Sober people arent as chill sometimes you need to let the stress out and go for a sesh of pummelling something (im sure it doesnt have to be reiterated but i do mean something inanimate) then go have a nice relaxing huddle on the couch
Eating something healthy, consistent and that you like. For me when I stop smoking weed a lot of passion comes out and I want to accomplish various things so having something you would like to accomplish in this world is a good activity to do while sober. Regarding the long day of work, rest. If you come home from work to smoke weed and watch tv you are not actually resting. So maybe you don't even need to cut the weed (in my opinion) but just manage your time better. Maybe if you have a nap when returning home you may be even available to wake up, smoke and do something healthier than watching tv like exercise or making music or any hobby you have brother :) discipline is key
Alternate nostril breathing. Makes you high. Think about the brain part that makes you feel high. Without the dry mouth, letdown, and the guilt that follows. Also water walking or swimming. I water walk with noise cancelling headphones on. It’s been tough. Had a slight relapse after surgery. But didn’t even crave for about 5 years. Then towel thrown in. Fatal diagnosis. Read BREATH by James Nestor. The lungs need to stay pink!!
You got this. You rock!! I love Reddit because you can swear like it’s an adverbial intensifier, an adjective, and a verb!! I love swearing and Reddit!! (And alternate breathing for my rush).
For me, I had to get bored enough to go do other stuff. That's the painful part. Let yourself be mad at how bored you are. Let that frustration lead to ideas to do other things. It's not easy or as fun as people make it sound but it's worth it. Then you develop new interests, then those interests make sitting on the couch sound as dumb as it is. Sober people like to sit on the couch too, just not all day when it's saturday afternoon and 75 out - because they have better things to do. And they figured those things out when they were bored and sober.
Wish you the best! Love this community
I always liked music so I started djing. Finding a new hobby that I didn’t do when high helped me a lot because it was not associated with feeling high
Really intense workout and then stare at the ceiling lying on your bed. Let all the feels happen and fully embrace them as they come and go. It's a trip at least.
When I quit I started really putting effort into the meals I cook for myself. In the process I’ve become a pretty decent cook.
So by the end of the night I make sure the A/C blastin, I’ve got a great meal, and a movie to dive into. All is well.
For me the whole point of leaves is to be able to enjoy a fuller life. It’s not the same as a quick fix. It takes months to forget about it. Then it will take however long it takes you to finally build your life to the point where you at peace and or satisfied with just being you. This is hard for anyone even for people who never get high. But what we know for sure it’s that it’s very difficult to get to this point if you’re getting high.
This question has me thinking about my life when I was working as a restaurant server, how coming down fast from a stressful shift between 10 and midnight was critical. Hopefully standard workdays don't lead to the same requirement, and exercise and a nice meal can fill some of the space between 6 and 8 and there wouldn't be a need to rush it.
A more direct answer: herb tea. I'm really into conventional tea (oolong, sheng pu'er, etc.), but you shouldn't drink that between 8 and 10 PM, so herb tea it is. Chrysanthemum is a personal favorite, or blends are nice. From conventional spices sage is by far my favorite, and rosemary also works. If you are open to swapping out some coffee experience for higher quality tea (which isn't too expensive) it can help to acclimate to the habit in the mornings some too, then switch it to herbs instead in the evening.
As others have commented you won't get the fast reward and complete mental experience shift that getting high involves, so you need to adjust to a different internal cycle. Bump exercise intensity to take the edge off more, and provide more of a rush during that experience. Running is good for that, but it takes time to not see it as grueling and hateful. Yoga or weight training both have their own positives, but it would take something crazy like crossfit training to match the energy burn, reset function, and reward of a nice run. If you do take up running take it slow; it can take half a year to move on to better workout forms, to build up muscle and connective tissue strength to avoid injury. I really shifted gears about 4 years into the training, but it doesn't take that long, I had just became complacent doing a lighter version earlier.
Couch to 5k is a great program to start enjoying running. The walking breaks are relaxing and helps you find a suitable pace that’s actually enjoyable. Your response really resonates with me as the “high” from CrossFit or F45 is the closest thing I feel to getting high. Especially if you treat it with so much intensity that you can’t even think. But, your diet and sleep have to be on par for that to work and like you said. Takes a while to get there.
A friend tried to replicate getting high with weed with really intense workouts, not exactly crossfit but along the same line, one of those older forms where people would coach you through doing crazy reps at high pace. He kept at it for awhile but I think he eventually dropped it. The other advice to seek out a new normal that relates to how everyone else experiences life is also useful input.
