Sure, people may joke about the slacker stoner, but hands up if you’ve ever used cannabis to get stuff done. You’re not alone — many artists, musicians and other creatives swear by cannabis for tapping into their wells of creativity, while other folks find it helpful for focusing on the task at hand. When it comes to productivity, this is probably how cannabis does the trick.
FIRST COMES MOTIVATION
Before focus or creativity or pretty much anything comes some level of motivation. But here’s the thing about motivation — as an emotion, it’s fickle. It doesn’t last. And it’s not always around when you need it the most. But this is where cannabis can work its magic, in three different ways.
- Sparking creativity. In 2011, Psychology Today published a study that identified a unique ability of cannabis, which was to create psychotomimetic symptoms. Basically, cannabis can help us find connections between ideas and concepts that aren’t generally connected. In other words, it can help us feel inspired to think differently.
- Removing obstacles. The biggest hurdles to productivity can be our own emotional and physical states. Pain, tension, anxiety, stress or depression can make it difficult to get out of bed, let alone get something done. By reducing physical pain and calming anxieties, cannabis can make some space for us to actually focus on tasks at hand.
- The ritual itself. There’s something comforting and familiar about consuming cannabis. And for some people, just going through the motions is enough to spark a little motivation.
GETTING STARTED
Sativa strains will typically be your go-to if you’re looking for a little energy boost and focus. But proceed carefully. It’s really easy to overdo that feeling of alertness so common to sativas, so baby steps. And, like all things cannabis, you’ll probably have to play around a bit with strains and dosage to hit the sweet spot. Our budtenders are standing by to share tips and recommendations, so don’t hesitate to ask. Now get out there and make it all happen!
