Ways to pass the time when anxious

[mikecole114]

My doc tells me I need to find a substitution for smoking weed when I'm anxious. Anyone got any good ideas? Similar in the sense that it's relaxing and can do at the end of the day l(eg I do gym in day so not that) something to relax too

[lexkristina]

I downloaded anxiety hypnosis on my phone and I listen to it and it really helps. Or I'll play games on my phone to try keeping my mind off of it. I've had panic disorder for years and still have issues controlling it. I wouldn't recommend medication. But marijuana definitely helps in my opinion...

[jessed03]

I either run till I'm beat and swimming with endorphins, or go into like a 45 minute meditation then sleep lol

Playing guitars also pretty good, other days I just play games, the kind that take all your focus.

[El Lukio]

Guitar is good as you can get totally absorbed in it which I find helps. I've actually started learning the ukelele as well to aid in focusing my mind.

I can't do weed anymore. It really, really fucks me up. It sends me into serious paranoia and anxiety. Last time I smoked it I had a panic attack and thought I was going to die. It was the worst 3 hours ever. Considering I used to smoke it everyday without problems I'm surprised at the bad affect it has on me now.

[kateb]

I agree with Jessed and El Lukio that music has really helped me - I play piano for a bit when I get home each day (or did when I had a job), and that normally releases tension.

Also, it sounds a weird idea, but colouring in is INCREDIBLY therapeutic! If you like art, draw and paint, but if like me you are artistically challenged, grab a colouring book and some really cool pens and just colour in for 20 mins-half an hour. I guarantee it will relax you, even though I sound like a total nerd :P

You could try replacing the weed with a cup of herbal tea or maybe one of those nicotine-free vapouriser things, if you know the ones I mean? My fiancee had a 15 year daily smoking weed habit, but stopped when we got together - he still relaxed by playing a game on the pc or watching a movie, he just wasn't high any more. He said that he had been a bit numbed for so long that when he quit he felt MORE alive and stimulated, but I can imagine that if you struggle with anxiety, that could be a bit much at first. But what you have to think is, weed or cigarettes or alcohol or whatever, they are all just safety blankets... we all need a safety blanket sometimes, to hold onto when things are tough, but it could be something else, like music or movies, and still do its job.

And once you have stopped for a while then you may find you actually do calm down a lot, cos as El Lukio said, weed can make you paranoid and panicked without you even knowing. It doesn't affect everyone the same though obviously.

[BoBandoCommando]

I can't do weed anymore. It really, really fucks me up. It sends me into serious paranoia and anxiety. Last time I smoked it I had a panic attack and thought I was going to die. It was the worst 3 hours ever. Considering I used to smoke it everyday without problems I'm surprised at the bad affect it has on me now.
Weed was a major problem of mine. I was just like El Lukio. I had been smoking for years and suddenly, time stopped and I believed my heart was seizing. I gave it up for a few months thinking I just needed time away from it. I smoked after my hiatus and it gave me the same feeling of terror. I was determined to still enjoy it, so I still smoked it despite its negative effects on me. I thought I just needed to build up a tolerance again. I would be golden if I could get there. No. I was stupid for chasing a high that wasn't and couldn't be there. Definitely do not rely on marijuana because you never know when it could turn against you. If it ever starts to feel as if it's giving you paranoia and anxiety, it should be time to call it quits. I am not against weed at all, but it can be bad for some people such as myself and El Lukio.

[BoBandoCommando]

Just pursue anything that you love or enjoy doing.
I draw, so i do that to calm down. It's so easy to get lost in a picture that you're creating. Even if you're not an artist, you could try doodling. Doodle repetitive shapes and lines over and over and pretty soon you'll see that you've filled out an entire page of intricate designs that came out of your pen. It's very comforting to feel the friction of the pen against the paper.

Read. Read anything and everything. There's nothing better than a good book. If you're tired, pick up a book and before you know it, you'll be passed out with your thumb still on the page you were on. Reading is never bad. If books aren't your thing, read about panic disorder. It never hurts to know as much about it as you possibly can. It calms me down to read articles on it because it really puts it into perspective and makes the whole concept seem much smaller. Seeing all of the symptoms of a panic attack on a page, feeling of a heart attack, sweating, having a light head, clammy hands, etc. etc., is comforting because you will realize that all of these problems you'll feel aren't unique to you and that you aren't alone. All of these symptoms are normal problems that just about everyone goes through who has them and that they are nonlethal.
Also read through posts on this forum, I'm new here and I was immediately relieved scrolling through everyone's posts about their problems that were similar to mine. It distracts you greatly, and it feels nice to give advice wherever you can. I was anxious as I typed this and now that I'm done, I feel better. It helps me a lot.
It also helped me to Youtube breathing exercises (I can't post links yet because I'm new but if you do search them, you will find ones that help you. I was sceptical but now I'm so glad I found ones that work).
I hope any of this helps you. Good luck!

BoBando