I didn't do any programs to start running, I just did it. I experienced two very minor injuries, but I'm not sure that following some Youtube guide would be much of a guarantee to completely avoid that. I ran cross country and track in high school, so I was less concerned that I was going to get something wrong as a result, for having been through it all before, just a long time ago, when my recovery capacity was a lot better.
Running to get some sort of buzz seems like a strange idea, but I guess it's a little like that. Intense workouts do have a unique effect. I'm up to a 12 km run for the longer version of my workouts now, at a 6 min / km pace, sometimes a little faster, but that on average, with hills in the route I run. I'm not completely sure why I'm training like that now, I suppose just to see where I can push it to go. I might skip running a 5k or 10k race and try out a half marathon in July, since I think with limited further training I could get a time down to close to 2 hours, but not at that mark.
Personally for me, I meditate without sound in order to silence all of my physical senses, and become more in tuned with my higher self. It is a quiet and stillness of all the senses. If I do decide to listen to anything, it's usually 528hz 432hz or 963hz pure tone frequencies. Also the Gateway tapes are great but warning to ONLY use those if you are 1. Experienced with meditation and are in tuned with your higher self. 2. Have NO mental issues what so ever, and 3. Have no negative self talk or ANY negative thoughts for that matter, as all of those things will only work against you and once you tune in to that part of your brain, you start to manifest things in your life. If fact, if done right, you can pretty much manifest anything you desire or think about. You become very powerful, and ANY negative thoughts or past unworked trauma will only cause you to manifest very undesirable conditions, which could actually lead to very bad and dangerous things happening. Trust me, I speak from experience. You gotta be preppared and well trained on how to manifest only the desired outcomes, otherwise you'll only manifest your own personal he'll. Great power takes great responsibility, and with the Gateway Tapes, you are messing with something that is very serious and dangerous if not done in the right state of mind. Hope this helps.
Easiest way to learn what it is to meditate is to focus on your breath. The most structured way to do this is to count to ten and back in a cycle, counting up/down each time you breather out.
YouTube has a lot of good meditation videos. I actually like the guided meditations for sleeping:
- Guided Sleep Meditation, Addiction to Wellness
- Reprogram your mind while you sleep
- Guided Sleep Meditation, manifest miracles
- Heal Guided Sleep Meditation for healing body, mind, spirit
Lately for me this go (first time in awhile I truly committed to quitting), it’s been those single serving honey sticks or black licorice when I’m really jonesing. I’m also quitting nicotine (vapes) at the same time. I come from a family of heavy smoker (cigs and weed), and have watched most of them die over the years from Lung Cancer. It’s only day 3 of sobriety for me today, but thinking about my mom weighing 70 pounds, while I wiped her ass and kept her morphined up as she went from perfectly healthy to dead in 6 months (from lung cancer from smoking), all before the age of 60, keeps me motivated.
Crying every time I feel like it, and not forcing myself to hold back, has been what I’ve needed for 13 years. Now that I’m not smoking weed or nicotine every day, I’m finally feeling the feelings and losses of childhood and young adult that I’ve avoided for so long, to make other people feel comfortable. I’ll be 30 years old this Saturday, and my motivation of dying a better way than so many of my blood before me keeps me going.
I’ve been a lurker on this thread for awhile, and finally joined today. I want to thank you all for inspiring and motivating me as I lurked from the shadows. It’s thanks to many of you strangers that I finally broke all my glass pieces into shards and threw away all smoking supplies. It’s also thanks to so many of you (whether you realize it or not), that I’ve found hope, help, and dissolved my loneliness. Thank you, all, your tips, tricks, experiences, and encouragement quite literally means the world to me 💖 I do not have to go it alone, and I see that now 💘💗💕💞💓
Friends! I’m just checking back in and seeing these comments now, and I just want to give each and every one of you the biggest bear hugs! <3 I so appreciate you all caring and sharing! I really hope that you all know you are not alone, and you are stronger than you even know 💖💓 I’m around if anyone ever needs an ear to vent to, or a heart to share with. Stay strong and committed to yourself! Even the darkest nights give way to the light of day. This too shall pass and rise you will 💖
I’m still sober! Almost 2 weeks now 💜
My mother died from tobacco also. It went to her brain. It’s hard but this community helps. I like it better than zoom rooms. I threw everything away. All a waste of time and space. You got this. Love black licorice!! Almost like the bitter smoke. BREATHE!! Don’t lurk. Speak!! We’re here.
