All the tips here are pretty good, I am going for exercise as nº1 too because I feel that it brings along socialization, but hobbies can be good too as long as they take our mind out of consumption.
Lots of suggestions here. Have you thought of donating your time to charity? Great way to meet new people that care about other people.
I'd say, go rock climbing with a group of friends? Laser tag? Any activity that sounds fun to you, really! Bowling and billiard are classics!
If you are looking to socialize online, try Paltalk. There are lots of wonderful chat rooms with helpful people from all over the world. Or you could try turning off your laptop and go to some amusement park or something. The rides will give you your HIGH!
The problem with billards is that the tables are almost always in bars :/ if there was a pool hall without a bar then me and my boyfriend would be there all the time. He loves it and has gotten me interested in it too.
It's too bad tickets can be pricey D: it is something we would like to do occasionally. I've never heard of Paltalk. I'll have to look into it. Oftentimes, my boyfriend and I will go on Omegle and chat with people on there. We've even stayed connected with some folks we met on there through Skype.
Charity is a great suggestion. I don't know if my boyfriend would be interested in it, though. I know there's an animal shelter not too far from where we live that we could check out. I'm a big animal lover. This is definitely worth checking out. Thanks!
How about taking a cooking class? I know most of us can handle a knife and a ladle but being able to cook virtually anything gives you a new degree of self-confidence. Not only will you save money on food, it'll also be tastier and healthier and the satisfaction you get from eating something you have cooked yourself is infinitely greater.
A lot of sober people get into extreme sports to replace the 'high' while engaging with likeminded people. I would recommend any sport really, cycling is great and available anywhere. Regarding staying sober I would recommend any activity that keeps your mind away from negativity.
That's an amazing feat! I thought Omegle was full of trolls. I guess I'll give it another chance. But paltalk is a million times better. If you do make an account, do tell me your username. I would love to chat!
I definitely agree with exercise in a group setting, volunteering, and taking classes if it’s feasible. I especially like the idea of cooking classes, as it’s a practical skill that will serve you well for the rest of your life.
As someone already said, church would be a great place to start socializing. But, if you are not the religious type you could always go to local events. My personal recommendation is: go to the gym. It will make you feel better in your own skin and I guarantee that you will also make some good friends over there. Oh and you could also go volunteer at the local shelter (or at any other place) its a great way to meet new people.
Try finding volunteerism groups in your area and you can join those. You can meet new people and friends there aside from helping others. Or you can try joining some other groups that interests you like if you enjoy sports, collecting various stuffs or mountaineering group.
Oh, I did not realize that, since I used to play it at recreative centers and arcade kind of places (I was underaged and thus could not get in bars). But since we had this in our small town in Canada, maybe there are such places where you live that just does not get publicity?
One thing that really helps is to get out of your comfort zone. Make sure to always push yourself to do extravagant activities and things you're not comfortable with. It's always fun to try out new things!
I don't know, you've already mentioned church. Maybe get a casual job where it requires a few hours every week. That way you make money and get a job to fill in your extra time. Then you can meet new people too.
I hope so. I'll have to do more research. I've already done some, but like I mentioned so far the pool halls were all attached to or within a bar. I think I know of a couple recreative centers at the top of my head. Only problem with that is the age groups. There may be only younger kids there since I think those centers a primarily child focused. I'll have to look into it. Thanks for the suggestion!
I'm very much in need of a job. I may start working where my boyfriend is. Granted, it's a bar, so it doesn't do much for our situation lol.
The one recreative center we went to sometimes really was mostly for kids, birthday parties etc. But there was a special part of it with nothing but pool tables, and you could rent for an hour (it was 20$, not really cheap, but pretty quiet and smooth ambiance). I hope you find something to your needs!
Twenty dollars to rent a pool table?? That's a lot. Most bars will charge a dollar for a game. That would be 20 games for an hour which is unlikely lol we're both low on money. Granted, he used to blow all of his one alcohol at the bars but now is trying to save it and pay off some debts.