25 Things to do Instead of Drink (or any Habit that’s Harmful for you)
25 Things to do Instead of Drink...
(or any Habit that’s Harmful for you).
- Go on a mindful walk.
- Take one of the free courses online offered by Harvard.
- Start a garden or buy some houseplants to tend to.
- Find a non-alcoholic bar near you.
- Go to a place you went to on a field trip as a kid.
- Ride a bicycle around your favorite park.
- Attend a support group for substance use, grief, divorce, or growing up in a dysfunctional family.
- Go to a bookstore or the library and read a book inside there
- Call or FaceTime your grandparents or someone else you look up to
- Look up a place to begin volunteering for
- Take a shower (especially with some cold water to create dopamine).
- Start attending martial arts classes.
- Find something random to check out.
- Go to a craft store and find an activity that catches your eye.
- Look for activities near you such as a networking event or something related to your hobby.
- Deep clean your place. (starting with pulling the oven out from the wall)
- Walk around an antique store and look for something specific like uranium glass.
- Reach out to the person you’ve been wanting to talk to.
- Find a free event near you.
- Walk around a large furniture store and sit on what stands out to you to test how comfy it is.
- Go to a yoga class.
- Find items you have no use for or gather clothes you haven’t worn in the last two years (except special occasion outfits) to donate.
- Go to a place that has tabletop games tabletopgameandhobby.com or an arcade.
- Make an elaborate dinner with the help of YouTube.
- Practice self-compassion with a guided meditation.
Meet the Author
I offer a neuro-divergent affirming and an LGBTQ+ affirming perspective for counseling. I am trained in EMDR Therapy and have extensive personal experience with military life to support active duty service members, veterans, and military family members.
