31 Things to Do Instead of Drinking Alcohol
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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
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