Replacement activities - Clearhead's A-Z
How much time do most dope smokers devote to their hobby? What do you do you spend your time doing when you're stoned? Some dope smokers are amongst the the most productive people I have ever met in my life. And for them, when they quit they learn that they can be just as dynamic when they're not stoned.
Others tend to take things easy when they're smoking. They like to slow down and kick back a bit, enjoying the passive, contemplatitive aspect of cannabis. Like I say in other areas of the website, this is ok but what about when this is all you do in your free time? I ended up smoking like this because at some point I had told myself that life was boring without dope.
When I stopped smoking I gained physical, and emotional energy that was difficult to come to terms with. Every time I attempted to quit I found being at home and not being stoned extremely challenging. Sitting around doing very little except thinking how easy it would be to call my dealer was never going to be an effective stop smoking cannabis strategy for me.
So before the last, and final time, I quit I did something that was uncharacteristic for me. I started to plan how I was going to manage my time.
I chose four different things that I knew would support me in not smoking. I started preparing more meals, I brought a bycicle and started using it, I stepped up my yoga and medtitation and I started attending a twelve step programme.
There are so many different things you can do with your time and energy when you stop smoking dope, activities that you don't have to do forever but which are effective ways of engaging your mind and body as you adjust to not being dependent on cannabis. So for a bit of fun we have devised an A-Z of replacement activities.
Join a drama group and start Acting or get some Acupuncture, help Amnesty. Study Beauty therapy, brush up your Baking, buy a Bike, join a Book club. Express yourself through Creative writing, learn how to Co- Counsel. Start Decorating your home, join a Dance class learn, to Drive, accept Doubt. Clean up you local Environment become Emotionally literate. Expect more from life. Prepare your Food with love, get down to the city Farm, study Film, stop Fantasizing. If it's summer take up Gardening, if it's winter join a Gym, adopt a Greyhound. Study Herbalism, accept you're Human, get out the House, learn Humility. Play a musical Instrument, study Interior design, do the Ironing, stay In touch. Join a Jazz club, start a Jewellery course, do a Juice detox, look for a new Job. Take up Knitting if you're a man or Kick boxing if you're a woman. Join a Laughter club, study Life Drawing, become a weekend Line dancer. Study Massage therapy, take up a Martial art, get back in to Meditation. Get to know your Neighbour, study Natural History, stop being Numb. Start painting with Oils, help out in the local Oxfam shop, become Optimistic. Teach yourself Photography, get Political, beome a Potter (not pothead). Stop Questioning life, start living it - Start Questioning life become curious. Take Riding lessons, start a Religion, help others learn to Read, learn to Relax. Get down to the Swimming pool, or start Singing classes, learn to Sail. Stay Sober. Learn about your addictive behaviour join a Twelve step programme, Touch-Type. Join an Underwater diving club, discover that the Ultimate high can't be injested. Help others by Volunteering, understand the power of your Voice. Learn how to work with Wood, build Websites or paint with Watercolours. Scare yourself silly take up an Xtreme sport. Join a Yoga classs, learn the secret of of being forever Young. Study Zen by watching the animals at the Zoo.
Whatever you do, or don't do, resist the temptation to smoke. After a while you will think about it less and less, until one day you wont think about it once. That is a promise.
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