Especially when it comes to psychological types of hunger like boredom eating, external factors often trigger the urge to eat. On the other hand, when you’re experiencing boredom hunger — https://ecosoberhouse.com/ or another type of emotional hunger — you may crave a certain food without any of the traditional signs of physical hunger. Here are 13 simple tips to keep from eating when you’re bored.
Rather than chug your beer or mixed drink, take time to hold it in your mouth and appreciate its taste. If you have a hard time moderating your pace, try to stick with drinks that have low alcohol content. Alcohol use continues to take up more of your time and energy, impacting your physical and mental health until you need to take serious steps to address your drinking problem. When you hear the term “binge drinking,” you might picture wild high school or college parties. Some research even shows that the habit is increasing among older adults.
Why Shouldn’t You Drink Out of Boredom?
This is particularly true if you’ve had a hard day at work or with the kids, and you are tired or stressed out. Soon it can seem weird NOT to have a glass in your hand, even if the rest of you is thinking about something else (or not thinking about very much at all). Drinking https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/boredom-drinking-and-how-to-stop-it/ because of boredom happens because home is where we feel safe, unjudged – it’s where we can relax. But at home, it’s easy to get a bit too comfortable… you can get a long way down a bottle when you are sitting in front of the TV half-watching some series to pass the time.
Boredom is closely related to substance abuse in a number of different ways. It is a common reason for why people first experiment with alcohol or drugs. It can also be a good excuse to keep on returning to these substances. This can eventually meant that the individual develops a dependency. Fear that life away from alcohol or drugs will be boring can keep people trapped in their addiction.
How To Stop Drinking Out Of Boredom
It’s not uncommon for people to get defensive when others point out their unhealthy drinking habits. Your loved one might deny the problem, deflect, or get mad at you. Reassure yourself that speaking up is a compassionate gesture. If you don’t voice your concerns now, your loved one may not give up their alcohol abuse until they experience more severe consequences.
Early sobriety is a critical period when community and support networks are critical. This can be hard if your social life previously revolved around drinking. It’s even harder if your loved ones don’t support your sobriety.