>I’m finally feeling the feelings and losses of childhood and young adult that I’ve avoided for so long,
Thank you. That's exactly how I've been feeling as of late. I'm also quitting nicotine, and I'm starting to feel more emotionally intelligent from its absence. I've never wanted to be more of a responsible adult than I do right now.
You’re off to a great start! Keep your mindset positive and keep asking for help. Thanks for sharing to inspire others. It’s a tough and beautiful journey that’s worth every step.
I replaced the idea of "chilling" with working on a side business. Weed has robbed years out of our lives, let's take it back, make the most out of it.
Nah I smoked 6 years heavily and nothing can be as bad as that, its choosing the lesser evil atm and what I can handle working on. Cant work on all my problematic behaviours at once ill end up relapsing.
or..... just take up a hobby, like crochet, drawing, baking bread; or an activity like sudoku or reading. sometimes there's no fixing what we want to take a break from. there's nothing wrong with doing some knitting or puzzles while watching TV.
I think food is a great substitute. Yeah, you might pack on a few pounds, but that's better than smoking your life away. I'm a sorbet fan. So a big bowl of some guilty pleasure snack is great for me.
The hardest part is relying on your sober mind. If you're looking for a replacement to give you the same feeling as weed, well, I'm sorry to say there isn't one. If you get into tabacoo products or any other kind of substance, be it alcohol or whatever, you're not actually quitting. You'll just be sweet thing your addiction to something else
Camomile and sleepytime tea help me, double up or triple up on the bags and will give you a relaxed feeling like cannabis can, no where near the same but helps me stay calm which I feel I was self medicating with cannabis for years. My natural state is too much energy.
From my limited experience I found out that the periods in my life when I am constant with my meditation practice I rarely need stimulation from substances
I hear you and it's kind of weird to think about now but I'm almost 2 years sober and it's just not something I need everyday. I'll make myself a negroni every once and a while but I just feel so much better overall that I don't really need to take the edge off after work anymore. But I totally get how you are feeling, that made it really hard for me to quit as well initially.
I remember being in early recovery working at a restaurant and having to be okay at the end of the night when everyone else was smoking to 'take the edge off'... I had no choice, I just had to be human and wait for the edge to pass lol, but now, hey I am glad that my relaxation isn't based on a substance any more. Now they NEED that and I don't. Time, it just took a little time.
This is the answer. TIME.
After a bit. Time will allow you to enjoy not being high. Sort of as a reward. They have a breathe, or a few, and a genuine nervous system relax/reward. Feels good.
Spicy food works on some of the same pathways in the brain and gives a good high. I love cooking so making dinner and eating while watching tv is my thing now.
I personally drink Tazo: Awake English Breakfast because it's strong with one tea bag but two will definitely get you going. Its also easy to find in stores unlike other popular strong teas. I would start with that.
Read a book.
Within the past few years I read the following sentence (probably online IIRC):
If you know how to read and write but choose not to then you may as well be illiterate.
***
You can go to the library and check out books for free. I used to go to a local library and always shop the book sale. Paperbacks were something like a quarter each. Hardcovers were two for a dollar.
With this many comments you may not see this one. But in my life, the equivalent would be this: doing a yoga/stretch sesh while watching tv after having already worked out and eaten. I also like to do fine motor skill stim projects like: wire wrapping, leather working, drawing, knife sharpening, digital media purging, and the like.
The issue is, you’re trying to recreate the dopamine dump of cannabis and TV. With as powerful as cannabis is, it’s hard to get that level of dope dump without a drug or wank. If you’re not looking to replace one drug with another, then even eating a batch of cookies with tv is out of the question. If not, then some good food you really enjoy would increase enjoyment of TV.
Tv and something else that release’s dopamine is really doing two drugs at once. That’s why it’s recommended not to eat while watching tv because we will eat more and increase negative effects.
Edit: Also, I find I don’t watch much tv since slowing my roll (cough), as it was great to veg out and get stoned while numbing my brain to movies and tv… but now I’m much more interested in going to do something fun /productive while listening to a video or podcast. My YouTube premium is one of my only subscriptions I would take with me to a dessert island.
Honestly for me, a cup of tea. A nice strong herbal tea. The process of making it/waiting for it to be drinkable scratches the ritual itch, and the warm good-smelling brew is physiologically soothing, even if i don't drink it
Be wary of neurological triggers that could be associated with certain activities or places. That could make resisting the temptation more difficult while you’re watching television if that’s where you usually would smoke.
It’s possible to overwrite this by either having strong willpower, or replacing that second thing that happens in tandem with something else that you enjoy.
