San Diego Sober Living - Recovery

Hobbies for Recovering Addicts

American actress Jamie Lee Curtis, winner of the 2023 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the blockbuster film Everything Everywhere All at Once, isn’t widely known for her work as a photographer. A couple of decades ago, Curtis was hopelessly addicted to opioid painkillers that were prescribed when she was recovering from a surgical procedure. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Curtis explained that she initially took up photography as a fleeting interest after her final stay in a rehabilitation facility. She followed the advice of a therapist who insisted she should explore hobbies, and it didn’t take long for photography to become her new passion. Similar to Curtis, many people in recovery discover and cultivate activities that become important aspects of their journeys to sobriety.

What Addiction Counselors Say about Sober Hobbies

Hobbies can provide a healthy and positive outlet for individuals in recovery by helping them reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while providing a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Addictive behaviors and cravings can be kept at bay when engaged in hobbies, thus helping individuals focus their energy on something positive and productive. Positive reinforcement is at the heart of sober hobbies. The sense of accomplishment joyful activities bring can go a long way in terms of building self-esteem and confidence.

Yoga & Fitness

There’s no specific research on the most popular hobbies among recovering alcoholics. However, reviews of anecdotal literature suggest yoga and other fitness activities that can be practiced on a solo basis are among the most common. 

Exercise is a healthy tool for the management of cravings and triggers in recovery, and it can help people build confidence and self-esteem as they work toward their goals. The appeal of personal fitness as a hobby tends to be stronger in the middle stages of recovery, such as during a stay at a Solana Beach sober living home.

Creative Expression

There’s a full range of hobbies that fall under the creative expression umbrella, and quite a few people in recovery find solace in painting, drawing, writing, music, crafts, and other activities that call for creativity. This is part of the reason some addiction recovery programs incorporate art and music therapy as part of their treatment strategies.

Team or Competitive Sports

Organizations such as the Sober Softball League, which organizes softball leagues for individuals in recovery across the United States, are excellent choices for people in recovery who enjoy socializing with others who share a love of competition. Naturally, sober individuals can always join neighborhood leagues without having to participate in traditional post-game celebrations with beer, but sober leagues provide a closer sense of kinship among participants.
Upon leaving a rehab center in 2013, actor Zac Efron found a new sense of purpose through his passion for environmental activism and sustainable living. Many former addicts initially become interested in charity work and social activism as therapeutic ways to make amends for their previous careless and selfish ways. Nonetheless, quite a few end up making these interests their newfound positive passions. 

If you’re newly sober and you need help with avoiding relapse, call on the compassionate team at Casa Pacifica. Along with providing Solana Beach men’s sober living, we work with our individual residents to develop customized plans that integrate treatment, aftercare, and recovery support. Our services include sober companionship, coaching, and mentorship for those who are recovering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. For more information about our sober living facilities, call us today at (760) 230-2996.