You’ve tried quitting before. You did your best to stop smoking weed, but it probably didn’t go that well since you decided to take a moment to read this article.
But hey, we are all human. Failures and setbacks happen. And committing and taking action to stop smoking weed isn’t easy.
It’s hard.
So, I’ve come up with five different approaches to stop smoking weed that you may have never thought of doing before.
5 Ways to Stop Smoking Weed
I am guessing you may have seen lists like this before. What makes this one different?
I like to attack eliminating weed dependency from different angles that target a person’s mind, body, and heart. Because at the end of the day, everyone is built differently and is motivated in different ways.
So, let’s get into the five different ways to stop smoking weed.
Know Your Triggers
Just saying you want to quit smoking weed is the first easy step, but being prepared for moments of temptations will be vital to achieving the success of actually quitting.
So, it’s time to get really honest with yourself and think about the people, objects, or situations that can trigger cravings and use. Identifying these triggers is a critical step towards stopping yourself from smoking marijuana. This is followed by developing exit plans to get out of specific situations or creating an environment that won’t tempt you to give in.
Take a moment to make a list of the triggers that make you want to smoke weed.
List everything- people, objects, situations, and even time of day (or night).
The next step is to write down your plan of action to avoid and get rid of that specific trigger. Here are some hypothetical examples:
If you hang out with a particular friend or house that only smokes weed, figure out alternative places and friends to hang out with.
If you have marijuana-related paraphernalia in your home, it’s time to get rid of any pipes, bongs, vapes, and related products. You need to lower your chances of being triggered or being tempted by the accessibility of lighting up.
Switch Out the Activity
After you have identified your triggers of what makes you want to smoke weed, it’s time to come up with new activities that create the same feeling of happiness and relaxation that weed can have on your mind and body.
A research report by the National Institute of Drug Abuse revealed the chemical structure similarities of THC (the main component of marijuana that creates the euphoric feeling or psychoactive effects to the brain) to the brain’s chemical anandamide. A neurotransmitter, also known as the “bliss” molecule caused by exercise. This neurotransmitter sends chemical messages between nerve cells (neurons) to the nervous system that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, movement, coordination, and sensory to the brain when a person is exercising.
I know it may not sound appealing to replace smoking weed with working out or doing something active, but the main point of this tip is to replace one action with another that will create the feeling of happiness or satisfaction.
Try different activities that excite you and make you feel good about yourself.
Find a Partner, Quit Together
You don’t have to go through this period alone. Partnering with another person who has the same intention and goals to stop smoking marijuana could be the ideal solution to finally cutting the dependency on weed.
You can both relate to the challenges, situations, and feelings of quitting this drug. You could lean on each other for support and motivation.
However, the key to finding the right partner is to make sure you are partnering with someone equally (if not slightly more) motivated to quit smoking weed. You need someone just as serious as you are to see this through together.
But hey, I get it. No one is perfect. But you won’t want to deal with someone who could easily slip back into the habit of smoking, making it easier for you to give up too.
Choose a partner to buddy up with, but also choose wisely.
The better yourself community has been instrumental for me and many others who thought they were alone in this journey of gaining back control from smoking weed daily.
Create an Accountability Circle
Strength in numbers is a powerful saying that you typically hear when describing team sports or collaborative teamwork. Achieving a goal requires multiple people to get it done together.
Staying quiet and keeping your efforts to yourself will not help you. Sharing and telling other people you trust will create accountability for yourself and, in some ways, for the people you shared it with.
So, having strength in numbers means sharing your goal with several people in your life to help keep you accountable.
Set up an accountability circle- a diverse group of people who play different roles and influences in your life.
A person who is your biggest cheerleader in life (loving support)
The person you admire and look up to (mentor support)
A person who can be firm and tough (authoritative support)
Creating an accountability circle with people with whom you have different interactions and influences will reinforce your commitment and motivation to eliminate weed from your life from all angles.
Can't find people to add to your circle? Join the better yourself community on discord. a community that is committed to no longer depending on weed. You don't have to face the challenges and struggles alone, there's a community to support you.
Wean Off the Dependency
It could be as straightforward and uncomplicated to regain control over your dependency on weed by simply committing to go with fewer days of not getting high. It could be a numbers game for you.
So. let’s make it a game.
If you typically smoke 18 of the 30 days, try getting down to 15 days. And the next month, take it down to 10-12 days. With every month that you hit your goal, reward yourself.
Obviously, the reward can’t be with smoking weed, but something else you have wanted to get or do. With less money spent on this drug, it should allow you to have some extra funds.
The Final Takeaway- How To Stop Smoking
We are not one dimensional beings. We are complicated, messy, and are motivated in different ways to accomplish a goal. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for something as challenging and difficult as letting go of your dependency on weed.
I hope you walk away taking a couple of these approaches or use all of them altogether. I purposefully created suggestions that help set up boundaries and support in different areas of your life so you can slowly stop smoking weeding.
Want more tips and advice on how to gain control back from addiction with weed? Follow the @therealabhinav on TikTok.