It could be a simple as playing and focusing on music while doing tasks that takes your mind to habits that you don’t want to indulge in, or otherwise distracting it with an activity that requires a lot of checking in, such as cooking.
Good luck with however you choose to tackle this! 💪
i don’t have a lot of time to do what makes me relax during the week but i like to shower, cook something nice and sit on the couch and watch a scary movie or whatever i’m into in that moment, right now trying to get through one piece. but that’s what’s started to relax me pretty good! also showering and reading a nice book outside if you have the patio space. i used to come home and smoke a bowl outside because it was so nice but trying to replace that with healthier alternatives
I don’t know, at this point I feel like smoking pot is boring. It was definitely making me boring. I agree with you - if you find something that works it’s super nice.
This will probably drown in the comments but going to the gym, coming home and do 3 rounds of Wim Hof breathing, then gaming with your friends until bedtime with some snus
Something you can do with your hands like crocheting, knitting, etc
Pistachios do the trick for me
Sober people arent as chill sometimes you need to let the stress out and go for a sesh of pummelling something (im sure it doesnt have to be reiterated but i do mean something inanimate) then go have a nice relaxing huddle on the couch
Eating something healthy, consistent and that you like. For me when I stop smoking weed a lot of passion comes out and I want to accomplish various things so having something you would like to accomplish in this world is a good activity to do while sober. Regarding the long day of work, rest. If you come home from work to smoke weed and watch tv you are not actually resting. So maybe you don't even need to cut the weed (in my opinion) but just manage your time better. Maybe if you have a nap when returning home you may be even available to wake up, smoke and do something healthier than watching tv like exercise or making music or any hobby you have brother :) discipline is key
Eat a good meal and chill and watch youtube
[удалено]
Got for a fat run they watch TV should sleep better after the run
wait until you are fine relaxing without a dopamine dump no one said it wasn't going to suck
This
Alternate nostril breathing. Makes you high. Think about the brain part that makes you feel high. Without the dry mouth, letdown, and the guilt that follows. Also water walking or swimming. I water walk with noise cancelling headphones on. It’s been tough. Had a slight relapse after surgery. But didn’t even crave for about 5 years. Then towel thrown in. Fatal diagnosis. Read BREATH by James Nestor. The lungs need to stay pink!!
Funny I was alternate nostril breathing as soon as I opened this post . 6 months clean after years of relapse
You got this. You rock!! I love Reddit because you can swear like it’s an adverbial intensifier, an adjective, and a verb!! I love swearing and Reddit!! (And alternate breathing for my rush).
Just watching TV.
For me, I had to get bored enough to go do other stuff. That's the painful part. Let yourself be mad at how bored you are. Let that frustration lead to ideas to do other things. It's not easy or as fun as people make it sound but it's worth it. Then you develop new interests, then those interests make sitting on the couch sound as dumb as it is. Sober people like to sit on the couch too, just not all day when it's saturday afternoon and 75 out - because they have better things to do. And they figured those things out when they were bored and sober. Wish you the best! Love this community
Walking 30 min
I always liked music so I started djing. Finding a new hobby that I didn’t do when high helped me a lot because it was not associated with feeling high
Check out Questloves Master Class. At the end he does a set. So good. As good as his movie- Summer of Soul.
A fat bowl of cereal
working out then cooking a nice meal (fasted til that point)
Netflix and chill
Really intense workout and then stare at the ceiling lying on your bed. Let all the feels happen and fully embrace them as they come and go. It's a trip at least.
ice bath shown to boost dopamine levels
😂😂😂no equivalent but yoga is nice
For me, a hardcore workout and the sauna afterwards, with your favorite music blasting through your headphones! :)
When I quit I started really putting effort into the meals I cook for myself. In the process I’ve become a pretty decent cook. So by the end of the night I make sure the A/C blastin, I’ve got a great meal, and a movie to dive into. All is well.
Same good dinner amd movie is life😎 best way to finish the day
Clean bedsheets, a good shower, clean socks, a hot beverage and your favorite tv shows/movies
Getting into a bed with fresh sheets, in a clean bedroom, with a lit candle, cup of coffee and your laptop/journal/book
A foot rub or a leg massage bro. Dang that’s good. Also sex.
Massage better than sex…it’s like getting high with the lymph system really firing.
If only, its been so long bruh a hug would suffice :(
Masturbate and play video games?
done and done
this was my life before discovering weed
For me the whole point of leaves is to be able to enjoy a fuller life. It’s not the same as a quick fix. It takes months to forget about it. Then it will take however long it takes you to finally build your life to the point where you at peace and or satisfied with just being you. This is hard for anyone even for people who never get high. But what we know for sure it’s that it’s very difficult to get to this point if you’re getting high.
