood and consequently addiction treatment. In the next section, we will take a look at the best indoor and outdoor sober activities for the winter season.
Five Indoor Activities For Winter Sobriety
You may not be the type that enjoys the cold weather. These activities can give you something to look forward to. The best part is you don’t have to go outdoors.
Join a book club
A book club is just the general term for a group of people that share their opinions about books they have read. Also, they discuss and express their likes, dislikes as well as their opinions about these books. Members of book clubs can meet in libraries, private homes or bookstores.
Joining a book club keeps you busy by engaging your brain and expanding your mind. Besides, a book club allows you to meet and interact with new friends. Most importantly, in joining books clubs, you have a healthy distraction that helps prevent a relapse in winter.
Practice new cooking techniques
Learning new recipes is another way to buy time in summer. To keep you busy and distracted, we advise that you join cooking classes. Asides the knowledge you will gain from learning a new recipe, it also brings you warmth. Staying close to the fire while cooking keeps you warm in winter.
Furthermore, you can host a dinner party, invite friends over. Try your new recipe. Ask them if they enjoyed it, and grade yourself. Getting yourself in an enjoyable project like this one may be a great distraction during the winter break.
Play board games
Among the winter activities that boost addiction treatments, playing board games is the most recommended. While playing board games, your mind is occupied and you are busy. Board games like scrabble, monopoly and chess, do not only excite but enhance your brainpower.
Board games enhance your memory and problem-solving abilities. With the ability to make better decisions, you’ll be able to respond better to cravings and relapse triggers.
Additionally, board games can be a great way to bond with your support system. This may be friends or family that support your addiction relapse goals.
See a movie
As an effective sober activity for the winter season, we recommend you see a movie. You may wonder why we advise that you see a movie instead of reading a novel. When seeing a movie, you will be among other people. In fact, you may meet new people at the cinema.
If you do not enjoy the cold weather too well, there is another way around it. Rent a couple of movies and gather around family or friends. You can all enjoy a great time together.
Go bowling
If you feel a need to engage in more physical activities, bowling is the right choice for indoor sober winter fun activities. Some people do it for the contest, while others do it for the fun.
Bowling flexes your muscles and keeps you occupied. It is a perfect individual sober fun activity, too.
Related article: Why Quit Drinking: Benefits of Being Sober
Five Outdoor Activities For Sober Winter Fun
There are several outdoor activities that you can engage in to avoid drugs this winter. Outdoor activities are mostly physical. Engaging in these outdoor activities will not only stretch your body but also increase blood flow.
Also, days without fresh air and sunlight can aggravate the symptoms of SAD. If these symptoms get worse, you may end up needing addiction treatment in Toronto.
Below are several outdoor sober activities for the winter season.
Ice fishing
Looking for a more interesting way to whirl away time? Try ice fishing. Ice fishing allows you to get more fresh air. Adding to the excitement, you get to catch a few spike or walleye fish. You can always use them to try out new dinner recipes home.
Ice skating
Ice skating is a common winter activity for holiday seasons. Amazingly, it can be done either indoors or outdoors. Ice skating is the perfect way to improve your systemization and exercise your body.
We advise that you skate either in the morning or early afternoon. These times, the lake or park is not crowded.
Take a walk around
To avoid drugs or alcohol in winter, some people just want to walk away from their cravings. Taking a walk will help stretch your legs and get some fresh air into your lungs.
Also, you can explore places in your neighbourhood, or take a walk around the city. A brisk walk may induce the production of dopamine — the natural mood booster. This can do wonders for your sobriety and motivation.
Hit the gym
Most people see the gym as a place for the “hard workers”. It is not necessarily true. A highly recommended sober activity for the winter season is hitting the gym. Winter can be cold and boring.
Plus, there’s a need to generate heat in your body. Working out can help you generate that heat. To cap it off, the gym stretches and exercises your muscles. Hitting the gym is an effective winter activity that boosts your addiction treatment.
Light up a bonfire
Having tried all other sober activities for the winter season, you can make do with a calm and relaxed evening. A bonfire can give you the calmness and relaxation that you need. Whether with a book in hand or you just stare into the flames, a bonfire is a good way to spend the evening.
Also, adding to the fun, you can invite family and friends around to share beautiful moments. It is an effective way to avoid drugs or alcohol and bond with family.
To Wrap it Up
There are several sober winter activities for the winter season that you can try. Activities like reading, playing board games, and seeing a movie can be done indoors. Also, we encourage ice fishing, ice skating, and hitting the gym as outdoor activities.
In this article, we discuss holiday season activities that will help you avoid drugs or alcohol in winter. Most times, boredom can lure you into old habits like drinking and doing drugs. It is why we recommend these activities focus on keeping you busy.
Are you having a hard time choosing what winter activity to engage in? Perhaps you need extra addiction support this holiday season.
Check out our addiction treatment services. Here at Addiction Rehab, we can provide personalized recovery services to help boost your chances of long-term sobriety. Contact us today!
Related article: How Much Does Sober Living Cost in Toronto?
