Smoking weed has been your past-time activity for years, maybe even decades. So, even though you know eliminating marijuana from your life would lead to a healthier lifestyle, you're a bit hesitant to drop the habit because you don't know what to replace the time with. This is an entirely normal thought, especially if you have been smoking for a long time.
Luckily, you won't have to guess what to do with your time because I created a list of activities intended to stimulate your mind, unleash your creative side, and tap into your inner childhood memories of play and fun.
It's essential to replace this time with something rewarding and fulfilling that focuses energy back into who you are, but how do you do that?
I Stopped Smoking Weed, Now What?
Do you remember what brings you joy, stimulates your intelligence or gets you excited?
I'm guessing you may have forgotten.
When we were kids, we only cared about doing what felt authentic to our truest selves or following our curiosity without any expectations. We viewed life as an open possibility made to explore and have fun.
But as we grow up, we lose that sense of wonder and stop doing things that tap into our inner happiness. Instead, turning to weed as the antidote to escape the pressures of being an adult and chasing those feel-good feelings we once had as kids.
The crazy thing is, you don't need to smoke weed and get high to recoup those feelings. You just need to reconnect with the activities that make you excited, happy, and authentically you.
I've organized this list into activities that focus on bettering your body, mind, and spirit. The essential cornerstones, when attended to, can make a person feel fulfilled and satisfied about themselves and life.
Looking to surround yourself with a community committed to making better choices and improving their lives? Check out the "Better Yourself" community on Discord.
Instead of Smoking Get Active
When you get high from smoking marijuana, your heart rate increases by 20 to 50 beats per minute, and the primary psychoactive ingredient, THC, stimulates the part of your brain to release dopamine— a feel-good hormone associated with expecting reward or pleasure. These reactions to your body and mind are the same side effects you get when exercising or being active.
Here are activities to challenge your physical well-being, build endurance and possibly re-ignite your competitive nature.
Train for a 5Kor 10K marathon.
Find an adult league for a competitive sport.
Reconnect with a sport or physical activity you participated in growing up.
Explore all of the hiking trails in your area.
Pick up a water sport and learn how to kayak, paddleboard, or surf.
Stimulate Your Brain
It's pretty unfortunate what marijuana (specifically THC) can do to your brain. When you're high, it slows down how you process information and impairs the functionality of your hippocampus, making it difficult to make new memories or retain them.
The brain is the most vital organ in your body, and we only use a mere fraction of its capabilities and capacity. Here are some brain-focused activities to help reclaim this super-charged organ:
6. Sign-up for classes at your local learning annex or community college.
7. Learn a new language and make it a goal to travel to the country to test your skills.
8. Publish articles on Medium or launch a blog.
9. Monetize your expertise and launch an online course.
Tap Into Your Creative Side
Do you remember the smell of the paint, pencils, or markers when you're about to get into a creative flow? Or how you felt when you finished a project you spent tirelessly creating in the garage or basement.
It's time to smell those scents again, feel the materials and tools in your hands to create something new. Here are some creative activities to help find your inner artist.
10. Pick a wall in your home and paint a mural.
11. Build furniture for your home or outdoor space.
12. Design and sew your next special occasion outfit.
13. Volunteer to teach art at your local community center.
14. Take a creative writing or poetry course.
15. Create a recipe book, tap into your inner home chef.
Reconnect with Music
The exact dopamine release in the brain from getting high is the same effect when your brain listens to music. Music triggers the brain to produce the feel-good hormones your brain needs and craves. So, let's give it want it wants by reconnecting your passion and love for music.
16. Try learning a new instrument or the same one you played as a kid.
17. Enter a music writing contest.
18. Join a band. No, seriously, do it.
Finding your Flow Again (Relax and Slow Down Your Thoughts)
One of the benefits people believe they need to get high is the ability to help with anxiety or overactive thinking. In lower dosage, it's believed to make a person feel calm by slowing down their thoughts. But large doses of THC in your system can actually have a negative effect, causing paranoia, irritated moods swings, and insomnia— not exactly healthy or helpful for your mind and body.
Here are activities to help you find your flow and reconnect with your spirit:
19. Learn about transcendental meditation.
20. Feel the vibrations of a sound bath. Learn more about it.
21. There are seven types of yoga. Learn them all.
Final Takeaway: What to Do Instead of Smoking Weed
This list isn't just a list of generic activities to keep you busy, but activities with a purpose and continuous milestone achievements.
Why suggest activities that require more than just doing them?
Because just simply adding painting or running to your life doesn't have the sustainability to form a habit. Activities with built-in expectations or involving a goal are more likely to transform a bad habit into a successful lifestyle change.
And that's what we want, right? A better and healthier change of lifestyle.
Thanks for reading this article. If it’s your first time reading our blog, you should know that addiction to weed is an issue I have experienced and what people in our TikTok and Discord community talk about. If you found this article helpful, please share this with a friend or connect with me here to let me know what got out of this article.