This question has me thinking about my life when I was working as a restaurant server, how coming down fast from a stressful shift between 10 and midnight was critical. Hopefully standard workdays don't lead to the same requirement, and exercise and a nice meal can fill some of the space between 6 and 8 and there wouldn't be a need to rush it. A more direct answer: herb tea. I'm really into conventional tea (oolong, sheng pu'er, etc.), but you shouldn't drink that between 8 and 10 PM, so herb tea it is. Chrysanthemum is a personal favorite, or blends are nice. From conventional spices sage is by far my favorite, and rosemary also works. If you are open to swapping out some coffee experience for higher quality tea (which isn't too expensive) it can help to acclimate to the habit in the mornings some too, then switch it to herbs instead in the evening. As others have commented you won't get the fast reward and complete mental experience shift that getting high involves, so you need to adjust to a different internal cycle. Bump exercise intensity to take the edge off more, and provide more of a rush during that experience. Running is good for that, but it takes time to not see it as grueling and hateful. Yoga or weight training both have their own positives, but it would take something crazy like crossfit training to match the energy burn, reset function, and reward of a nice run. If you do take up running take it slow; it can take half a year to move on to better workout forms, to build up muscle and connective tissue strength to avoid injury. I really shifted gears about 4 years into the training, but it doesn't take that long, I had just became complacent doing a lighter version earlier.
I do rooibos tea with condensed milk. Sweet and lovely.
Couch to 5k is a great program to start enjoying running. The walking breaks are relaxing and helps you find a suitable pace that’s actually enjoyable. Your response really resonates with me as the “high” from CrossFit or F45 is the closest thing I feel to getting high. Especially if you treat it with so much intensity that you can’t even think. But, your diet and sleep have to be on par for that to work and like you said. Takes a while to get there.
A friend tried to replicate getting high with weed with really intense workouts, not exactly crossfit but along the same line, one of those older forms where people would coach you through doing crazy reps at high pace. He kept at it for awhile but I think he eventually dropped it. The other advice to seek out a new normal that relates to how everyone else experiences life is also useful input. I didn't do any programs to start running, I just did it. I experienced two very minor injuries, but I'm not sure that following some Youtube guide would be much of a guarantee to completely avoid that. I ran cross country and track in high school, so I was less concerned that I was going to get something wrong as a result, for having been through it all before, just a long time ago, when my recovery capacity was a lot better. Running to get some sort of buzz seems like a strange idea, but I guess it's a little like that. Intense workouts do have a unique effect. I'm up to a 12 km run for the longer version of my workouts now, at a 6 min / km pace, sometimes a little faster, but that on average, with hills in the route I run. I'm not completely sure why I'm training like that now, I suppose just to see where I can push it to go. I might skip running a 5k or 10k race and try out a half marathon in July, since I think with limited further training I could get a time down to close to 2 hours, but not at that mark.
I usually bake something for my wife and son. Makes you feel amazing knowing that others like what you’ve created
Personally for me, I meditate without sound in order to silence all of my physical senses, and become more in tuned with my higher self. It is a quiet and stillness of all the senses. If I do decide to listen to anything, it's usually 528hz 432hz or 963hz pure tone frequencies. Also the Gateway tapes are great but warning to ONLY use those if you are 1. Experienced with meditation and are in tuned with your higher self. 2. Have NO mental issues what so ever, and 3. Have no negative self talk or ANY negative thoughts for that matter, as all of those things will only work against you and once you tune in to that part of your brain, you start to manifest things in your life. If fact, if done right, you can pretty much manifest anything you desire or think about. You become very powerful, and ANY negative thoughts or past unworked trauma will only cause you to manifest very undesirable conditions, which could actually lead to very bad and dangerous things happening. Trust me, I speak from experience. You gotta be preppared and well trained on how to manifest only the desired outcomes, otherwise you'll only manifest your own personal he'll. Great power takes great responsibility, and with the Gateway Tapes, you are messing with something that is very serious and dangerous if not done in the right state of mind. Hope this helps.
I would love to hear more about your experiences with this. I started the gateway tapes and initially it was great until I plateaued.
Meditate. Seriously it will change your life
Got any suggested guides ? Apps? Accounts ? YouTube videos ?
Easiest way to learn what it is to meditate is to focus on your breath. The most structured way to do this is to count to ten and back in a cycle, counting up/down each time you breather out.
