Sobriety is an entirely different lifestyle than that of active addiction and you’ll find that throughout your recovery journey, new hobbies will become necessary. All of the time you spent previously using substances or finding ways to obtain them is now open time during your schedule to discover new ways to learn more about yourself and the world around you. Hobbies are a great way to not only do this, but to build your skill sets, make better connections with others and to build up your self-confidence. If you’re ready to incorporate some hobbies into your life but you’re not quite sure what to do, consider trying a multitude of activities to see what sticks and what doesn’t.
Create a list and rank different hobbies as either something you’re absolutely excited to learn about, or as something that would be “nice to learn” but not necessarily at the top of your list. In doing this, you may become surprised at what types of hobbies intrigue you. Some may be more feasible to engage in than others, but what really matters is that you get started.
One of the most beautiful aspects of incorporating new hobbies is the unforeseen benefits that may derive from them. A 2017 study titled “Addiction Recovery, Gardening and Faith: The Garden of Allan” explored how gardening as a hobby can benefit those in addiction recovery. Researchers from the study found that gardening wasn’t only a valuable life skill to learn for participants, but also was extremely therapeutic in relieving common co-occurrences of addiction, such as depression and anxiety.
Hobbies can be learned and developed over time, so be sure not to hold yourself back from learning a new hobby because you think you will not succeed. Take the plunge and dive right into learning – you never know what you may find.
Cumberland Heights is a nonprofit alcohol and drug-addiction treatment center located on the banks of the Cumberland river in Nashville, Tennessee. On a sprawling 177-acre campus, we are made up of 2 12-Step immersion campuses, 12 outpatient recovery centers and 4 sober living homes. We believe that each person has a unique story to tell – and that’s why we always put the patient first.
all us today at 1-800-646-9998 to take the next step towards your happiness and health.
