Just spreading seeds of hope eh?
In this world of vast varieties and ages of experiences, what are the “proper personality habits?”
Thanks for sharing. I’ve been actually closer to you situation than I can admit which is another reason I’ve stopped. I’ve stopped enjoying the buzz recently. The good part of the buzz only lasts 15-30 minutes then sluggishness and foggy head for the rest of the day / night.
3 Likes
Exactly the reasons I’m stopping for now and hopefully for the rest of the year and who knows… maybe for good. Thanks for sharing.
2 Likes
I quit many years ago but have nothing against it and still have a smoke very occasionally…
but I get bored of it after a week now…
With music I always would make something think it’s good but when I woke up the next day
I would think this sounds like garbage 
…
think I would concentrate on minor details that didn’t matter get stuck on certain things…
same with alcohol I just make nonsense so don’t even bother…
Might sound lame but I find exercise, going to the gym and good nights sleep is the best thing for being creative… for me anyhow
8 Likes
Kindness to others, enough sleep, proper nutrition based on the needs of the body, and a good balance between work and play. Even in this big wide world of differing experience, we are all still human and there are some “universal” things we should all follow. It is better to form good habits young for sure!
8 Likes
Hope it goes well for you.
Changing habits can be tough so if you slip up a little bit along the way don’t treat it as an absolute failure and beat yourself up about it or use it as an excuse to give in and go back to your old ways.
8 Likes
I smoked weed, anywhere from once monthly to nightly, through most of my twenties. I kicked the habit a few years ago (I’m now 31). I used it to manage depression and anxiety and found it very difficult to stop completely. It was a temporary treatment that helped me relax in the evenings, but it made the next 1-3 days even more difficult and, consequently, made me want to smoke more to handle the increased stress.
I still smoke once in a while, but I usually just buy enough for one joint (I typically buy single pre-roll for $3 and toss the remainder - less temptation - when I’m finished) and only if I have few or no obligations the following day. I find that I can have a nice time creating music while high, but what I make usually needs to be tamed quite a bit once I’m sober!
Edit: thought I should mention that I didn’t quit using it regularly until I realized it was a problem and had enough support in my life to make the transition. At 28 I started seeing a therapist and got some medication for depression and anxiety. I know this isn’t an option for everyone, but there are many alternative types of support that can be helpful.
6 Likes
Whenever I smoke a little bit more, I start to feel sluggish for the next upcoming two days, so yeah, sometimes it kills the energy needed to work. Work and weed doesn’t go hand in hand for me. Creativity is not something that descends upon me from the sky.
But in general, I smoke not very often, so I am fine with being lazy as fuck once in a while though.
2 Likes
This! Just exercise in general, I bike around for a few hours when i can and try to do it once a day for about 30 minutes if i can just to get the blood flow.
2 Likes
congrats bro, glad you are feeling better w/ anxiety/depression
3 Likes
I gave it away years ago, but very much used to love it and indulge. I think it’s just parallel to my age, I can’t be bothered smoking anymore. Maybe if I was at an outdoor festival for a few days I would. But I can’t notice any discernible affect of it on me doing music, Except for probably spacing out at it more and going “wow this is amazing” which quickly wears off once you’re straight lol. These days a strong coffee is pretty much equivalent for me, and kicking back listening to music sober is as enlightening as ever
1 Like
ayyy thanks homie !
You shouldn’t assume everyone is the same. I could never ever go to the gym or exercise after getting high – not because of motivation reasons (although that’s there) but even when I’ve been in shape, I run out of breath just climbing a few flights of stairs whether I’ve consumed weed or alcohol. Everyone’s body is different. You also shouldn’t assume everyone is the same when sober or high. I know some workaholics who can’t do anything when high. You should also consider that those friends of yours and yourself included who can still get gigs and work while high just might be even better if they were sober for 6 months.
Used to be pretty big stoner during my 20s. Somewhere along the line I’d stop for a few months at a time and starting back up again (as little as sharing a J or 2 at a party) made me feel like my brain wasn’t working properly and I’d lost some sort of edge, even a few days to a week later. So yeah, definitely noticed the difference in mental acuity before and after. Made a conscious decision to completely quit about 8 years ago and haven’t touched it since. Mental health has significantly improved as well.
Next on the list is alcohol, smartphone usage and coffee - previous experiments with quitting all 3 for a time have been overwhelmingly positive.
4 Likes
I can quit all those. I even had a flip phone all of 2019 then lost it and friend gave me his old iPhone. I still want to go back to it eventually. But coffee… no. I’m never giving up coffee. Besides… I only drink 1-2 cups per day.
1 Like
Funny thing is, the idea that giving up coffee was something strange and unthinkable actually reinforced my decision to give it up for 4 months last year. First month sucked but after that I had more energy than ever!
But each to their own. I do love a nice coffee, so it’s understandable.
Contemplated going back to a simple flip fone (battery life for the win!). Have done it before but it turns out I still prefer having access to some smartphone’s capabilities on occasion so keeping it and learning not to compulsively pull it out.
1 Like
Say yes to cannabis, no to gluttony!
Plenty of people drink alcohol and aren’t alkies
2 Likes
It’s amazing how much cola and coffee increases anxiety I stopped drinking both for a while noticed it big time
3 Likes
After being no stranger to regular/daily (physically addicted) intakes of booze and coffee and intermittent/quasi-regular intakes of weed since the age of 18, two decades later, I’ve arrived at a point where I mostly don’t indulge in any of them anymore. Once I got used to tea (preferably strong Russian tea, Yerba Mate, etc.) and realized it causes none of the jitters, anxiety or ups and downs of coffee that I was having, and that I could have several cups a day with no health or mental downsides, I was able to replace coffee more easily than I thought. I also take my daily prescribed dose of Adderall for diagnosed moderate-to-severe ADHD, which I started taking 4 years ago. I know it can be counted as / used as a drug, and treated as such in many of these discussions, but for me it’s nothing short of a medical / mental health necessity and I treat it as such and have zero interest in abusing it. Nevertheless it’s hard to ignore the reality that the Adderall was directly responsible for me being able to bring alcohol, weed, and coffee down to “occasional treat” status rather than dependencies / self-medication / etc.
Anyway it’s hard to figure out precisely which factors lead to which results, but the end result of all this is I’ve never been more productive, clear-minded, focused, successful, creative, etc. than right now at this moment. My anxiety disappeared. I can take care of lots of my shit along multiple vectors, I can wake up with no grogginess or mental sluggishness whatsoever (and that’s even before I take my morning Adderall dose, for the record), I don’t feel like I’ve lost out on any major fun, I can work on music without the older feeling that I had to get at least semi-fucked up to get into a creative mindset, my health has improved considerably, etc. etc. Can strongly recommend. And since I’m not cutting myself off completely from anything (some people have to, particularly if they’re seriously addicted or have addictive personalities - it’s been fine for me though) I can still enjoy an occasional social drink or smoke on a blue moon and not feel particularly deprived of anything. Your mileage may vary as with anything related to this topic, but yes, major endorsement here…
5 Likes
At this point, I’ve probably spent more time in my life being under the influence of something, so actually now in my late 40s, being straight and “sober” is a trip.
12 Likes