4 Ways For Stoners to Beat the Quarantine Blues
Let’s face it, life is crazy right now. The way we live as a society has been completely flipped on its head. Instead of summer BBQs and swim parties, we’re attending virtual zoom happy hours and binging Netflix all day, everyday. While practicing social distancing and staying at home is important, it’s also very hard to stay isolated from our loved ones. If you’ve been experiencing the quarantine blues, know that you’re not alone, this too shall pass, and there are ways to help you cope during these unsettling and lonely times.
Get High and Get Crafty
There’s just something about smoking a bowl and getting creative. Not only is it a fun activity but when you’re done, you get to admire your creation and be proud of your skills. A fun and easy way to get your creative juices flowing is to bust out a coloring book and your favorite colored pencils. If you’re not committed to the coloring book life just yet and don’t want to spend money on one, there are a lot of fun cannabis themed coloring pages online that you can print for free. Another fun 420 themed activity you can do at home is to make hemp bracelets. Just like when we went to camp as kids and made a million bracelets and anklets, this activity is especially fun because you can make a few extra for your friends and send them out via snail mail. Yay for nostalgia!
Switch Up Your Smoking Routine
We all get into our routines and once you find something you like, many of us like to stick with it. Whether it’s always ordering the same thing to eat for dinner, or buying the same style and brand of jeans, doing the same thing over and over can be comfortable but can also bring you down in times of isolation. A good way to break up the monotony is by switching up your routine and trying new things which can help you change your mindset and beat the quarantine blues. One way to shake things up is by trying a new strain of weed. Territory has multiple dispensary locations across the valley and has a large selection of flower ranging in price, which means that you’ll get high-quality bud no matter your budget. So consider switching up your strain choices next time you’re picking up from the dispensary and go outside of your comfort zone to try something new.
Another way to try and beat the quarantine blues is by indulging in a little retail therapy and treating yourself to some new smoking accessories. If you’ve been using the same pipe to smoke out of or the same brand of rolling papers, check out HippieButler.com and browse their large selection of smoking gear to pick out a new piece. Plus, The Butler offers bong insurance called “Pipe Protect”, which will keep your smoking valuables protected when your clumsy friend Steve comes over for a smoke sesh. The best part is that you can shop online for your new bong or rolling papers and have the goodies delivered straight to your door. It’s a quarantine miracle! Our friends at HippieButler.com are giving Cannabis Cactus readers a free Hippie Butler Medtainer travel grinder when they use the code HBCACTUSGIFT!
Exercise Your Brain
While vegging out and staring at the TV for hours is far too easy while you’re cooped up inside, it’s important to remember to put down the remote and make sure that you’re keeping your mind sharp too. Remember how as a kid during summer break you’d do nothing but binge watch cartoons which made going back to school so much harder because you forgot everything you’d learned the year prior? Yea, let’s try to learn from our mistakes and remember to work those noggin muscles. If you’re quarantined with roommates, light a joint and do a puzzle together. Or if you’re riding solo right now, pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read and actually read it. Sudoku and crossword puzzles are also great brain teasers that you can do both by yourself or with others. It’s all about unplugging from technology for a bit and keeping your brain sharp.
Adopt a Furry Friend
As they say, a dog is a man’s best friend, so if being secluded during quarantine is getting to you, adopting a four-legged buddy from a shelter could be just what the doctor ordered. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, adopting a pet can help reduce feelings of loneliness which is more important now than ever with so many of us being isolated from one another. “In a survey of pet owners, 74% reported mental health improvements from pet ownership, and 75% reported a friend’s or family member’s mental health has improved from pet ownership”. Plus, taking Fido on a walk gives you a reason to leave the house and get some steps in! If you’re looking to bring a fur baby into your family, the Arizona Humane Society has an online catalogue of cats and dogs who need loving forever homes. Adoption fees range from low to high but all include a wellness exam, spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchipping, a bag of food, and free pet insurance for 30 days.
Final Thoughts
Being isolated from your friends and family is hard and living through a global pandemic takes a toll on your mental health. Remember to be kind to yourself during these unprecedented times and to practice self care. If you use one of these tips to beat the quarantine blues, snap a picture and tag @CannabisCactus for a chance to be featured on our Instagram!
Erinn Holman is a millennial writer who is passionate about alternative medicine, the cannabis industry, and the Oxford Comma. Erinn is based out of Tempe and is always exploring the Copper State with her pup, Sophia, on the weekends. She enjoys spending her time reading fantasy novels or books about life, the Universe, and everything. Follow her cannabis-fueled adventures on Instagram @itscannabliss.
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