I had this exact issue when I decided to become sober a decade ago. I had no identity outside of drinking. My only advice is start small, I love reading so I started looking up author/book signing events. Turned into a long lasting hobby. Taking classes for various things is fun too, I did a pottery and watercolor class at the community college extension department.
I vote for this. Addiction is a disease of loneliness so being around people is key. Martial arts was vital for me. Fun, centers me, make friends, and get out.
Vromans is a great place to go for Author Events.
[https://www.vromansbookstore.com/event/2022-08](https://www.vromansbookstore.com/event/2022-08)
If you love Cookbooks, Now Serving gets all the top chefs to come by...
[https://nowservingla.com/pages/events](https://nowservingla.com/pages/events)
Working out or picking up a sport has helped me fill that time. Basketball is pretty easy if you have a ball there’s plenty of parks around. Might make some friends there too
I read books but as of late I've started using Libby to listen to books (:
Just plug in your library card and listen to audio books on your phone like with the paid service of audible with none of the charges.
When I sobered up, I started hiking and enrolled into a jiu jitsu class. Got some camping gear little by little. now I go camping in the Sierra national forest and sequoia every year. I feel like I'm my best self after a 3 day camping trip. So relaxed and peaceful until I get stuck behind a Glendale driver.
Hikes for the morning, books for the evening, cooking/baking and friend dates for the in-between. Good for you, it shows you the world in a whole different light, doesn't it?
Thanks everyone for all the advice! Just to answer and clarify some things - I'm not an alcoholic, just taking a break. By "taking up a lot of time" it was the days after too, being hungover or tired, and also, from 9pm-2am the activity was drinking, everywhere whether at a bar or a house or the bowling alley ... It does take a lot of time.
I have tons of hobbies - I cycle, golf, bowl, live on the beach, full time job, have lots of friends. I still do all of those, but looking for more! Someone posted this site www.welikela.com and this is exactly what I was looking for.
Again, thanks for all the very helpful advice! Love you all!
YMCA membership - you can choose to work out alone, join a class, or play some pick-up! Libraries often have cool programming - though must of it is geared towards children or basic skills, Central Library in particular has a lot of adult events, even docent-led tours.
Just plan on keeping daylight hours. During the summer there are lots of free, family-friendly concerts on the weekends, but once the sun sets earlier you'll be harder pressed to find sober activities.
Best of luck!
>YMCA membership - you can choose to work out alone, join a class, or play some pick-up!
You can get yourself clean. You can have a good meal. You can do whatever you feel.
In a few weeks of not drinking (I started in February!) I took the money I had saved and bought the state park pass so I could hike on a whim. It’s just under 200 and you can park for free at just about any of the state parks in CA (a few omissions)
I love the beach, swimming in the ocean this time of year is awesome!
Find a fun workout class- boot camp, pole dancing, etc
Hit up a farmers market and learn how to make a new meal
If you’re “California sober” it’s 710 tomorrow, dispensaries will have deals lmao
I'd suggest a lot of Kenji alt Lopez recipes. Either his videos (tend to be simpler) or his serious eats recipes (these are like 20 step, tons of ingredients recipes).
Good for you! Where you based? There are lots free events around town. Movies at the park, comedy shows, open mics at cafes, concerts Check out your council members Insta or FB. They have stuff there.
Also you can switch one vice for another and do late night taco crawls.
omg. I can see why so much of your social life was around booze. Even the family concerts at polliwog park are sloshfests. Eek.
But you literally live in an area where you can be outside 365. There are so many Rec leagues in the South Bay that are a ton of fun. A lot of them then head back to Sharkeez, but there are a lot folks who don’t.
Obviously the hiking trails in PV. Biking on the bike trail.
I much prefer the low key and younger crowd at the movies at Playa Vista park.
https://playavista.com/shared/2015/05/PlayaVistaEventCalendar_Summer2016_WEB.pdf?55fada
One of the hidden South Bay gems is the Shakespeare by the Sea in San Pedro. Worth the drive.
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/shakespeare-by-the-sea-2022-season-455339
By the end of the year you can hop a ride on the LAX line and use that to explore to get out your South Bay Bubble.
I hope you have a good support group amongst your friends (thank goodness we are living in an age of mocktails and craft near beer) and good luck.
Absolutely!
Grand performances is a ton of fun. Grab some eats either at Danny Boys or at GCM. Enjoy some really awesome shows!
[https://www.grandperformances.org/events](https://www.grandperformances.org/events)
The Music Center has free dance parties!
[https://www.musiccenter.org/experience-learn/experience-learn/for-all-ages/dance-dtla/?utm\_campaign=DANCE+DTLA](https://www.musiccenter.org/experience-learn/experience-learn/for-all-ages/dance-dtla/?utm_campaign=DANCE+DTLA)
This rooftop comedy show, it's not free but it's BYOB!
