31 Things to Do Instead of Drinking Alcohol
We would save ourselves a lot of trouble and hassle if we could find ways to manage stress and busy days in ways other than drinking alcohol. Our natural reaction to bad news, busy weeks, or hard days is often to have a drink. We seem to think that alcohol soothes the mind, or medicates our nerves, or maybe that it is our reward after enduring something negative. But we forget about how alcohol makes us feel the morning after, and how much time and money we actually waste on this substance that usually causes more harm than good. So maybe the next time we experience hardship, we shouldn’t reach for the alcohol. Maybe we shouldn’t make so many jokes about how a mom is really going to need a drink after that long day with the kids. Maybe we shouldn’t encourage co-workers to come out to the bar to drink their stresses from the day away.
There are many more effective things to do to relieve stress or to make ourselves really feel better. Sometimes just starting one of these activities will be enough to take our mind off of drinking. There really is so much more to life, and rewarding ourselves too quickly with alcohol takes away from these other experiences we could be having. The next time you feel pressured or entitled to drink your troubles away, try one of these activities first:
Go for a long walk
Visit a museum or the zoo
Go for a swim
See a movie
Take a class on languages or art
Get some coffee at your favorite coffee shop
Learn to play an instrument
Attend a play at a local high school
Take in a recital
Walk around the mall
Read a book
Play a game
Plant a flower or tree
Volunteer at a local food bank or shelter
Write a letter to a far away relative
Organize your photos
Call an old friend
Make a meal from scratch
Organize a baseball or volleyball game with friends or co-workers
Clean out a closet at home
Take a bath
Repaint a room in your home
Look through old yearbooks
Start a new hobby
Study the history of your town
Visit the Humane Society
Paint a picture
Go to the library
Ride a bike
Have a picnic
Plan your dream vacation
Sources
- ” Rethinking Drinking Homepage – NIAAA “. Rethinkingdrinking.Niaaa.Nih.Gov, 2020, https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/. Accessed 5 July 2020.
- “30 Blissful Things To Do Instead Of Drinking — Euphoric”. Euphoric, 2020, https://www.euphoricaf.com/blog-home/30-things-to-do-instead-of-drinking. Accessed 5 July 2020.
- “50 Fun Things To Do Without Alcohol”. Party.0, 2015, https://www.party0.org/50-fun-things-to-do-without-alcohol/. Accessed 5 July 2020.