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How Do You Unwind without Food/Netflix?
Replies
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »
Not to sound like the old person that has been there but to be honest, with grown kids now, I'd happily give up nighttime TV to have a few years back of helping with homework, volunteering at school activities, coaching, attending games etc. Never watched TV weekday evenings while they were growing up unless possibly an occasional special sporting event with the kids.
Savor it, it will be gone soon.
Oh, I love the coaching (assisted a few years ago with my oldest's flag football team) and games and practices and my kids are at a great age right now for hanging out with me and doing all kinds of fun "play" stuff...they even have me doing a few little tricks on my free style scooter at the skate park. A couple more years and they'll be too embarrassed to have their bald and gray haired dad doing bunny hops at the skate park in front of their friends. That stuff is actually a big reason I stopped doing a lot of cycling events and training and whatnot back in 2018/19...more time to just play and have fun with my kids and I still get a lot of exercise for it...I can always pick up where I left off with cycling when they don't want to play anymore. I'd play all day with them if I could...spent about 4 or 5 hours with them yesterday in the pool chasing them around and diving down for "treasure" before we all retired to the patio in exhaustion for some ham and scalloped potatoes.
But I do hate homework...and the constant fighting to get it done...and procrastination...and the "I did it already" hoping I won't check...especially the common core math which ultimately makes sense to me conceptually, but it's so foreign to how I learned it that it takes me a long time to work something out when they need help.
If we didn't have to do that, I'd be more than happy to head down to the soccer fields and kick the ball around or throw the football around or shoot hoops in the driveway. Soccer practice starts tonight and they just got bumped up to the premiere league and had to try out and such...so this should be fun.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
My first week sober was pretty tough. The first thing I used to do when I walked in the door was to pop open a beer and poor a shot. That first week or so, I really didn't know what to do with myself and was pretty uncomfortable. From there things just got easier by the day. After my first 3-4 weeks it was much easier and was no longer the first thought in my head when I arrived home. I'll be going on 90 days here and I rarely think about it now except for implicit social situations where others are drinking...but I don't really think about it on the day to day anymore. Even when others around me are partaking, it has become much easier...I will usually have an initial craving that passes fairly quickly when I turn my attention to something else...but also, after about an hour or so people start acting...well...drunk, and it's very interesting watching while sober and generally leaves me with an even lesser desire to drink as I know exactly how foolish I can be when I'm inebriated.
Fortunately, I have a lot of other things that take my time and focus so it was probably easier for me to pivot to just concentrating more on those things and less on drinking. I do have to keep myself busy though...if I go just hang out on the patio for hours those cravings will kick in...I have to keep occupied.
Awesome accomplishment! And a good lesson just allowing yourself to be uncomfortable... I think If I could get some solid time under my belt, then it wouldn't be quite so uncomfortable. I have had times were this wasn't a problem-- I didn't even own a TV until the past 3 years and 3 years ago I was successfully losing/maintaining weight loss! So I know it can be done.1 -
As snack/food replacement habits, I often suggest people seek out things that either require clean hands (like the needlework or coloring) or create dirty hands (like painting or carpentry).
Love this! It sounds like a lot of people keep their hands busy. I can crochet and play the guitar (ish)...2 -
I dont have the attention span to do ANYTHING for 4 hours (much less 4 hours of free time where i shouldn't be doing something else LOL)
read
get adult coloring books and cool markers/pencils
sew
crochet
clean/organize
take up a new hobby/ learn a new one
Volunteer somewhere for a couple of those hours
foster a dog (you'll never have free time again lol)
garden (container gardening if you dont have land you can use)
write letters to family and friends (people LOVE real mail!)
digitize printed photos
paint your walls new colors
if you own your home, do home improvement projects
those are just off the top of my head.3 -
I highly recommend a hobby, if you don't have one. Something you can do that will keep your mind busy (and maybe your hands), but is not a huge mental effort. Maybe try a few different things that have interested you, but felt you haven't had time for in the past. Read, play cards, do a puzzle, knit, paint, write in a journal, meditate, learn to play an instrument, do a crossword puzzle, learn wood carving, sculpting....whatever. Keep trying new things until you find the thing that is enjoyable and relaxing to you. It might take some trial and error.2
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I walk for about an hour with audio books or podcasts.
Spend time cooking, yoga/tai chi on youtube. Gym/swim if they are open where you are.
A few months ago though I just decided I would not eat after dinner any more. I eat my dinner, usually have some dessert of some kind, clean everything up and that's it. Only tea for the rest of the evening. Occasionally I am ravenous and don't stick to it, but usually it doesn't bother me at all.
It takes work to start with but you can create new habits.1 -
Bike ride.0
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It sounds like you're bored. Maybe you could try finding something to do that actively requires your attention and keeps your hands occupied. Crochet, cooking, painting, DIY? I usually watch/listen to stuff while I'm doing something else.3
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It might because of my job (i'm an outbreak epidemiologist) but honestly, I just go to bed. I workout in the morning and am at my desk at 9:00am and then will often work until 8pm. I take 20 or 30 minutes to just lay on my couch with my dog and something on TV and then will just go get ready for bed. I love things like hanging out with friends and going to restaurants/bars and since that's not a thing right now (plus not conducive with me losing weight as well) I just choose to go to sleep. I may lie in bed and scroll on my phone for a little bit but that's all I got right now5
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I like a Netflix fix... and to avoid snacking I brush & floss my teeth then go watch in bed - with just a nice cold glass of water.
Do let us know if you tried any of these tips, and what has worked for you.1 -
Of relevance here, I think:
I have learned that sometimes the answer to not mindlessly eating in front of the television is to stop binging the show and GO TO BED.
I eat BADLY when I'm tired. My battery (metaphorical battery) runs low and the options are 'eat' or 'sleep'. Sleep is 0 calories.3
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