Since my last post about being fed up with being around drunk people, I've been socialising less in the evenings. Or, socialising differently really. I've been out to a couple of dinners and got along to a few literary events, and spent practically no time sitting in bars with people just drinking, which has been nice. I wonder why it took me so long into my HSM to start to reconfigure my social life?
One of the things I've started doing again is reading in the evenings. I've always been a big reader but in recent years it has been more of a daytime activity, thus I've been doing less of it. But in the past few weeks there have been many nights where I've come home, made a cup of tea, and sat down and read a whole book. Sure beats being in a pub watching people get drunk.
When I first started my HSM (or maybe even before that), a friend said to me that the easiest way to not think about drinking is by taking up something that you can't do while drunk. Although sport etc is a great replacement for drinking, it's often not immediate - i.e. I wouldn't go for a run at 10pm, and sometimes doing the virtuous 'oh I'll not drink now so I can get up early tomorrow and run' thing doesn't feel very fun. But reading is hard to do when you've had a few, and I can pick up a book at any time.
What sorts of activities have you rediscovered or started doing during your HSM?
22/09/11
I’m reading more again too
22/09/11
You just described my ideal leisure activity. Whenever I used to finish work at my last job, people asked ‘What are you getting up to tonight’? and my answer was invariably ‘tea, book, cat’. But then I think people tend to think of that as sad, or me as weird because I don’t have much patience for watching people get drunk regularly. Each to their own, I say.
22/09/11
read, watch comedy tv and drink tea, doing a jigsaw on the dining room table, it will take at least 3 months…
22/09/11
watching movies – but now i can remember what i saw.
i’ll have to catch up on all those that i fell asleep in.
22/09/11
Also reading way, way more, when I had two weeks school holidays last I read over 15 books. I am also really into painting my nails, I like to do it in the evening, sometimes I colour coordinate for the next day. It is really relaxing and it forces you to sit and do nothing till your nails dry. I have a very impressive Nail Polish collection, rather than a whole heap of booze bottles I have lots of beautiful little bottles of colour
Oh and cleaning, I thoroughly enjoy cleaning, a clean house helps a clear mind. Last night I spent three hours on the bathroom/laundry.
22/09/11
Oh and I also like jigsaws, I have one of those roll up mats.
22/09/11
I am riding my bike heaps and doing some weights again and its been so nice getting than sore but happy endorphin kick
22/09/11
Cool, lots of readers!
Dom I’ve been riding my bike lots too. Esp as the days get warmer, I’ve enjoyed riding around in the evenings. I look forward to longer night rides once summer hits!
22/09/11
Bikram yoga (awesome beyond belief), running and learning to play the piano (very very poorly!!). I go through phases with reading where I read one a week to nothing at all…at the moment I need some good book suggestions.