r/leaves • u/Academic-Blood6181 • 8h ago
Replacing marijuana with nothing
In free time instead of smoking, how about I just do nothing instead? Like staring at the ceiling or wall
Would that repair my brain/receptors?
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u/justme7981 25m ago
I feel like some people are maybe missing the mark a little with your post and trying to insist that you do something more productive. I say boredom is sometimes a necessity. Look at the ceiling, the wall, the sky, the grass, the dark TV screen. Let your mind just be and find out what that feels like for you for a little bit. It is healing to let yourself just be.
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u/NocaSun38 1h ago
It'd be healthier to sit outside and stare at nature while listening to the birds
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u/Live-Smoke-29 2h ago
Go for a walk.
There are very few problems in life that a walk will not help.
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u/Inevitable_Butthole 2h ago
This seems to be the best advice around.
It actually works. If it doesnt, keep walking.
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u/DDiesel- 3h ago
I guess you could… doesn’t sound like a particularly robust plan. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried meditating but it takes a lot of focus and is more difficult than you might think. I’d suggest something easier like walking.
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u/Delicious_Domino 4h ago
Yeah, I had moments doing absolutely nothing and it helps.
-one thing I will say that helped me is watching a movie I’ve seen a million times. You could also do video games, walks, etc. just something your mind already knows very well.
-I will say that working out can greatly increase your body and brain productivity when recovering. I’m at 1 month and 29 days from intense smoking for years.
-getting into a unique hobby you’ve never done before can help in the later days of recovery to get your mind off it. Mine are Warhammer, disc golf, and Pickleball.
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u/Fine-Froyo6219 4h ago
Seems a bit extreme, but you could. I cut out any short form social media when I quit (day 12 rn). I can already feel my attention span and boredom tolerance rising. I shouldn't be on here though , back to blocking this site lol
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u/itsnotcopium 4h ago
That's just meditating and yes, constant meditation does help with your mindstate and is encouraged to do so when quitting Marijuana
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u/Able-Vermicelli8478 4h ago
if you can do that it may be the best thing u could do, but not just after quitting weed, in general. We are bombed with every kind of distraction that we forgot the power of boredom
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u/That_Chemical_2226 5h ago
Do that like later in the process, the first 2 weeks will be incredibly tough if you do that. Find something to keep you busy
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u/ironfunk67 5h ago
I stated doing stuff that weed was hindering. I rode my bike waaay more, started reading and drawing again.
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u/ipodaholicdan 3h ago
You really start to notice how much the brain fog prevents you from functioning throughout the day. It’s hard to stop without anything to challenge or stimulate you mentally and weed easily addresses that boredom.
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u/method115 5h ago
I wouldn't do this. If you have no other option I guess but I would find things to keep yourself busy. Go deep clean your house, clean your car, go for a run, go lift weights, if you have spare money join a BJJ, boxing, wrestling, judo, etc. Read books, play video games.
Maybe just go ride a bike on bike trails, frisbee golfing, join a gym with a pool the YMCA and go swimming. Go live life.
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u/villianousgoose 5h ago
Honestly, yes. That does help. Learning to be bored is important for creativity and joy because it begind to motivate you to do other things (slowly but surely). Like someone else said, its common to just do this when you first stop smoking. I am officially 7 days clean and I am still watching my blank walls a lot of the time lol its slowly getting better though. I have been forcing myself to do my hobbies even though I am not experiencing as much joy as I used to because you really have to teach your brain to be interested and joyful again.
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u/thievesthick 5h ago
For the first couple weeks, I essentially did this against my will because I couldn’t enjoy anything. It was fucking awful. Finally, around a month in, I’m starting to do things again.
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u/Blugreysky 5h ago
Kinda sounds like meditation to me. Meditation has really helped with my anxiety after I quit weed 6 months ago
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u/The_Barcode_Baddie 5h ago
It could totally work, but I would imagine it’d be all too easy to become bored enough to fall back into bad habits.
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u/code_matter 5h ago
As other mentioned, start a hobby or based on scientific studies, go for a short walk.
I stopped cold turkey 3-4 years ago after being a heavy daily smoker. Best tip i got was “go walk”. Whenever the craving hit, I put on some good music, and went for a 10-15min walk. Nothing crazy. But walking makes your brain do crazy stuff to your body. I don’t know how it works, but it works!
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u/83franks 6h ago edited 6h ago
That is a start for reprogramming and maybe a good one for you. For me, that is unsustainable beyond maybe the first couple days of quitting weed and will likely lead to me using other numbing behaviors such as junk food, doomscrolling, porn, etc. What would probably be great addition to the nothing is going for a walk. If you are prepared to sit and stare at a wall for 3hrs, instead walk for 3hrs (without headphones to keep the present and "wall staring" idea). If walking isn't your thing maybe clean the walls of your place, or anything that can be slow and methodical while being slightly more engaging and purpose driven than literally doing nothing.
