One of the main problems that people that decide to stop smoking marijuana face is the danger of relapse. Some smokers have been smoking for years before they decided to give it up, and not picking the habit back up can be really hard for them, especially if they are not prepared for life after marijuana.

If you’re in a similar situation to what I described above, these tips will be very helpful to you. Just follow them and there is no reason why you should not be successful in your determination to never smoke weed again.

Stay away from Cannabis!

This might be one of those “oh man! That’s so obvious!” things to you, but it’s very important and that’s why I wanted to talk to you about it anyway. Staying away from marijuana doesn’t just mean that you’re not going to go ahead and buy it. It also means that you’re not going to go to places where you used to smoke it, or where it’s easily accessible to you. You don’t want to be around marijuana. You can’t smoke if there is nothing to smoke!

Think about triggers to relapse.

Every smoker has triggers that cause them want to smoke. Did you usually smoke after a meal? Did you have a puff when you woke up each morning? Did you wear your favorite jacket as you did it? Did you smoke with specific people and in specific places?

The thing is that as soon as you go to those places, see those people, put on those clothes, you’re going to just start remembering that you want to smoke. You will actually feel the desire to do it because a trigger will have gone off in your head. I know this sounds crazy, but you’re going to trust me on this one. Just identify those triggers and by all means avoid them. Don’t hang out with the same people, don’t go to those same places, just avoid anything that might cause you want a smoke and weaken your determination to stop smoking marijuana.

Find new, non smoking friends.

This one goes without saying, right? You need friends, but your old, smoking, friends will have a bad influence on you, so you need to find some new ones to hang out with. It’s actually easier than you think. Just start meeting new people and you’ll find a friend in no time. When you do and you can trust him, tell him about your addiction and let him know that you’re working on quitting. They’ll be helping hands. It doesn’t mean you can’t see your old friends, but you will move on from some friendships that were based on a mutual addiction.

Staying away from the stuff, meeting new people and avoiding all the triggers that make you want to smoke is a great start on your way to stop smoking marijuana. I have no doubt that you’ll be successful if you follow the tips I outlined in this article.

It’s been a weird couple of days. I have had all sorts of nervous energy and anxiety…I don’t want to call them panic attacks, but rather feelings of intense dread for no reason. Sometimes my mind races. It kind of feels like a ball of energy heating up at my center and moving up the top of my body. I think this nervous energy is the cause of my insomnia as well.

I notice that I have been ‘holding’ my breath a lot and have been tense or fidgety for no reason. I have been doing some of the stress relaxation techniques and deep breathing drills which are actually working ! I haven’t experienced the marijuana withdrawal anxiety before to this severity.  Usually it was only mental, but the physical withdrawal symptoms from cannabis are discomforting. I need to bleed off more stress during this beginning transition phase.  With the right stress management program, the stress and anxiety from marijuana withdrawal can be minimized.

Quitting Marijuana can cause anxiety in some people, but I don’t know how long it is supposed to last, and what to expect. Needless to say, the last couple of days have NOT been fun. I got about 6 hours of solid sleep. Normally I wake up a lot during the night, but this was a nice uninterrupted rest.

Only one dream of note so far, all I remember is being hit in the liver by something, then someone I knew (don’t know who) hitting me in the same spot.

This is the last post in this weeks series of posts on relaxation techniques for helping cope with the stress associated with marijuana withdrawal. A couple commentators, Meggers and Tani, have both recommended yoga for stress relief and a great nights sleep.

Yoga is an ancient path to spiritual growth, and originates out of India where hinduism is practiced. The practice and goal of yoga dates back to the Upanishads, written between 1000-5000 BC.

I have only performed one type of Yoga sequence before, and I think it is perfect for beginners. The Sun Salutation is a sequence of 12 movements that can be performed quickly whenever you need a boost. I just did a set to try it out – I like it. It feels more physically demanding than the moving meditation relaxation technique and gets the blood flowing quickly.

Click Here for the Sun Salutation Exercise

I came across deep relaxation audio tape that I liked and thought I should share it. The first few days of withdrawal from smoking weed are always the hardest for me, so I am building up a nice list of relaxation and distraction techniques to help me get through the cravings and other marijuana withdrawal symptoms.

You will need RealPlayer to play the files. One of the files is 6 minutes, and the other is 20 minutes.

Click Here for the Deep Relaxation audio recording

Do any of you have specific techniques you would like to share? If you do, please leave a comment or contact me!

Todays relaxation technique is one that I learned from an old roommate of mine, he used to perform this technique when he couldn’t fall asleep. This is a great exercise for marijuana withdrawal when you have insomnia. I struggle with insomnia when during the first couple days that I stop smoking weed.

The exercise is called “Muscle Tension and Relaxation”. It is very easy to do – you simply tense up, then relax certain muscle groups in your body.

If you practice this regularly, you will get to know your body better and have a good understanding what tension and relaxation feel like in your body. Relaxing your body also helps to relax your mind. You can combine this exercise with deep breathing to get rid of any more stress.

I like to start at the feet, then work their way up to the face. The exercise is the same for each body part

Instructions:

• Get comfortable.
• Take a moment to relax, breathing in and out in slow, deep breaths.
• Once relaxed, shift your attention to your right foot. Feel your awareness in your foot then slowly tense the muscles. Squeeze as tightly as you can while counting to 10.
• Relax your right foot. Feel the tension flowing away from your foot as it becomes limp, loose and relaxed.
• Take a deep breath and continue to relax your foot.
• Follow the same sequence for your left foot.

Starting from the feet, move slowly up each muscle group in your body. Here is an example pattern:

• Right / Left Foot
• Right calf / Left calf
• Right thigh /Left thigh
• Hips and buttocks
• Stomach / Abdominals
• Lower Back
• Chest
• Upper Back and Trapezoids
• Right / Left Arm and Hand
• Neck and shoulders
• Face

I hope you enjoy this exercise and it helps you get to sleep when you are going through marijuana withdrawal. Insomnia is very common when you quit, so remember you are not alone and you can be proactive when dealing with insomnia, anxiety, or other weed withdrawal issues.