E132: What the Heck Do I Do With My Time, and How Do I Make New Friends?

Without systems in place to fill your new time, and a plan to create a supportive sober tribe, recovery from alcohol addiction can feel really boring and lonely. The good news is - it doesn't have to be that way. All you need to do is some creative planning and a bit of mustering up some courage, and you'll find that recovery is actually intensely rewarding. But without any direction, it can be hard to know where to start.

In this week's episode of Through the Glass Recovery Podcast, we're chatting with Brenton (@officerecovery), Charles (@charlessharrisonjr) and Josh (@josh.quits.forever) about how they've filled up the free time that sobriety gave them, and how they've built up a support system that keeps them accountable and provides them with the connection we all need when we decide to create a life that is free from alcohol.

Key topics in this episode:

• Nurturing relationships that are created in rehab or treatment programs
• The comforting realization that the recovery community is incredibly accepting
• The value of social media in creating a sober tribe
• The importance of finding people who will challenge you instead of pull you down to their level
• The value of creating new habits and routines, and how to get started
• Hobbies to fill your time - and find friends with similar interests
• Using platforms like Craigslist, MeetUp, and Facebook to find people with common interests
• Finding the courage to get out of your comfort zone
• The value of finding your authentic self, and choosing to stop trying to be what others want you to be in favor of being your true self.

The eternal quest of the individual human being is to shatter his loneliness. - Norman Cousins

For further listening about filling free time and finding new friends, be sure to check out these other episodes:

E104: Sober and Bored: How to Fill All That Free Time You Just Found

E68: When You're Sober and Lonely

E39: How Loneliness Affects Recovery

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To learn more about our guests, visit https://throughtheglassrecovery.com/podcast/make-new-friends-sober/

For information about our free support group on Zoom, visit https://throughtheglassrecovery.com/meeting-faqs/