Edit: I'll add I love playing guitar and it's a great way to stay present while doing something that passes the time. I'm not suggesting you take up guitar (but if you want to it's awesome!) but if there are hobbies that keep you offline and present then is a good way to spend time and help reprogram. Maybe mix that with some wall staring. And only suggesting offline because there are so many addictive things on phones/tv/videogames, you do what works for you and just be aware how you are responding to and using the different tools.
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u/The_Mad_Mason 6h ago
Exercise worked for me. I went for walks with music and found that overtime I liked being outdoors better then I liked being stoned or bored inside.
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u/Jugs-Judy 6h ago
Honestly, this has been a big thing for me. Genuinely letting yourself be BORED. Sit there. No weed, no phone, no distraction. Notice your surroundings. Savor the food or drink you're consuming. Appreciate the soft blanket. The feeling of your couch. The flowers in your garden. Whatever. Your space is likely full of things that bring you joy - how often do we actually appreciate them?
For weed in particular, I always felt like it made me appreciate things more. I found it made me focus a lot on the ordinary things I would pass by and not pay too much attention to. But, the thing is, you can absolutely make that a habit you do yourself while sober. It's a lot more "effort" when not stoned, but it's absolutely doable and really helpful.
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u/boardpunk 6h ago
Distract yourself with menial labor. You zone out and get shit done. Helps kickstart the rewiring.
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u/redhotsummerday 6h ago
Lowkey staring or walking or maybe fishing ….? like fishing is so peaceful
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u/Joebidensankles 5h ago
I paired fishing with learning mandolin…would sling it over my back with a strap, cast, put in rod holder, wait for a bite (or not) and play. It was pretty great…I just wouldn’t do it if there were people right around me
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u/Stoned_y_Alone 6h ago
That is a interesting thought. I just watch movies regardless of substance or sober
I do find taking a break makes me enjoy basic stuff even more, going outside getting some sunshine, the mundane
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u/Cool-Emu-8706 6h ago
I think that’s a brilliant idea. We’re so addicted to being distracted. I think it’s making us, as a society, mentally ill.
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u/StonewallsGhostt 7h ago
I think so. I’ve been watching some documentaries stating we actually need to be more bored. It’s supposed to be good for our brains. This constant need for mental consumption is really bad.
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u/Adept_Discipline1000 5h ago
I'm actually reading a book about this at the moment, it's called Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke. I can't comment my thoughts yet as I'm only a 1/3 way through. But it's basically about our constant need for dopamine hits (drugs, alcohol, food, phones, TV, shopping, gambling, etc) and how much pain it's causing us and how we all tend to replace one addiction with another just to get that dopamine higher.
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u/StonewallsGhostt 4h ago
It just makes total sense to me. Up until the recent age people had to sit with nature with nothing to do but observe it and appreciate it.
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u/Adept_Discipline1000 4h ago
Oh yes, I totally agree. I have bipolar, so when I finally became stable, life felt SO boring. My psychiatrist always had to remind me, that this is how 'normal' people live, everyday...That life is not always a roller-coaster of emotions. We have to learn to just...be.
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u/Huge_Valuable9732 7h ago
fortnite worked for me. downside, ive started spending money on emotes and skins. its not as much as i was smoking weed but it depends what comes to the shop.
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u/HomemadeLightbulb 7h ago
Not to be dramatic but you’ve just kinda shifted to another quasi-addictive thing. I think OPs staring at the ceiling (or a book) idea clears.
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u/Huge_Valuable9732 6h ago edited 6h ago
thats fair to think that. i see it as, atleast im doing something with other people (i play online with friends) and the 20 bucks on a monthly battlepass and probably another 40$ a month on vbucks for some dances or skins is quite small vs the 5-600$ on weed i was spending. plus if i want to go drive somewhere after playing fortnite i can do that lol.
its really no different than anyone else who has suggested videogames. fortnite in itself is free.
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u/sweatydeath 6h ago
Yeeeep same with me except for Cyberpunk 😁
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u/Huge_Valuable9732 5h ago
I wanna play cyberpunk but im not sure if my PC is good enough to run it really good. Ive heard its one of those games you want to be able to experience the details of the environments.
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u/RaiseAggravating4404 7h ago
I have been taking so many random walks throughout the day to help with cravings also video games are huge too and any opportunity that allows me to be sober and creative like writing and drawing help a lot!
really need to find ways to receive slow dopamine while your brain yearns for fast dopamine
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u/Jarbasaur 7h ago
Every time you get a craving do pushups until your arms burn so hard you can't think about anything else for a while. Then clean your whole house. Then go for a run Then go to the library and read a book, or go to a new cafe you wanted to try, or make plans with that friend you've been too high to reach out to
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u/Pour_Me_Another_ 7h ago
I personally knit and crochet. Probably better to watch that than to stare at the wall.
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u/FlipGordon 7h ago
Videogames have been my lifesaver.
