Getting creative in my sobriety and how it helps me stay on track.
- Ben - Its That Sober Guy
- Jul 1, 2023
- 4 min read
One of the biggest blessings and curses of getting sober, is suddenly how much extra time you have on your hands, be it time that was spent drinking or time the following day being hungover. When I first got sober it was amazing, however, as I wrote about in a previous article, being bored is a real trigger for me to drink. Not wanting to fall into that trap, here are some of the creative things I have done to fill some of that time.
Warning before you proceed too far, I am not the most creative person, but I don’t think you have to be, most of these things are easily accessible for everyone to try.
Adult colouring books
This is one that you can try for very little cost, get yourself on Amazon or another online retailer and order yourself some pencils and an adult colouring book. There are loads of there to choose from. I like the ones with swear words in as it makes me feel like an adult and a child all at the same time.
Sit down and just colour, it amazes me how much time I can lose doing this and how refreshed I can feel afterwards. I find this a form of meditation, clearing my head of thoughts and just concentrating on the colouring in. Also, when I finally finish a picture, I get a real sense of achievement before moving on to the next.
Blogging
The two best things about blogging are you can write about anything you want, and it costs nothing at all if you have access to a smartphone or computer.
Often, I will sit down and start writing about one thing and I realise halfway through that it has become something completely different. Once you have completed an article you can choose if you want to share it with the world or not. If you do, we can promote discussion and feedback, it is amazing how many people have reached out following reading one of my posts. However, I’ve many posts that I’m sure I will never be sure of, and these were just as rewarding for my writing.
Lego
I’m sure that I enjoy Lego more now than as a child. I’ll be honest, this is not a cheap hobby, I only buy the smaller sets and only occasionally. However, some of the sets that you can buy are truly amazing!
The journey I go though while building a Lego set is always the same, get about halfway in before I think a piece is missing, telling myself not to panic, this always happens. I double and triple-check, before starting to get frustrated. Convinced I am missing a piece I proceed to find it! So far out of all the sets that I have bought there has never been a piece missing, but this is something I have gone through every time.
I always feel a sense of pride when I have completed a set, no matter how small it is and as my collection grows, I remind myself that I could not have been so frivolous with my money while drinking.
Poetry
This is a new one for me, however, when I was out walking the dog the other day, the first few lines of a poem about alcohol came into my head. Wanting to embrace all that sobriety offers me, I wrote these down and continued with the poem, the results can be found on the website, it’s called “I know why you drink that first pint”. If you do check it out, please be kind.
This may be the only poem that I ever write or there may be many more. Who knows, the best thing about my sobriety is I am now my person, so I can do however I see fit.
Growing Veg
I’m not sure many would class this as a creative hobby, but I do if it is designing where I am going to grow different veg, building raised beds or just starting a plant from seed. Something is rewarding about watching things grow from the care that I give them, and even more rewarding getting to eat the fruit or veg that results from this hobby. I used to have an allotment (photo below) however, when we moved house, we were lucky enough to find a property with raised beds in the back garden. There is nothing better than walking into the garden to pick fresh veg to cook with that evening.
The great thing about this hobby is it gets me outside, which always gives me a massive boost to my mental well-being, while also keeping me active for my physical health.
You don’t need a big space to start growing your veg, you can start with a few pots on a balcony or a small corner of a garden.
Give it a try
It does not matter, what you try to get creative, just give anything a go. We don't ever start something and turn out to be an expert straight away, but by trying new hobbies be they creative or not, we get to spend some of that time we would have been drinking, discovering new skills and passions.
I look forward to hearing about what new things you have tried.
Ben – It's That Sober Guy
Disclaimer – I am not a trained addiction or mental health professional, information is based on my own life experiences and shared in good faith to help others.
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