13 Hobbies to Try While in Addiction Recovery

Most of the time, a recovering addict will lead a life vastly different from the one they had before treatment.

One of the greatest challenges you’ll face after quitting your addiction is how you’ll spend your spare time. You might feel isolated from the people you used to hang around with, especially if most of your past hobbies were about drugs or alcohol.

You’ll face many difficulties and frustrations during your addiction recovery. However, you might find a way to make your recovery enjoyable by finding or rekindling a new passion. Haven House is here to help you learn how to recover from addiction by learning a new hobby.

Dangers of Boredom in Recovery

Boredom makes people feel weary and tired. It can also cause depression and irritability, which lead to unstable brain chemistry and increased interest in using and abusing drugs and alcohol.

Bored people may feel unhappy and see their addiction recovery as a prison sentence. They might romanticize drugs and drinking, increasing their risk of returning to drugs and alcohol and referring to their old ways as “the good times.”

Taking up hobbies while currently engaged in addiction therapy is an excellent idea to fill your time. They are a great way to learn more about yourself, your interests, dislikes, and being true to yourself.

A hobby may seem like a small thing, but it makes a huge difference.

How to Recover From Addiction With Hobbies

Hobbies for recovering addicts help them find meaningful activities to fill their time and create connections with others and themselves. It also prevents them from isolation, which results in negative thoughts and depression that increases your risk of relapse.

Sober hobbies while in recovery help you find happiness and fulfillment by learning new skills, enjoying the outdoors, or simply spending time with friends. If you’re struggling with substance addiction, it can help you create a support network that will encourage and support you or distract you when you’re craving drugs or alcohol.

Mutual support and self-help groups significantly benefit a recovering addict by providing emotional and social support.

Addiction and Recovery: 13 Hobbies to Try

Spending time with hobbies and other activities you love is crucial once you’ve gotten sober. Engaging in these enjoyable and healthy activities during addiction therapy helps prevent you from relapsing into your old ways.

How do you find activities or hobbies to pick up? The first step is assessing your strengths and preferences to help you identify your strengths and what you enjoy doing. Assessing yourself will help you find the right hobbies or activities.

Hobbies also help you avoid trouble by keeping you busy and participating in activities that make you happy. Some enjoyable hobbies for recovering addicts include:

1. Reading Books

Pick up a book or a magazine to get lost in unfamiliar places or learn more about the world around you. Reading also helps you learn more about different recovery group topics.

Find somewhere cozy to read. Place a beanbag in the corner of a space, or even snuggle up on the couch with a blanket. Make sure your reading nook is comfortable and quiet to help you enjoy and focus on reading your book.

2. Learning an Instrument

Another way to express your emotions is through music. You may learn to use an instrument or to sing. Music is a powerful way to express feelings, and learning a new instrument can give you a sense of accomplishment.

You can look for music lessons on various instruments and sign up for a class you like. It’s one of the addiction recovery activities that will make your day more productive. You’ll feel happier when you see yourself making progress on your instrument. But don’t feel too bad if you’re not progressing as fast as you would like; it’s still part of learning. Just continue, and you won’t notice that you’ve moved past your stumbling block.

3. Playing Sports

You may not enjoy the same type of exercise as others. Therefore, it is important you participate in various activities to discover what you like. Participating in group sports can help improve your health and wellness while making new friends who value a healthy lifestyle.

4. Engaging in Relaxation Activities

Yoga is good for the mind and body, but it also benefits the brain that allows you to relax and improve your focus. It will also help you calm down and connect with your inner self.
Many rehabs offer holistic addiction treatment that includes yoga in their addiction recovery activities. You also have the option to learn from an instructor and join a group of yoga practitioners in your area.

If you are not into yoga, there are other relaxation activities you can try, such as:

• Music and art therapy
• Massage
• Deep breathing
• Aromatherapy
• Meditation

5. Learning How to Cook

Cooking is fun. Instead of sitting down and feeling bored, try to get up, go into the kitchen, and make the dishes you’ve always wanted to cook. It can also help you feel accomplished.

Cooking is one of the best hobbies to pick up to make you feel busy and fulfilled. You can try cooking so many things: pastries, main dishes, healthy foods, and other cuisines. You can find many cooking videos on the internet or purchase a cookbook for more recipes.

6. Engaging in Volunteer Work

One of the best hobbies for recovering addicts is volunteering. It can help you feel that you are making a difference and allows you to feel in control of your actions and the decisions you make.

Volunteering at an animal shelter or farm is a great activity if you’re looking for something to do outside of your home. You can also volunteer in your local library or a non-profit organization. Better yet, you can also put up your own community service project.

7. Gardening

Gardening can distract a recovering addict from negative thoughts and cravings, which can help you avoid relapsing. The skills gained through gardening can increase self-confidence and help create a sense of purpose.

Planting a vegetable garden might even help you eat healthier. Growing vegetables can improve your overall health by providing physical activity.