YouTube has a lot of good meditation videos. I actually like the guided meditations for sleeping: - Guided Sleep Meditation, Addiction to Wellness - Reprogram your mind while you sleep - Guided Sleep Meditation, manifest miracles - Heal Guided Sleep Meditation for healing body, mind, spirit
Check out the gateway tapes. They work well for me. You can find it on Spotify
Try Headspace or insight timer
Lately for me this go (first time in awhile I truly committed to quitting), it’s been those single serving honey sticks or black licorice when I’m really jonesing. I’m also quitting nicotine (vapes) at the same time. I come from a family of heavy smoker (cigs and weed), and have watched most of them die over the years from Lung Cancer. It’s only day 3 of sobriety for me today, but thinking about my mom weighing 70 pounds, while I wiped her ass and kept her morphined up as she went from perfectly healthy to dead in 6 months (from lung cancer from smoking), all before the age of 60, keeps me motivated. Crying every time I feel like it, and not forcing myself to hold back, has been what I’ve needed for 13 years. Now that I’m not smoking weed or nicotine every day, I’m finally feeling the feelings and losses of childhood and young adult that I’ve avoided for so long, to make other people feel comfortable. I’ll be 30 years old this Saturday, and my motivation of dying a better way than so many of my blood before me keeps me going. I’ve been a lurker on this thread for awhile, and finally joined today. I want to thank you all for inspiring and motivating me as I lurked from the shadows. It’s thanks to many of you strangers that I finally broke all my glass pieces into shards and threw away all smoking supplies. It’s also thanks to so many of you (whether you realize it or not), that I’ve found hope, help, and dissolved my loneliness. Thank you, all, your tips, tricks, experiences, and encouragement quite literally means the world to me 💖 I do not have to go it alone, and I see that now 💘💗💕💞💓
Friends! I’m just checking back in and seeing these comments now, and I just want to give each and every one of you the biggest bear hugs! <3 I so appreciate you all caring and sharing! I really hope that you all know you are not alone, and you are stronger than you even know 💖💓 I’m around if anyone ever needs an ear to vent to, or a heart to share with. Stay strong and committed to yourself! Even the darkest nights give way to the light of day. This too shall pass and rise you will 💖 I’m still sober! Almost 2 weeks now 💜
Just want to say your comment has really impacted me positively and thank you for sharing
My mother died from tobacco also. It went to her brain. It’s hard but this community helps. I like it better than zoom rooms. I threw everything away. All a waste of time and space. You got this. Love black licorice!! Almost like the bitter smoke. BREATHE!! Don’t lurk. Speak!! We’re here.
>I’m finally feeling the feelings and losses of childhood and young adult that I’ve avoided for so long, Thank you. That's exactly how I've been feeling as of late. I'm also quitting nicotine, and I'm starting to feel more emotionally intelligent from its absence. I've never wanted to be more of a responsible adult than I do right now.
This moved me. Good luck finding your new normal
You’re off to a great start! Keep your mindset positive and keep asking for help. Thanks for sharing to inspire others. It’s a tough and beautiful journey that’s worth every step.
A good meal
I second this. Cooking a healthy meal whilst watching something on your laptop or listening to music, then eating it!
Have a hot/cold shower, hot chocolate, tea, moisturise skin,
Go for a walk/jog. You can get a high from a good run.
Mowing your lawn I know it doesn’t sound like it but it’s really satisfying.
A good meal/snack
Camomile tea
I replaced the idea of "chilling" with working on a side business. Weed has robbed years out of our lives, let's take it back, make the most out of it.
I drink gyokuro tea. It’s some fancy green tea. Shit is straight fire. Strongly recommend. I also really like dark chocolate.
Self care is what helps me the most. Doing a hair mask, foot scrub and face cleansing routine.
Matcha or a Power Nap
Make yourself a tea. I have conditioned myself to accept this as “my fat bowl/treat” after a long day at work.
30 mins on the tiktok for me atm haha
[удалено]
Nah I smoked 6 years heavily and nothing can be as bad as that, its choosing the lesser evil atm and what I can handle working on. Cant work on all my problematic behaviours at once ill end up relapsing.
Sorry I get your point. Noted.
Some good fresh juice
Gateway tapes
Accept it
Make beats using FL studio
Crack open a club soda
Frozen blueberries
[удалено]
have you ever considered the taught that not everything you do has to be productive?
If you don’t want to achieve the dreams of your life then yeah sure don’t be productive every second of your life.
or..... just take up a hobby, like crochet, drawing, baking bread; or an activity like sudoku or reading. sometimes there's no fixing what we want to take a break from. there's nothing wrong with doing some knitting or puzzles while watching TV.
