During this time of COVID-19 uncertainty, everyone likely has a different way of dealing with the issue. Some people use the time for things like spending time with the family or catching up on yard work. Others may play video games or use the time to make a plan for the future. However, a large number of people are turning to marijuana to cope with life during social distancing.
Smoking marijuana often isn’t recommended. You can become addicted to weed and altering your mind consistently can cause you to feel detached, aloof, or fatigued. If you’ve been smoking marijuana frequently, perhaps it’s time to cut back or give it up entirely.
To give you some help and guidance in your journey to stop smoking weed, here are 7 tips that can help get you on the right path to stop smoking during social distancing.
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1- Get Rid Of What You Have
The first and often most effective tip to stop smoking weed is to simply get rid of the supply that you have. It’s like if you want to give up candy. You gather up all the candy in the house and get rid of it. It’s the same with weed.
You can’t smoke weed if you don’t have any. Get rid of any paraphernalia too. It can be hard to fight the temptation of wanting to go and get more supply. However, if you’re committed to quitting, and you don’t have any weed in the house, it’ll be easier to resist that urge.
2- Distract Yourself
To get your mind off weed and why you enjoyed smoking it, you need to find some way to distract your mind from the thought of using it. This is a great time to do it during social distancing because there are many things you can do to pass the time. If you feel yourself having any urges to smoke when you are trying to quit, try activities like reading a book, watching television, or browsing the internet to get your mind off the issue. Go for a walk in your neighborhood. Start a project. Try all sorts of things to keep your mind occupied.
3- Have Clear Goals
If you want to stop using weed for no reason at all, it might be challenging for you to just stop. As is the case with stopping or starting other things, you need to have a clear set of goals to stick to if you want to see real results. Your goals can be as simple as stopping weed for health reasons. Or, do it so you can help get in better shape. Whatever your goal is, make sure it is meaningful enough to keep you motivated to act.
4- Don’t Attend Events With Weed
Depending on your social distancing guidelines, you may be able to go to events with other people. This is great for your mind because it allows you to socialize with other people and can help distract you from any urges. However, for the events to actually help you, you need to make sure that there is no weed there. If you are trying to quit and then go to a party with tons of weed, trying to resist the urge to not use it is going to feel nearly impossible.
5- Make Yourself Accountable With Others
If this goal is really meaningful to you and you want to ensure you see it through, setting up an accountability system with others can be very helpful. If you are close with people who want to see you do well and be happy, tell them what you are trying to do and what your plan is. Once they have an idea of what it is you are looking to accomplish, ask them to help you reach your goal by holding you accountable. Ask them to keep you honest with quitting and even have them check to make sure you aren’t using any more weed.
You can also attend a recovery support group, such as Narcotics Anonymous. While the community groups may be on hold during Covid-19, there do offer online group meetings where you can video chat with others. This can give you wonderful support on your quitting endeavor, and keep you connected to others.
6- See A Therapist
If your addiction to weed is moderate to severe, you may want to consider reaching out to a therapist for help. While there is a general stigma around therapy, it is a great option for those who just need someone to talk to and help guide them on their journey. Everyone needs help in life at one time or another, so there’s no shame in reaching out to a professional counselor who is well-equipped to help.
A therapist can assign your action plans for stopping weed usage or they can just sit there and listen to help you understand why it is you really want to quit. A therapist can be a great asset to have when trying to quit anything.
7- Exercise
Many studies show several benefits from people with addictions to substances having surprisingly positive results when working out or exercising as a coping mechanism. Even though COVID-19 has closed many gyms, something as simple as going for a run or having a home workout can be all you need to get yourself distracted from using weed. There are also many fitness centers that are holding online exercise classes you can attend virtually.
Create a workout plan that makes you excited to workout. You might even want to find a workout buddy, such as your spouse or neighbor. As a bonus, you may find that you are looking and feeling better in general and have found working out to be a great addition to your life.
Are you wanting to quit weed? If so, take these tips into consideration. Life can be wonderful on the other side of marijuana addiction. Keep on your quitting path so you can live a life free from addiction.
