Dry January is upon us! If this scares you because you can’t remember the last time you had fun without alcohol, you’re not alone.

H.A.L.T (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) is an acronym used to remind people of the four most common triggers in recovery. But heck, I would argue it should be H.A.L.B.T, with an added B for “boredom”. If you’re like me, the scariest part of giving up alcohol (whether temporarily or long-term) was the fact that drinking had become part of my personality and without it, I literally didn’t know what to do for fun. If this is you, don’t worry! It takes time to figure out what you like to do sans booze. But to speed this process along, here’s a list of activities to help you avoid boredom and stick to your sobriety goals this Dry January.

① Movement

Not only can movement make you feel good and help you connect with your body, it can also help reduce alcohol cravings and anxiety. This Dry January, I encourage you to try a new type of movement, whether that be walking, yoga, boxing, or cycling.

ClassPass — ClassPass is available in over 2,500 locations across the globe and is a great way to test out new classes without having to purchase a full membership to one type of gym. They have everything from yoga to cycling to facials and more!

YouTube — If you’re looking for a free way to try out new types of movement, look no further than YouTube! My favorite free channels for movement are Yoga with Adriene and MadFit, but there are so many others!

Note: Getting sober made me realize how unhealthy my relationship with food and exercise was. If this sounds like it could be a possibility for you, please listen to your body when deciding what movements to try and speak with a professional if necessary.

② Meditation

Now that you’re not numbing your mind with alcohol, you may notice more saturated emotions bubbling up to the surface. Meditation is a great way to quiet the mind and make sense of these feelings.

Headspace and the Calm app are two great resources for beginners who want to start their meditation journey. I also love doing free meditations on YouTube. Two of my favorite channels are Goodful (search “Goodful Meditations”) and Great Meditation.

③ Cooking and Baking

When I first gave up drinking, cooking and baking became my safe haven. I loved cooking with friends, for friends, or just for myself. Plus, it’s been scientifically proven that giving up alcohol can increase your sugar cravings so I was definitely not shy with the baked goods either!

And if baking from scratch isn’t your thing but you still want to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out **Doughp**! Doughp is a cookie dough company committed to breaking the stigma around mental health & addiction recovery. With every purchase, Doughp works to raise awareness and funds to support addiction recovery & mental health efforts.

④ Connect with Other Non-Drinkers

Giving up drinking is so much easier when you have support from a community of people who you resonate with and who understand what you’re going through. It can be scary to meet new people sober, but I promise after you push past the awkwardness, those connections will be so strong and genuine!

The **Steady Sunday Squad** is a community of sober and sober-curious young adults. We meet each week on Zoom!

If you’re in the NYC area and are looking for something in person, check out **Absence of Proof**, a non-alcoholic bar pop-up.

⑤ Learn New Skills

If you’ve been wanting to learn a new skill or hobby, Dry January is the perfect time to try! Learn a new language, try knitting, start a side hustle, do something that challenges and excites you.

Skillshare is a platform with thousands of classes taught by pros that you can take offline and on your own! “

“Skillshare is great and super affordable given what it offers.” — Steady Sunday Squad member

⑥ Host a Night In

My idea of a perfect night in with friends — Making dinner, mocktails (I love Ghia and Kin), and playing We’re Not Really Strangers.

It may take a bit more effort to plan get-togethers with friends now that going out for drinks isn’t the easy default, but that extra effort will be so worth it for the genuine, sober fun you’ll have.

⑦ Get Outside

Getting outside in any capacity has been proven to increase your production of endorphins (which are sometimes hard to come by when you stop getting them artificially through alcohol). Go for a hike, a walk on the beach, a bike ride, or a quick frolic through the snow.

⑦ Read

I remember when I was drinking I used to think, “Who the hell has time to read?” But you do. You have time. We make time for the things that are most important to us.

I love reading fiction novels to escape and personal development/self-love books to further my self-growth.

Hot tip: reading about the science behind alcohol and what it does to our bodies and brains can be helpful in sparking your motivation to stay sober. Check out our resources page for a list of Quit Lit and Addiction Memoirs.

Other Tips —

If you’d like a way to keep track of your wins and hobbies, make private Instagram account for only you (and maybe a couple friends) to see. When I first got sober I created a food account and loved documenting my recipes on there!

When trying to figure out what hobbies you want to try, it can be helpful to go back to the things you used to like as a child before alcohol blurred your idea of fun.

There you have it. I hope these ideas are helpful. It will take time to find your niche and the things you enjoy, so be patient and compassionate with yourself throughout this process. I’m proud of you!