How about learning to play a musical instrument?

I spend hours playing my guitar when I have the time. I love to play.
Although I can hold a pick after severing my thumb, I have alot of trouble finger picking because the bone at the joint is fused together but I still try just the same.

It gives me alot of enjoyment.

Good Luck!

I have a few things I picked back up; and one passion that's much more than a hobby its a life style.
So on picked back up --- reading. I love to read. I feel "naked" without at least one book to work on. I read before bed as I work all day so don't have time during the waking hours. I work out, and did that while drinking just now its fully integrated into a healthy life vs a compartmentalized life that was "healthy" in some aspects; destructive in others --- eg. drinking.
On passion; riding horses. I grew up obsessed with horses and owned several growing up. I gave them up for booze and that life style. I now ride early in the morning 4 days a week and outside of my children/ family its my biggest joy.
So grateful to be sober!

Hi JustBeth, I chose to start doing crafts. My first 2 years of sobriety I finished up the dozens of latch hook rugs I had started but was too drunk to finish. I did them during AA meetings, it helped me pay attention to what was being said.

Now I enjoy jewelry-making, quilting, sewing, scrapbooking, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery. (sometimes all at once)

I have stared pinning on pinterest, that is a hobby all in itself.

I hope you get some ideas on this post.

Hugs,
Marion

I play texas hold'em, grow vegetables on my deck and love to cook new foods from different ethnicities.

You could also do some volunteer work doing something enjoyable like working with animals or kids.

Thank you! All of these are great ideas. Layla, my husband mentioned volunteering last night or maybe a part time job. I really like the idea of having my own garden and arts and crafts.

I do counted cross stitch.

I also write and there are tons of story slams and poetry contests to enter.

PT job's great b/c you are making money! You can do it out of the home to meet people, or do in-house things if you have the discipline.

If you drank at home, I suggest getting out of there. If your triggers were drinking out of the home, maybe you want to cocoon at home.

Growing season's almost done, but you can do terrariums of research autumn crafts or what you'd have to do now in the fall to get some great composting going for the spring! Or find out what you plant now so you have a winter crop or some things need two growing seasons to take... Or maybe you plant bulbs now so you have crocuses in March... I don't know these things. Just the research would be a great thing. But keep all the notes in a journal so you remember and it focuses you on some goals!

: )))

Also, just thought of photography- taking beautiful pictures in the fall and getting them developed- a celebration of the results of sobriety.

JustBeth, I love that you asked this! It's something I've been working on too. Everyone's suggestions are great, and it's awesome to see how many people gravitate toward the same things I did - reading, exercise, crafts.

I want to set goals for some activities so that it also holds me accountable to them. For example I think I might register for a fitness competition, definitely can't get away with drinking if I'm working toward that!

Some of the hobbies I've found are:
Weight training
Gardening/house projects
Reading - books, and I also subscribed to a bunch of magazines (cooking, gardening, decorating, design, news, etc.) so that I'm always receiving interesting new things
Re-upholstering my old furniture
Instagram accounts

Some other things I want to do are start a website, volunteer at a dog/animal shelter, painting/drawing/photography, maybe join a book club.

I'd love to hear more ideas on how people keep busy!

Take up or go back to a sport you use to play . For me I took up golfing again ,, the fresh air and the walking are great ,,, putiing that darn golf ball in the hole is another story but Im working on it

My husband and I are going to start playing tennis in the evenings. I think it's really important for me to stay busy. I don't work so I have way too much time to obsess about drinking. Sometimes I think I'm going insane.

I started tennis. I also took up a hobby called recovery. It takes practice. Read books. Write notes. Work at it. Call ppl. Get out of my own self and help another. It's amazing but by helping others it makes me feel better. But you get better the more u try.

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