Remember, Sobriety is Fun!

During our journey we can become very serious, especially after seeking out alcohol addiction help and getting sober. it is important to remember to have fun along the way. Often when we talk about fun, or doing things just for fun, we talk about it in a dismissive way as if fun isn’t important or near impossible when we are entering into a 30 day rehab program or a drug addiction detox. We tend to value step work and seriousness, and we forget to pay our respects to the equally important, light side of silliness and laughter. It is equally important to have fun in sobriety as it is to be serious about our sobriety.  We all know the feeling of euphoria that follows a good burst of laughter, and how it leaves us less stressed, more openhearted, and more ready to reach out to people. We are far more likely to walk down the street smiling and open after we’ve had a good laugh, and this tends to catch on, inspiring smiles from the people we pass who then positively influence everyone they encounter. Witnessing this kind of chain reaction makes you think that having fun might be one of our most powerful tools for changing the world and for living a happy and sober life. Laughter is good medicine, and we all have this medicine available to us whenever we recall a funny story or act in a silly way. We magnify the effects of this medicine when we share it with the people in our lives. If we are lucky, they will have something funny to share with us as well, and the life-loving sound of laughter will continue to roll out of our mouths and into our lives. Of course, it is also important to allow ourselves to be serious and to honor that side of ourselves and sobriety so that we stay balanced. After a great deal of merriment, it can actually be a pleasure to settle down and focus on step work, or take some time for introspection until our next round of fun begins.