Okay, drama queen/king. I hate to break it to you, but sobriety is nothing but fun.
*Gasp*
Sorry to burst your little negative bubble; you are now free to do ANYTHING. You are a free man/woman from the constraints of alcohol and drugs. You are not bound to anything; you can go wherever you want to go, do whatever you want to do, and be whoever you want to be.
If you’re stuck in the short-circuit thought: “My life is over; I’m sober,” you’re not alone. But, you are wrong.
Let me be the first to tell you that there are so many things you can do when you get sober and they are all a blast.
Here are a few reasons why sober activities are so much fun:
- You remember them
- They typically cost less than the alcohol/drugs you needed for the day
- You get to do them with friends that actually care about you, not people who want your drugs
- They make your insides feel good, and some of them make your outsides look good, too
Without further adieu, here is part 1 of our ‘Fun Sober Activities‘ series:
GO ON A ROAD TRIP
Cost:Â Just gas money, you can sleep in your car (I’m sure you’ve done worse)
Why it’s a sober activity:Â If you were to go on a road-trip drunk, you have very high chances of receiving a DUI and landing yourself in jail… Not sure about you, but that pretty much ruins a fun road-trip.
What makes it so fun:Â Good music, good friends, license plate games, ‘I Spy’ games, pit stops in the middle of nowhere for snacks and energy drinks, meeting people at said rest stops, watching the odometer go up, feeling rebellious sleeping in your car, cooler sandwiches, rest stop smoke breaks, exploring the land we live in, reaching your destination…
GO SKYDIVING
Cost:Â Anywhere from $120-160
Why it’s a sober activity:Â Most skydiving companies have an 8-hour rule, which states that you cannot have a drink 8 hours before you get onto the plane to skydive.
What makes it so fun: Skydiving is a crazy adrenalin rush! Generally, when you think about a plane, you don’t imagine yourself jumping out of it… In this case scenario, you’re safe. But, that doesn’t prevent your heart from racing, your palms from sweating, and then having the ride of your life down from the clouds to the sturdy ground. I’ve known many, many people to go skydiving in sobriety, and it’s an event they will never forget.
GO TO DAYBREAKER
Cost:Â $35 (that’s 3 packs of cigarettes)
Why it’s a sober activity:Â Daybreaker is a movement that started in New York City and has moved its way to all major cities in the United States. Daybreaker is a sober rave; no drinks, no drugs, just good vibes.
What makes it so fun: Daybreaker is not your typical rave. It is an early morning, before work rave which generally takes place on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Yoga starts at 6am and lasts for 1 hour, so you can get in tune with the world around you and stretch out those muscles, getting ready to dance your butt off. At 7am, the dancing starts! Live bands, healthy refreshments, poetry slams, strobe lights, and more… This is starting your day off right.
GET TATTOOS
Cost:Â Anywhere from free (Friday the 13th) to $500. Depends on who you know!
Why it’s a sober activity:Â When you have alcohol in your system, your blood thins, which causes the ink from the tattoo gun to bleed out, along with your actual blood. Bad news if you actually like good looking tattoos. If you like faded, half-gone tattoos, you can totally drink and get one.
What makes it so fun:Â The pain of getting a tattoo brings you into the moment; you can’t focus on anything but the painful pinching from the tattoo gun. You get the opportunity to express yourself through art! It just happens to be permanent… and on your body, which is a win in my opinion.
GET BACK INTO THE GYM
Cost:Â Anywhere from $9 – $100 depending on the gym you prefer
Why it’s a sober activity:Â It’s a little difficult to find the motivation to get to the gym when you’re loaded. It’s also hard to reach your peak potential when you’re intoxicated. Your body is working too hard to expel the alcohol and drugs from your system with sweating that you’re making little progress with your muscle development.
What makes it so fun:Â The endorphins from the physical exercise are unmatched. You feel good, and you start looking good, too. You’re hungrier, happier, and healthier. The 3 H’s are your key to both your physical and emotional success.
SCUBA DIVING
Cost:Â On average, scuba diving costs $200-250 for a beginner’s certification and dives.
Why it’s a sober activity:Â If you are intoxicated, your blood levels are thin, which makes you more likely to pass out… Since you are submerged under water for an extended period of time, and the pressure levels are pretty strong, it is highly dangerous to have alcohol in your system when you’re scuba diving.
What makes it so fun:Â There’s a whole other world under water that most of us have yet to explore. There are living organisms, ecosystems, and more sitting just under the surface. Scuba diving allows you to get outside of yourself for a bit and feel less all-important. Plus, you get to play with sea creatures… Pretty awesome!
GO LARPING
Cost: FREE except for supplies for your costume
Why it’s a sober activity: Because who wouldn’t want to remember their LARPing experiences? You’re dressed up like a science fiction creature or person, running around and causing mischief. Plus, it’s exhausting; if you’re loaded, you’re probably going to pass out in 5 minutes.
What makes it so fun: LARPing allows you to be another person, thing, creature for a day. You get to take on a role of someone or something else for hours… You get to act like an idiot without judgment since everyone else is acting like an idiot, too. Plus, while your friends might make fun of you for LARPing, they are secretly jealous. I promise.
SIGN UP FOR A MUD OR COLOR RUN
Cost:Â Starts at $20-35
Why it’s a sober activity:Â Because it is nearly impossible to finish anything when you’re loaded, let alone run a 5K. That sounds like a pretty miserable thing to do drunk!
What makes it so fun: A mud run is absolutely incredible; you follow a course with challenging obstacles, while completely drenched in mud from head to toe. You finish dirty, but you feel like a champion. If you choose to run a color race, you dress in white from head to toe, throw on a pair of goggles and start running while people throw paint all over you; you end the race with the most beautiful colors all over your body! Lastly, if you’re into science fiction or you love a good adrenalin rush, you have to sign up for a zombie run. Why? Because zombies are chasing after you, and you run so much faster, even if they aren’t real… They sure feel real.
PLAY IN A PICKUP GAME
Cost: FREE
Why it’s a sober activity: You aren’t very good at sports when you’re drunk or high. You maybe think you’re good… But no one else does.
What makes it so fun: Very similar reasons to the gym; you release endorphins, feel physically active and healthy. Plus, the competition is great for alcoholics and addicts… If you haven’t figured it out by now, we are all quite competitive.
PLAN A SOBRIETY PARTY
Cost: Depends on if you have people helping you out… Anywhere from FREE to $100
Why it’s a sober activity: Because it’s a sober party, and it’s your party. You can cry if you want to.
What makes it so fun: Sober parties are not boring, despite what you might believe. I threw a sober Halloween party 2 years ago, and people still talk about it to this day. I scheduled an energy-drink pong competition, set up a sound system with great dance tunes, put out some refreshments, and scary decorations. People were dancing, playing energy drink pong, talking, eating snacks, smoking, and having a blast!