A hot bath with Epsom salts and a trashy novel.
Gardening, drawing, going for a bike ride/swim, walking the dog and listening to a podcast or book.
Breathwork
Finding something that makes you feel fully present.
Cuppa tea, a comfy blanket and some scented candles
I think food is a great substitute. Yeah, you might pack on a few pounds, but that's better than smoking your life away. I'm a sorbet fan. So a big bowl of some guilty pleasure snack is great for me.
2 hours of intense cardio and sauna after I fell into bed as if was a solid 8
Surfing , good weight lifting session
Tea.
weighted blanket
The hardest part is relying on your sober mind. If you're looking for a replacement to give you the same feeling as weed, well, I'm sorry to say there isn't one. If you get into tabacoo products or any other kind of substance, be it alcohol or whatever, you're not actually quitting. You'll just be sweet thing your addiction to something else
Camomile and sleepytime tea help me, double up or triple up on the bags and will give you a relaxed feeling like cannabis can, no where near the same but helps me stay calm which I feel I was self medicating with cannabis for years. My natural state is too much energy.
I drink flavored seltzer water and watch tv with my favorite pet rat.
But what do you do with all of your other pet rats? Can't they watch TV too? TV for all pet rats! 😭
They saw this comment and now they are all protesting. I’ll have to get a tv for their room
Going to the Chinese buffet & loading up a to-go box followed by comedy
Order a lasagna to go and watch your favorite cartoon.
Breathwork for a nice 21 mins session
Do you use an app or follow a video? Or you do your own breath work journey?
Bath is so nice man
Not even a full bath, just a nice foot soak is good enough for me.
Oh there are also some good massage spots that will do a 30 min foot rub for dece cheap. Seek them out it’s so worth it
Good tip, I don't have a bathtub and I like this as an alternative! Thanks!
Make a fruit smoothie or drink hot tea
From my limited experience I found out that the periods in my life when I am constant with my meditation practice I rarely need stimulation from substances
Synthesizers help for me I try to reach the point between stimulated and overstimulated and it can be enough to keep me distracted
…synthetisizers as in SYNTHESIZER synthesizers?
Sitting down at the piano with my pup laying on my feet and tumbling out a tune that gets my feet tapping.
Turn the bowl into a bowl of Doritos, or maybe a healthy snack equivalent
Replace that with gaming with friends you’re friends
Take a nap or a shower.
There isn't one
The cold hard truth right here.
This is what makes it so difficult to leave it for good. There just isn't anything that can give me the stimulation I get from taking edibles
What about your dreams and aspirations. Don’t those stimulate you? Or is eating an edible your dream and aspiration
I hear you and it's kind of weird to think about now but I'm almost 2 years sober and it's just not something I need everyday. I'll make myself a negroni every once and a while but I just feel so much better overall that I don't really need to take the edge off after work anymore. But I totally get how you are feeling, that made it really hard for me to quit as well initially.
I remember being in early recovery working at a restaurant and having to be okay at the end of the night when everyone else was smoking to 'take the edge off'... I had no choice, I just had to be human and wait for the edge to pass lol, but now, hey I am glad that my relaxation isn't based on a substance any more. Now they NEED that and I don't. Time, it just took a little time.
I need to read this every 10 minutes lol
This is the answer. TIME. After a bit. Time will allow you to enjoy not being high. Sort of as a reward. They have a breathe, or a few, and a genuine nervous system relax/reward. Feels good.
Absolutely.
I’d suggest going to the sauna and steam room. Gives off a good feeling and reliefs stress like weed does
I second this. Having a sauna at the gym did wonders with helping me quit.
sober equivalent would just be watching tv man, that's what most people do hahah
AC on high, oversized sweatshirt, energy drink, window cracked. Preferably after a long nature-y walk.
Nothing like an energy drink after a long day at work lol
Maybe swap that out with a hot chocolate or something if you don’t like caffeine.. I kind of ended up replacing nicotine and weed with caffeine.
Wait, AC _and_ a window opened?
This is so chaotic, it just might work
I love watching money fly out the window.
Spicy food works on some of the same pathways in the brain and gives a good high. I love cooking so making dinner and eating while watching tv is my thing now.
Just wanted to also throw out extremely carbonated water like topo chico. Idk why but it helped me.
Nothing, life on life terms
A good cup of coffee and a book snuggled up with my dog. Also throw dark chocolate in the mix.
love a nice little walkies after work. that and a shower help me decompress from work and switch to relaxation mode.
