I had a friend who ran a recovery home for people trying to stay sober. He told me that for his clients, boredom was the number one cause of relapse.
I just read a fascinating article titled:
What is the perceived relationship between boredom and substance use among persons who are unhoused? *1
The answer is: boredom is a factor that increases the likelihood someone will use drugs or alcohol.
This isn’t surprising.
During the Covid shutdown, alcohol use increased 4% and heavy drinking increased 20%. *2 Studies show it was partially related to boredom. *3
So, what do we do with this information?
For those of us in the helping professions, it is easy to fall into the trap of looking for complex ways we can help people.
Sometimes, simple forms of support—like helping people find meaningful activities—can make a huge difference.
In my experience, the easiest way to do this is to ask someone to help you with something (i.e. clean a building, sort items, keep an eye out for something, etc.)
It helps people feel needed AND helps people stay sober.
Have a great week!
Peace,
Ryan
SOURCES:
*1 – Herzog-Fequet C, Gewurtz R, Hansen N, Read H, Marshall C (2026) What is the perceived relationship between boredom and substance use among persons who are unhoused? PLOS Ment Health 3(2): e0000354.
* 2 – Ayyala-Somayajula D, Dodge JL, Leventhal AM, Terrault NA, Lee BP. Trends in Alcohol Use After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Cross-Sectional Study. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Jan;178(1):139-142. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-02157. Epub 2024 Nov 12. PMID: 39527820.
* 3 – Surace A, Munroe C, Martinez P (2025) “My drinking was way worse during the pandemic”: A qualitative analysis of contextual and individual factors impacting alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE 20(4): e0319977.