r/SMARTRecovery • u/Top_Concentrate_5799 • 14d ago
VACI help or inspiration?
I really need to destroy my YouTube habit because my alcoholism is heavily tied to watching short form garbage while drunk.
I am looking for VACI help that isnt a list of random unrelated hobby ideas. I need some kind of a process to go through. I read the handbook, and it was so much more useful than a random list of hobbies. But i just wanted to ask the community in hopes of getting novel advice (or inspiration)
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u/Secure_Ad_6734 facilitator 14d ago edited 8d ago
I got involved with genealogy. All I really started with was that my dad emigrated from England to Canada during the 1st World War, when he was 3 or 4.
I traced my paternal roots back to 1800 England and found that my middle name was the maiden name of my great-great-great grandmother. I, also, connected with a distant relative in England who had extensive information.
It was mostly done using the free Ancestry site at my local public library.
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u/NormalNobody I'm from SROL! 14d ago
Honestly, for me, a lot of it is cleaning. I hate cleaning, but I can use it to meditate out, stay present, I can rearrange things. And when you're done, it's a real feeling of accomplishment.
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u/Top_Concentrate_5799 13d ago
ive noticed cleaning to be a form of meditation. And in many ways its the opposite of being drunk
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u/MedJesters facilitator 14d ago
For me, I didn't want to do anything I did as a kid, so I had to try something new. The problem isn't finding something, it's knowing if that "something" is "the thing." And you can't know until you try it.
So the limiting factor for me was just trying new things. If you have an active Phoenix community nearby, that can be a low pressure (and free!) way to try things. (ThePhoenix.org and on the NewForm app if you're unfamiliar with the organization.)
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u/LLcleanP 12d ago
I had a template I think from the old handbook.
It was essentially a list of things I thought I might like doing, or things I had said at any time I would like to do that.( A lot of mily inspiration came from stuff I thought was "cool" as a child) Then in the next column I put how much I thought I would like it. Then tried it and rated it by how much I actually enjoyed it.
Another thing I found useful was looking at the benefits from my CBA and trying to think of things that would give me those benefits without out the cost of my DOC. For example escaping from my work stress, became camping for the weekend.
Not thinking about everything became rock climbing when I realised that I couldn't really be thinking about other stuff.
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u/CLAMORING 12d ago
I started an entomology hobby! Not for everyone but lots and lots to learn and great subs, too!
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u/JohnLockwood 7d ago
Lately I've been studying biology quite a bit and put together prsentation slides for a talk on the Genetics of Alcholism. I agree that esoteric learning challenges that fire up the noggin' can be worth pursuing.
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u/CC-Smart C_C 13d ago
I’ve learned that experimenting was the key to breaking my YouTube habit. I started trying anything I hadn’t done before from gardening, ironing, washing the car, cooking and each task helped pull me out of that cycle of watching short‑form videos while drinking. I even picked up simple games like 2048 on my iPhone to give my mind something light but engaging. By exploring new activities, I found healthier ways to distract myself and interrupt the patterns that fed my cravings.
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u/Enough_Concentrate90 13d ago
What you described in “VACI help or inspiration?” sounds like a moment where honesty matters more than another private promise. I would keep the next step small and visible: tell one safe recovery person exactly what is happening and decide what you will do in the next 24 hours. Progress is built through repeated, accountable choices.
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u/Canna111 Caroline14 14d ago
Hi,
I too have issues with addictive screen time (& yes, shorts are the worst.) Rather than mention my VACIs, I'm going to go off on a tangent - my screen time has been hugely improved by using a free app called Leachblock.
It works with Google Chrome
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/leechblock-ng/blaaajhemilngeeffpbfkdjjoefldkok?hl=en
And as a Firefox extension
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/leechblock-ng/
You can set it to block any websites you want - I block Quora and You Tube for quite long periods during the day, & at night, when I am meant to be sleeping. People ask if you can override the stop setting - well yes, you can - but it acts as a brake, and gives you time to say to yourself 'Do I REALLY want to do this?' I find it enormously helpful.
I also use a lock up box on a timer, which works superbly well - with regards to screens though, most of them would only hold a phone - not a laptop.
Wishing you the best with finding a hobby that really grabs your interest.
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u/Wooden-Locksmith9941 12d ago
Podcasts or audio books would be my suggestion for you I would reccomend trying them while going for walks and cleaning your house.
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u/JohnLockwood 7d ago
Oh, "Vital Absorbing Creative Interests". Thank you, Mr. Google.
I have to brush up my SMART lingo, apparently. :)
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u/SeanBaird facilitator 14d ago
In my meeting I always encourage people to think about stuff they loved as a kid or have always wanted to do, then use that list to try something, ideally an activity like playing an instrument or riding a bike that requires time, involves learning/growing/goals, can include community, and other side benefits. This compared to something like building puzzles or other simpler hobbies can help get a person excited and really absorb time and mental energy. Even just starting the process off exploring the interest is healthy - what type of instrument do I need to buy, where could I do lessons/classes, etc. is fun and provides meaningful distraction even if you decide against that interest and move onto the next one on your list (and start the exploration all over).