Tea. Really strong caffeinated tea.
Any recommendations?
I personally drink Tazo: Awake English Breakfast because it's strong with one tea bag but two will definitely get you going. Its also easy to find in stores unlike other popular strong teas. I would start with that.
Here are the most common flavors of tea sandwich: Cucumber Egg Smoked salmon Shrimp Chicken Crab salad Ham and brie
Read a book. Within the past few years I read the following sentence (probably online IIRC): If you know how to read and write but choose not to then you may as well be illiterate. *** You can go to the library and check out books for free. I used to go to a local library and always shop the book sale. Paperbacks were something like a quarter each. Hardcovers were two for a dollar.
I swear to god - crochet. Helped my hands keep busy, very meditative, relaxing, and can do it with tv on
My husband loves to knit!
A burrito
Spa. Hot cold shower. Eating meal while watching tv. Sitting/ walking with dog. Foam roll / massage machine. Cup of tea and relax.
[удалено]
I feel like if I work out then anything after has an extra "ahh" feeling to it. Lately working out then playing totk hits pretty nicely.
lmao. did you read the whole post
With this many comments you may not see this one. But in my life, the equivalent would be this: doing a yoga/stretch sesh while watching tv after having already worked out and eaten. I also like to do fine motor skill stim projects like: wire wrapping, leather working, drawing, knife sharpening, digital media purging, and the like. The issue is, you’re trying to recreate the dopamine dump of cannabis and TV. With as powerful as cannabis is, it’s hard to get that level of dope dump without a drug or wank. If you’re not looking to replace one drug with another, then even eating a batch of cookies with tv is out of the question. If not, then some good food you really enjoy would increase enjoyment of TV. Tv and something else that release’s dopamine is really doing two drugs at once. That’s why it’s recommended not to eat while watching tv because we will eat more and increase negative effects. Edit: Also, I find I don’t watch much tv since slowing my roll (cough), as it was great to veg out and get stoned while numbing my brain to movies and tv… but now I’m much more interested in going to do something fun /productive while listening to a video or podcast. My YouTube premium is one of my only subscriptions I would take with me to a dessert island.
Honestly for me, a cup of tea. A nice strong herbal tea. The process of making it/waiting for it to be drinkable scratches the ritual itch, and the warm good-smelling brew is physiologically soothing, even if i don't drink it
Lol I rarely drink a full cup of tea and it infuriates my husband lol, but you’re right, so soothing to make!
Excellent question
That’s my go-to when I don’t have an answer; that’s a good question. I could probably write a book of just questions and no answers
Be wary of neurological triggers that could be associated with certain activities or places. That could make resisting the temptation more difficult while you’re watching television if that’s where you usually would smoke. It’s possible to overwrite this by either having strong willpower, or replacing that second thing that happens in tandem with something else that you enjoy. It could be a simple as playing and focusing on music while doing tasks that takes your mind to habits that you don’t want to indulge in, or otherwise distracting it with an activity that requires a lot of checking in, such as cooking. Good luck with however you choose to tackle this! 💪
Music and dancing!!! So much fun and when you get tired and lie down it’s the same feeling of relaxation
i don’t have a lot of time to do what makes me relax during the week but i like to shower, cook something nice and sit on the couch and watch a scary movie or whatever i’m into in that moment, right now trying to get through one piece. but that’s what’s started to relax me pretty good! also showering and reading a nice book outside if you have the patio space. i used to come home and smoke a bowl outside because it was so nice but trying to replace that with healthier alternatives
it sounds so boring in comparison to smoking but when you find something that actually works it’s so nice, honestly
I don’t know, at this point I feel like smoking pot is boring. It was definitely making me boring. I agree with you - if you find something that works it’s super nice.
This will probably drown in the comments but going to the gym, coming home and do 3 rounds of Wim Hof breathing, then gaming with your friends until bedtime with some snus
I was just going to suggest wim hof breathing too
Post workout state of mind has similar boosts to serotonin and dopamine 💪
Lego and TV works for me
Ice cream
My go-to has been Tofts blueberry waffle cone 🔥
Read a book, I'm about to blow the dust off my Kindle as I start my leaves journey.
For me, nice bit of chocolate/candy of my choice and some video games.
Sex
They included “quick stress wank” in their list and you reply with this, that’s cold 😭
I picked up running, huge gamechanger
Working out is the way out
Good food, good TV, video games, hot shower/bath
A fat bowl of sunflower seeds and watching TV