If You’re Not Having Fun in Sobriety, You’re Not Doing it Right

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If you were anything like me, you probably thought that sober people were boring. After giving up the drugs and alcohol, it seemed like there’d be nothing else to do (besides going to those ‘weird’ meetings). Now that I’ve accepted that I’m an addict – in recovery – I realize there’s a lot more to life than substances. In fact, I’m having a helluva better time in sobriety than I ever did in my active addiction. Being clean and sober means that you can discover what living is really about. Where we once spent all of our time and energy on getting drugs and avoiding withdrawals, we are now free to live a life beyond your wildest dreams. And that starts with getting out there and enjoying the things you used to and finding out what else you like.  So, if you’re not having fun in sobriety, you’re not doing it right.

Here are some fun, sober activity ideas to try out and to also get your creative juices flowing to come up with some of your own ideas:

Paid group activities – here are some good ol’ throwback activities. Think middle school birthday parties, but better. You can organize a group of friends and go bowling – make it into a whole thing. Get bowling shirts and come up with team names. Or, head to the local roller skating ring or ice skating ring. Other fun group activities include laser tag, paintball, and mini-golf – just to name a few.

Local events — More than likely, there are plenty of events that your city hosts at one time or another throughout the year. Oftentimes, there are outdoor concerts in the summertime, music festivals, and sporting events.

Comedy shows – Check out your local comedy club for up-coming comedy tours. Even if it’s amateur night – it can be a lot of fun. Most clubs require a two-drink minimum but that’s not a big deal because you can get soft drinks or water.

Local concerts – Besides your city or town’s summer concert series, you can go to other local concerts. Chances are you live reasonably close to a stadium or other venue that hosts these types of concerts.

Painting Party – Host a painting party or other theme party. Get all the necessary tools and crafts. Have everyone pitch in if it gets to be a little too expensive to purchase everything by yourself.

Open Mic – Go to an open-mic night with a bunch of friends. If anyone in your group has a special talent, encourage them to sign up and show your support.

Day Trips – Plan a road trip with friends to a destination spot that’s within a couple hours’ drive. Such as the beach, a national park, historic site. Pack a cooler and make a play list for the trip.

Museums – Head to the museum or other cultural center.

Game night – Host a game night at your place. You can set up a couple of different stations with different board games and card games set up. Cards Against Humanity is a must.

Tourneys – Host a tournament or several tournaments. You and your sober friends can set up a badminton or volleyball net, compete in video games, foosball, pool, or Ping-Pong.

House crawls — This is sort of like a pub crawl but, instead it involves going over to several different friends’ houses. Have four or five homes participate and plan an evening where you and your friends go from one house to the next. The first house can have snacks and activities. The next house will serve dinner. The third and fourth houses can have games or other activities set up. And the last house can provide dessert and a movie.

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135.