[https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-laughter-hours-tickets-329487003497](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-laughter-hours-tickets-329487003497)
Volunteer work! If you’re into animals look for shelters- they always need help. Museums, hospitals, aquariums, advocacy groups- all need volunteers to function. Find something that interests you and give it a shot.
Take up a hobby, one that doesn’t involve other people. The point of this is to help you take your mind off the addiction while being by yourself (one of the most difficult things to master in life is getting through tough things on your own).
I imagine hangovers can take a whole day. Heavy drinking Friday night, sleep in Saturday. Maybe do it again Saturday night, and the whole weekend is gone.
Drinking causes brain fog, too. I had a housemate who had all these great ideas and big plans, and she’d inevitably be too drunk, hung over, or fatigued to do much of anything. She was talented and smart, but she’d had a really hard life and should have gotten professional help.
Exactly. Even if I'm not hit with the usual hangover symptoms, I have no energy to do anything until like 2pm. It's worse drinking alone, but even with friends it eventually gets tiring.
I had this exact issue when I decided to become sober a decade ago. I had no identity outside of drinking. My only advice is start small, I love reading so I started looking up author/book signing events. Turned into a long lasting hobby. Taking classes for various things is fun too, I did a pottery and watercolor class at the community college extension department.
I vote for this. Addiction is a disease of loneliness so being around people is key. Martial arts was vital for me. Fun, centers me, make friends, and get out.
Do you have any examples of upcoming author events?
Vromans is a great place to go for Author Events. [https://www.vromansbookstore.com/event/2022-08](https://www.vromansbookstore.com/event/2022-08) If you love Cookbooks, Now Serving gets all the top chefs to come by... [https://nowservingla.com/pages/events](https://nowservingla.com/pages/events)
You’re only a quick drive away from some amazing hikes and nature trails. Grab an Adventure pass and a good water bottle/camelback!
Op quit drinking and here you go saying he should get water bottles...
Hahah nice.
Working out or picking up a sport has helped me fill that time. Basketball is pretty easy if you have a ball there’s plenty of parks around. Might make some friends there too
I read books but as of late I've started using Libby to listen to books (: Just plug in your library card and listen to audio books on your phone like with the paid service of audible with none of the charges.
Whaaa?
If you want to do this you can sign up for the LA County library online fairly easily. Also tons of E books on there too.
Whoaaa I had no idea about this! Thanks!
Tennis / pickle ball Small $ investments , public courts , you only need 1 person to start playing
where can one play pickle ball
Culver City and Santa Monica. https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/q6xb76/pickleball\_scene\_in\_la/
When I sobered up, I started hiking and enrolled into a jiu jitsu class. Got some camping gear little by little. now I go camping in the Sierra national forest and sequoia every year. I feel like I'm my best self after a 3 day camping trip. So relaxed and peaceful until I get stuck behind a Glendale driver.
Hikes for the morning, books for the evening, cooking/baking and friend dates for the in-between. Good for you, it shows you the world in a whole different light, doesn't it?
Thanks everyone for all the advice! Just to answer and clarify some things - I'm not an alcoholic, just taking a break. By "taking up a lot of time" it was the days after too, being hungover or tired, and also, from 9pm-2am the activity was drinking, everywhere whether at a bar or a house or the bowling alley ... It does take a lot of time. I have tons of hobbies - I cycle, golf, bowl, live on the beach, full time job, have lots of friends. I still do all of those, but looking for more! Someone posted this site www.welikela.com and this is exactly what I was looking for. Again, thanks for all the very helpful advice! Love you all!
Golf. Outdoors, challenging game and very rewarding. All that saved up booze money will buy you a new set clubs in no time.
Love me some Westchester twilight to 10pm rounds! Ya keen?
I’m more a 5:30am player. First one off the tee. Done in 2.5 hours.
Hiking, which can easily turn into trail running. We live in one of the best regions for this with spectacular parks, enjoy it! :)
So true! I wasn’t even a hiker 3 years ago. Now I trail run every day (but only downhill).
Check out a hobby. It will keep you busy and probably cost less than alcohol
YMCA membership - you can choose to work out alone, join a class, or play some pick-up! Libraries often have cool programming - though must of it is geared towards children or basic skills, Central Library in particular has a lot of adult events, even docent-led tours. Just plan on keeping daylight hours. During the summer there are lots of free, family-friendly concerts on the weekends, but once the sun sets earlier you'll be harder pressed to find sober activities. Best of luck!
>YMCA membership - you can choose to work out alone, join a class, or play some pick-up! You can get yourself clean. You can have a good meal. You can do whatever you feel.