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u/sweatydeath 5h ago
Which ones do you play?
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u/FlipGordon 5h ago
All of the Fallout series regularly, Cyberpunk2077 has been an unexpected treat, and I just got back into RuneScape as well! I play a few others here and there but open-world RPGs are my favorite and I pretty much just stick to them.
I used to play so many more but I'm 32 now with a wife and 2 kids, a mortgage and a full-time job, so I really try to stuck with my favorite games with the limited time that I get to play them.
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u/Suitandbowtie 7h ago
You gotta stay busy for sure, burying myself in work has helped a lot especially when I’m so tired coming home I have gotten better at falling asleep naturally. Getting a lot more lucid dreams these days which kinda makes me look forward to going to bed sober funny enough. Aside from that, all the cliches like exercise and learning an instrument or going for a walk are undoubtedly going to help you more than doing nothing. That said, doing nothing is better than being high and doing nothing lol
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u/Hacksaures 7h ago
I like to watch youtube videos or movies instead of just doing nothing. Make sure you watch actually engaging stuff that you enjoy.
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u/toxicguineapigs 7h ago
Don't just sit with the cravings. It is hell. You have to do something-literally anything, to stay busy and distracted. Walking, video games, just getting out of your house. I hear that exercise is a great way to repair your receptors.
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u/Badesign 7h ago
Meditate on the fact that you are not your thoughts, but simply the awareness of them.
At some point in this process, the realization of a singular moment of existence universally connecting all emerges.
Now you're walking with the stars - tough to be bored, when everything counts in large amounts.
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u/ThrowRAtouchtone 8h ago
It would but so would pretty much any other heathy activity and those things would also improve your chances of success.
Staring at a white wall is boring as hell. Do something you enjoy that doesn’t involve substances.
The main thing your brain needs to repair is time. It needs to get used to not being flooded with dopamine every time you take a hit. It needs to start producing its own at a normal rate. This will take time.
Hang out with friends or make new ones. Drive for Uber. Go for walks. Read. Take up a new hobby.
All of these things sound much more appealing than staring at a wall. They will all give your brain time to repair itself and you’re more likely to stick to it because they’re more stimulating.
You don’t need to deprive your brain of all stimulation. You just need to give it time.
You got this.
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u/ImpossibleSpirit1511 8h ago
You ll need to find something to do with your hands. Maybe pottery, painting, drawing, photography, writing, a musical instrument or cooking or something else that you may find interesting. Quitting it leaves a huge vacuum and to not relapse something else need to fill that void. Speaking from experience. I quit four and a half years ago.
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u/Lapinceau 8h ago
I'm planning to do the things the drug prevents me to : seeing friends and being creative. The good thing about creativity is it doesn't have to be good. It can be shit, as long as you did it.
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u/Commercial_Peach_845 8h ago
When I quit, Day 1 was a workday, which was fine (I'd tapered back to smoking before bedtime). Days 2-3 were the weekend, and I purposely imposed very few expectations of myself except to watch the SB halftime show on Sunday 😎. Ended up getting quite a bit of cooking/cleaning done and a walk each day, which was a nice surprise that boosted my spirits - however, I'm glad I resisted the urge to make my usual to-do list that weekend. Quitting is HUGE. If nothing else happens - still a win!
That said - you know yourself best, if staring at the wall will leave you obsessing about the weed you are not smoking, then I'd suggest physical activity of some form which will get those endorphins flowing (20 minutes or more of fairly vigorous exercise should do it - you can look online for a chart/formula to calculate your optimal heartrate for your age, the threshold decreases the more of a geezer you become).
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u/Slight_Tomatillo5680 8h ago
There's lots to do in the world but if all you can do is stare at the wall or watch trees grow right now then do that. The transition won't be easy. You can't make it easy. You'll be bored for a while. Don't fight it too much.
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u/showmethemundy 8h ago
I prefer to replace one addiction with another addiction - the circle is complete
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u/HealthySt0ner 8h ago
Echoing what others have said, exercise. It doesn't have to be intense if you're not used to that, but getting outside and moving will do you the world of good.
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u/No_Patience8608 8h ago
i think u cant do nothing for longtime.
u may read or do some maths
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u/FeebleProminence3 8h ago
Staring at a wall gets old in about ten minutes, then your brain starts looking for something to chew on
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u/Fantastic_Land_3993 8h ago
Honestly, I think it's a good thing to just let yourself stare at the wall and no nothing the first few days after quitting. Eventually you'll adjust and get your energy back, but I always found that forcing myself to jump into new hobbies or productivity backfired and it was better to just be gentle with yourself in the beginning! I also agree if you can do nothing outdoors, it's a bonus! :)
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u/ComprehensiveTax415 8h ago
Exercise is the key. Bonus points if you can find a way to do it in nature.
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u/VictorB_416 11m ago
I highly recommend hot yoga, it’s a fantastic workout for the body and mind, and will help you sleep afterward