Gardening requires people to spend lots of time in nature and outdoors, which can help recovering addicts focus and reflect while improving their physical and mental health.

8. Learning How to Swim

Swimming is an excellent choice for people in addiction recovery to get some exercise that they can enjoy in the spring or summer. It also helps calm nerves, release some pent-up energy, and focus on breathing.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a swimming pool or access to a pool. Consider joining a swim club, or look for other swimming spots in your area.

9. Trying Martial Arts

People in recovery will feel more confident when they learn new skills. Martial arts are great for both the mind and body. It helps:

• Boost self-confidence
• Relieve stress
• Improve your heart health
• Develop positive mood
• Improve concentration

Learning martial arts can give a sense of accomplishment. It’s an activity you can engage in if you’re seeking sobriety from drugs. Some types of martial arts are karate, Krav Maga, judo, Muay Thai, and aikido.

10. Writing

Writing is another worthwhile activity. It allows you to express the thoughts, ideas, and emotions you feel deep inside. Instead of burying your feelings in a box, open up your laptop or grab a pen and some paper and start writing.

It is possible to do it any time. Write your feelings down if you suddenly feel the need to express yourself. It’s a great way to destress and express your anger, frustrations, and other negative emotions. You may even write your thoughts about recovery group topics.

11. Doing Outdoor Exercises

While you’re sobering up, the last thing you want to do is stay in bed. Get up and go out for some fresh air. Avoid being trapped indoors, as this will lead to negative thoughts and a buildup of stress.

Find an outdoor activity you like. Outdoor physical activities like biking, running, surfing, and kayaking are a great distraction while you’re in recovery from drugs. It can also help you strengthen your body.

12. Hiking

You can also enjoy hiking while enjoying the sunshine. This is a great way to get out and explore the natural world. You can find wildlife along trails in a park or take in the stunning views from a hiking trail.

13. Joining a Comedy Club

If you are a comedian and have a sense of humor, you might be interested in joining a comedy club or doing stand-up. It’s a great way to make new friends and enjoy something you love.

Creating a Structure While in Recovery From Addiction

Addiction recovery is a process that requires structure. You likely had a structured day while in rehab. Establishing a routine for your daily life and following it even after you have finished rehab is crucial.

You can use your time wisely to promote accountability and help fulfill your responsibilities. This will help you avoid a relapse into substance abuse or put yourself in dangerous situations. Try making your goals easy and simple to achieve.

If you are setting a goal to learn a new skill or try something new, be specific about it and give yourself a deadline. Your life will be more enjoyable and fulfilling if you fill it with healthy and fun activities. Doing this will help you stay on the right path to recovery from drugs or alcohol.

How to Break an Addiction: Tips to Staying Sober

According to some, the best advice for those new to recovery is to “Don’t drink and use. Go to meetings.” If this works for you, go ahead and try it.

However, it is not easy for most people to maintain sobriety from drugs. It is easier to avoid relapse if you have mastered the skills to recognize triggers, manage stress, and manage your sobriety. Aside from taking on new hobbies, here are other things you can do:

1. Identifying Triggers

Preventing relapse involves understanding your external triggers. This includes people, places, and things that can elicit thoughts or cravings for substance use.

2. Acknowledge Relapse Warning Signs

You don’t always recognize warning signs, and relapse could sneak up on you. A relapse occurs long before you take up alcohol or drugs. It has three phases: emotional relapse, mental relapse, and physical relapse.

3. Get Ready for PAWS

A post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is characterized by withdrawal symptoms that persist beyond the detox period. These symptoms can be related to mood and include irritability and anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

4. Avoid Old Routines and Habits

Avoiding old routines and habits is helpful in learning how to break an addiction. When you stop using your drug of choice, it’s easier to fall back into old habits and behaviors and continue to do the same things with the same people, places, and circumstances.

Some of the changes you need to make immediately are obvious, like not hanging out with people you have used drugs with or sourced from. Sobering up is impossible if your drug dealer or drinking buddies around you.

To avoid triggers or people, places, or things that cause you to want to drink or use drugs again, you may need to modify the route you take when going to work or home.

5. Build Healthy Relationships

You may have realized that your relationships with people in the past were not only toxic but unhealthy. Your drinking buddies or drug dealers are not the only cause of your trouble; sometimes, even those close to you can lead you to are relapse.

6. Practice Healthy Living

Chronic alcohol and drug use can have a devastating effect on your emotional and physical health. Take care of yourself and make sure you have the willpower to stay sober once you’re in recovery.

Haven House Recovery Center Is Here for You

Let Haven House teach and guide you on how to recover from addiction.

We are a facility for addiction recovery in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Haven House Recovery Center offers a 12-step program, sponsorship work, individual counseling, bible study, group counseling, and spiritual exercises.

We accept men aged 18 to 45 years old. The treatment duration for all our residents lasts for 12 months. We also require them to work in one of our thrift stores, which helps individuals in recovery find their way back to society.

Visit our facility in Hartsville, Tennessee today!