"An idle mind is the devil's playground," the saying goes. And if you're one of the roughly 10% of people in this country who are reportedly in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, unattended boredom can be a trigger for relapse.

Everyone gets bored from time to time. When day-to-day life seems tedious and lackluster, a lack of motivation or creative inspiration may be the reason. There may even be a medical cause, such as an underlying diagnosis of depression that may be contributing to a general lack of interest in daily activities.

For people in recovery, these same dynamics can also be the source of boredom—or there may be other causes unique to healing from a substance use disorder. For example, whereas in active addiction a person may have become accustomed to getting "high," in sobriety (following detox and treatment) that experience of intense and immediate, drug-induced euphoria is no longer there. The result can be a phenomenon known as "anhedonia," which is not uncommon in recovery. Anhedonia is a psychological condition characterized by the inability to derive pleasure from normally pleasurable acts.

Second, successful recovery happens gradually, over time, with the daily practice and cultivation of healthy lifestyle choices. Good sleep hygiene. A nutritious diet. Regular exercise. Mindful meditation. Weekly attendance in a recovery support group like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. As these daily ins and outs of recovery become habitual, it's not uncommon for them to lose their novelty and shine. Like any routine, they can grow tedious.

How, then, can you stay engaged and motivated in your recovery when boredom hits? Here are some tips to help you harness boredom in the service of personal growth and renewed enthusiasm for sober living:

When you embrace your boredom, practice more daily mindfulness, and do one thing that scares you, boredom can be an opportunity to reinvigorate your recovery and reinvent yourself.

Anna Ciulla is the Vice President of Clinical and Medical Services at Beach House Center for Recovery where she is responsible for designing, implementing and supervising the delivery of the latest evidence-based therapies for treating substance use disorders. Anna has a passion for helping clients with substance use and co-occurring disorders achieve successful long-term recovery.

Click To Share The Tips With Your Friends