The journey to sobriety is a not always an easy one. Within the first year of recovery, around 66% will relapse. But if you can make it to 5 years or more, that number significantly decreases to 15%. Being in recovery can be just as challenging as the road you took to get here, maybe even tougher. This is especially true when you consider that you have lots of time on your hands and might be hanging around people who aren’t completely abstinent from substances.
But rest assured, you can still have a good time while abstaining! Here are 8 awesome sober activities you can do for a fun time out while in recovery.
1. Go Hiking
When you’re in recovery, you want to substitute healthy things for the substance you were abusing to still satisfy your brain’s pleasure response. Otherwise, it’ll be a rough time, as you’ll inherently want to go back to using to get that feeling back again.
One way you can satiate that need is to go hiking. Not only will it get your heart rate up and the endorphins flowing, but it’ll do wonders for your mood too. When you feel the sun on your skin and see the wonderful views, you’ll definitely feel content.
2. Host a Dinner Party
Because most dinner parties involve alcohol, make sure your guests know they should bring non-alcoholic beverages instead of bottles of wine. Or if you trust yourself enough, you can let your guests enjoy some glasses of wine while you sip on a glass of water or soda. Get together for a nice meal and some good conversation. Before your guests arrive, put together a soothing playlist that’ll provide outstanding background noise and create an ambiance at your dinner party.
3. Play Board Games or Video Games
If you’re on the geekier side, you can invite your friends over for a session of competitive board games. Dust off your collection, bring out the chips, pretzels, sodas, and energy drinks, and make it an exciting night. The same can be done with video games. In fact, if you have some friends who are out of your local area, just hop online and hang out with them on Discord, a gaming chat program. You can even stream gameplay for one another.
4. Go to an Amusement Park
If you’re looking for a thrill, then get yourself to an amusement park! Southern California is home to several amusement parks within driving distance, so definitely take advantage of this convenience. You’ll get to spend the whole day with your friends and loved ones, which can be a great distraction already. Not to mention there are lots of exciting rides and attractions you can occupy yourself with. If the thing you miss is a rush, then you’re certain to get it from all the rides.
5. Go Mini Golfing
If you don’t have lots of funds, don’t like roller coasters, or don’t have the time to drive out and spend a whole day at an amusement park, try mini-golfing instead. A whole game takes less than an hour, plus many local spots have this activity available. Getting out in the sun and having some laughs with your friends may be just what you need. Plus, these facilities usually have other things you can do, such as bumper cars, video games, and more. You won’t have to spend much to have a fun sober time!
6. Go to a Comedy Show
They say laughter is the best medicine, after all! Luckily, SoCal is home to many venues with comedy shows, so whichever night you want to go out, there’s bound to be a good one on. Grab a few friends and get yourself into a comedy show. When you get to laughing, your body will release both endorphins and dopamine, which will keep those cravings for your substance of choice away.
7. Visit a Museum
This can be a fun activity to do with either your significant other, friends, or family. If any of you are history or art buffs, you can spend hours at a museum looking at fascinating exhibits. Even if you’re not a huge fan of museums, they usually have some interesting architecture to look at. They may also have a courtyard where you and your loved ones can have a cup of coffee and a chat.
8. Go Sing Karaoke
You can definitely have a karaoke night without booze! Gather up your friends and head on over to your favorite spot. If any of you are going through particularly difficult times, you can always sing the blues away. When you’re sad, nothing feels better than howling at the top of your lungs and digging deep to get those pent-up emotions out. And even if everyone’s going through great times in their lives, it’s also fun to get silly and laugh at each other as you try and hit those high notes.
Do These Fun Sober Activities to Keep Your Life on Track
Now that you know some fun sober activities to do, it may help keep you on the straight and narrow. We understand that it may be tough sometimes, especially if you’re going through challenging events in your life. Everyone’s human, and you may unexpectedly relapse.
But keep in mind that relapse doesn’t mean failure. For the majority of recovering addicts, if not all, it may take a few tries for them to permanently get on the road to sobriety. So long as you dust yourself off and try again, then you’ll surely find your way to a life of success, happiness, and health. If you need help staying sober or want to help your friends or family, please get in touch with us now.
Asana Recovery is located in Orange County, California. and offers detox, residential, and outpatient addiction treatment services in our modern and comfortable addiction treatment facilities. Please contact us today to speak with one of our experienced addiction treatment team if you have any questions about our programs.
