So it's been a bit over 7 months at this point, i relapsed by the end of last year when i went to vacation, and the relapse made me feel it was indeed time to quit it.
I used to smoke only on weekends, but very heavily when so.
Starting the week was always a terrible chore and my mondays were always terrible, i tried exercising but my workouts were so shit - I kept dragging myself to do it and never did it right, hence i never lost weight, just kept it at baseline while working out 3 times a week.
So it was this really bad cycle of accelerating and de-accelerating, never with any consistency whatsoever, no results at all.
I noticed i had become too soft and complained about everything, i wasn't being a good partner for some time. Ate too much and i felt it was cutting down on my health. And felt like i wasn't achieving anything in life. I also felt physically uncapable even though i used to be an athlete - I couldn't run, lift, or do any kind of physically demanding things even if it were to save mine or someone else's lives. I could barely defend myself due to the really bad perception and reaction times that slipped through the days i wasn't smoking - constant brain fog.
So the first month was boring as fuck, but i powered through it. Things weren't much enjoyable but i knew i was resetting my dopaminergic system and my brain overall. So came the second month and i noticed i was getting further along my workouts, i also wasn't eating like a pig and was a more decent, loving partner.
Now it's the 4th month and it's been 1 month since i started boxing, and i'm fucking loving it - it destroys the shit out of me, i feel weak but at least i'm fighting my demons and getting better by the day. I can now land a solid jab or punch and have some decent footwork, and i feel like i'm miles ahead now.
I stopped hanging out with my stoner friends and last time i went out with them, i felt they were a bit jealous - They kept trying to push me to smoke, some even blew smoke on my face, as if they thought i was better than them? I'm no better, just better than myself i guess.
Anyway, looking forward to be a better boxer - Feeling much more confident now and i can tell. And i finally get that rush of "i'm moving my life forward" again, even though the boxing workouts are so crushing - and equally rewarding.
Anyway, here's my advice:
- Power through the first month. It WILL suck, but it's your brain re-wiring. Things will get better. You will start enjoying the same things you did while high, BUT sober - And trust me, it will actually FEEL better - You'll be more curious to try new things because your reward system will go back to normal
- Stop hanging out with stoners if you want to quit for real. Some of them won't like that you quit, because some people secretly wish they'd stop smoking and never do it. This is the trap.
- Go for sports. Boxing, running, any type of shit will do - You need to get your dopamine and endorphins reset and going from natural sources
- Fix your diet and your sleep - Again, sports help a lot. Worst case scenario, you can buy some stationary bike and bike for 1h or so everyday in your own home.
It pays off in the long run, think of it like an investor - You are investing in your own self long-term, tradeoff is short-term you might feel like shit.
Go for it champ you can fucking do it. Stash your weed paraphernalia, sell it or symbolically set fire on it, throw it away. You don't need it anymore.