The Power of Passion: Discovering Your Hobbies & Interests After Substances
The Power of Passion: Discovering Your Hobbies & Interests After Substances
In recovery, eventually, the obsession with substances subsides. What fills up those spaces in your mind, aside from your recovery? This mental space, free from the obsession with drugs and alcohol, is the perfect place to fill with new hobbies and passions, which can help support your recovery in numerous ways.
Your passions are things that excite you, motivate you, and drive you to a purpose. Whatever it is that brings you joy and feeds your soul, seek those things out and do them often. Sobriety doesn’t mean that life cannot be fun or exciting – in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Whether you lost your passions along the way during active use, or you never had the chance to discover them, they are living within you always.
The first step to finding what you enjoy doing is to try new things.
Attend a class; art, cooking, sculpting, writing, singing, dancing, you name it — even virtually they are available and just a simple internet search away. Youtube is also an incredible source of free information and instructional videos! Check out some different creators on the platform and note what does and does not spark your interest.
Reflect after each activity that you try.
Get out of your head and into your body for a moment. What are you feeling when you try these activities? Do you feel positive, warm, excited feelings? Do you feel much of anything at all? This is important to note in two ways: 1. This can lead you towards more activities and hobbies that you truly enjoy. 2. This is a great practice to increase your own emotional intelligence and understanding.
Use your search for passion as an opportunity to connect with others.
You might find that it is not the activity alone, but the shared human experience that you enjoy most. For many extroverted individuals, this is often the case! Reach out to your sponsor, those in your meetings, or close friends or family that support your recovery to go on this adventure of trying new things with you.
Don’t be afraid to fail.
In your pursuit of passion, like with anything else, do not be afraid to fail. Even if you are afraid, remember that often the most beautiful things live beyond the realm of our deepest fears. You have made it this far, so why not continue to try to find things that make you feel more like you.
Remember, passions and hobbies are a great place to begin as you get to know yourself and your personality again in sobriety. This is a great inner-place to turn to instead of feelings such as obsession, isolation, boredom, anger, depression, anxiety, etc. They can become a good outlet of expression for these emotions as well. Your passions can constantly change and develop, so be patient and don’t give up! Like the steps, you can go through the motions of trying new things over and over again, and you will only get better with time and repetition.
About Fellowship Hall
Fellowship Hall is a 99-bed, private, not-for-profit alcohol and drug treatment center located on 120 tranquil acres in Greensboro, N.C. We provide treatment and evidence-based programs built upon the Twelve-Step model of recovery. We have been accredited by The Joint Commission since 1974 as a specialty hospital and are a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. We are committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care to every individual we serve.