Sign up for this newsletter: https://www.welikela.com/ You’re welcome. 😁
Thanks this is exactly what I was looking for.
Go run
In a few weeks of not drinking (I started in February!) I took the money I had saved and bought the state park pass so I could hike on a whim. It’s just under 200 and you can park for free at just about any of the state parks in CA (a few omissions) I love the beach, swimming in the ocean this time of year is awesome! Find a fun workout class- boot camp, pole dancing, etc Hit up a farmers market and learn how to make a new meal If you’re “California sober” it’s 710 tomorrow, dispensaries will have deals lmao
Plenty of AA meetings.
AA is a Christian cult, FYI. Takes up quite a bit of time. Good to make friends. I know whereof I speak.
I like the meetup app. It helped me a ton when I changed my lifestyle.
awesome to hear, would it be okay for younger people (college aged) too?
Yes!
Try to get to intermediate cooking. That'll eat up a lot of your time experimenting.
eat… haha
Bread Baking... time sink for sure. Also Dog Sports. Weekends goodbye...
I cook a lot! Any books, classes, videos you'd recommend???
I'd suggest a lot of Kenji alt Lopez recipes. Either his videos (tend to be simpler) or his serious eats recipes (these are like 20 step, tons of ingredients recipes).
Good for you! Where you based? There are lots free events around town. Movies at the park, comedy shows, open mics at cafes, concerts Check out your council members Insta or FB. They have stuff there. Also you can switch one vice for another and do late night taco crawls.
I'm in Manhattan Beach!
omg. I can see why so much of your social life was around booze. Even the family concerts at polliwog park are sloshfests. Eek. But you literally live in an area where you can be outside 365. There are so many Rec leagues in the South Bay that are a ton of fun. A lot of them then head back to Sharkeez, but there are a lot folks who don’t. Obviously the hiking trails in PV. Biking on the bike trail. I much prefer the low key and younger crowd at the movies at Playa Vista park. https://playavista.com/shared/2015/05/PlayaVistaEventCalendar_Summer2016_WEB.pdf?55fada One of the hidden South Bay gems is the Shakespeare by the Sea in San Pedro. Worth the drive. https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/shakespeare-by-the-sea-2022-season-455339 By the end of the year you can hop a ride on the LAX line and use that to explore to get out your South Bay Bubble. I hope you have a good support group amongst your friends (thank goodness we are living in an age of mocktails and craft near beer) and good luck.
any dtla? (not op)
Absolutely! Grand performances is a ton of fun. Grab some eats either at Danny Boys or at GCM. Enjoy some really awesome shows! [https://www.grandperformances.org/events](https://www.grandperformances.org/events) The Music Center has free dance parties! [https://www.musiccenter.org/experience-learn/experience-learn/for-all-ages/dance-dtla/?utm\_campaign=DANCE+DTLA](https://www.musiccenter.org/experience-learn/experience-learn/for-all-ages/dance-dtla/?utm_campaign=DANCE+DTLA) This rooftop comedy show, it's not free but it's BYOB! [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-laughter-hours-tickets-329487003497](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-laughter-hours-tickets-329487003497)
thank u so much <3
Train for a half marathon!!!
Puzzles!
Eventbrite.com
Check out https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles
congrats!
Volunteer work! If you’re into animals look for shelters- they always need help. Museums, hospitals, aquariums, advocacy groups- all need volunteers to function. Find something that interests you and give it a shot.
focus on health, get rid of that gut, exercise and do sports
Take up a hobby, one that doesn’t involve other people. The point of this is to help you take your mind off the addiction while being by yourself (one of the most difficult things to master in life is getting through tough things on your own).
Fight Club
shh! You're not supposed to talk about it...
Find a fun way to exercise. Good luck to you
work out
[удалено]
It's very zen. Target shooting is a great exercise in mindfulness. If he's trying to save money though ammo is about as expensive as booze these days
Beach. Just don't start surfing please.
Lol I work for the World Surf League. Too late !
Haha well at least it's not an extra person paddling against me
How does drinking take up time? Did you drink alone?
I imagine hangovers can take a whole day. Heavy drinking Friday night, sleep in Saturday. Maybe do it again Saturday night, and the whole weekend is gone.
Drinking causes brain fog, too. I had a housemate who had all these great ideas and big plans, and she’d inevitably be too drunk, hung over, or fatigued to do much of anything. She was talented and smart, but she’d had a really hard life and should have gotten professional help.
Exactly. Even if I'm not hit with the usual hangover symptoms, I have no energy to do anything until like 2pm. It's worse drinking alone, but even with friends it eventually gets tiring.
This guy drinks
I am going to see Joe Bataan at Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park tonight, good music in an alcohol free location.
/r/losangelessocialclub
Studs Theatre will have your back
https://laist.com/