Many people don’t choose sobriety; if they do, they don’t get very excited about it. Being clean seems boring. People who have made a habit of turning to drugs or alcohol often cannot imagine it’s possible to have a good time while being completely sober.
Why would anyone forego all the “fun” associated with drugs and alcohol? The truth is that sobriety offers many great benefits, including the ability to have a good time.
Why sobriety is enjoyable
People who use drugs or alcohol likely have many stories about social interactions they’ve had while using. Unfortunately, those stories usually come from someone else telling them.
When stories are told of the substance user saying incredible things, participating in hilarious moments or accomplishing impressive stunts, the user often doesn’t even remember because they were under the influence. How “fun” is that? It’s even less enjoyable to hear about something secondhand and later feel embarrassed or ashamed about it.
Being sober allows one to be more mindful and entirely in the moment. They can understand what is happening and recognize the actual humor or excitement during the event.
Sobriety leads to more enjoyable relationships. Spending time with family and/or friends who are nurturing influences not only helps with recovery and supports a sober lifestyle but leads to a healthy give and take. When people enjoy each other, it’s possible to have fun just being together and sharing common interests.
How sobriety can be enjoyable
The parties may stop, but that’s not a bad thing. Being sober offers a new perspective on what is really enjoyable.
First and foremost, being sober means feeling better. Drugs and alcohol have a lot of chemicals that are toxic to the body. When those toxins are released, the body can begin to recover. Major organs like the liver and heart can heal. Muscles feel better, skin gets clearer and the immune system improves. Sometimes, there’s even weight loss. There are no longer several days lost to hangovers, blackouts, nausea or headaches associated with substance use. Being physically healthy and having the energy to do things means a sober person can go and do those things.
When someone isn’t spending time and money on drugs or alcohol, that time and money can be spent on activities, travel and entertainment. Taking a class, learning a new skill, joining a gym, going on a trip, dining out at restaurants, seeing a play or enjoying sports are some ways to enjoy newfound time and money.
Staying active and exercising not only helps keep a newly sober person busy and less easily tempted to use drugs and alcohol, but physical activities release dopamine to the brain, producing a natural high.
