Smoking, Thinking, then Improving the World Post 'Rona

Does it seem like the world has been turned upside down since March 15, 2020? Well, you aren’t wrong. It’s pretty f’ed up out there, but thank-mother-f-ing-goodness we can still smoke and try to wrap our heads around the best way to hustle, survive and thrive.

At Atomic Blaze Smokeshop, we routinely smoke which usually leads to politics and bullshit. We try not to talk about new smoking accessories or products, but more of where we are in the world, the smoker’s existence and our impact that we can give the world.

For a very long time (forever for most of us), there was this underground, black market, hidden industry that was so taboo, that you kept it to yourself. However, over the past 10 years, things have changed and it’s time for all the true smokers to GTFO of the stoner closet and make an impact on the world.

Pack a glass bowl pipe and read below to understand the power you possess to make changes in yourself and then go out into the world to show others.

The Power of Positivity

Positive thoughts may not be a magical cure for negative experiences, but according to reputable sources like the Mayo Clinic, choosing positive thinking has been scientifically associated with stress management & the improvement of overall health.

Post-COVID-19 the world looks different with some people working from home, some heading back into work, suddenly becoming a home-school teacher, or a shit-ton of the other problems that came to light during a lock down. The lingering uncertainty is just one thing in a long list of things that are likely contributing to stress right now, so staying mindful while leaning into positive thinking is vital. Once you master that for yourself, practicing positive thinking to influence others becomes even more important.

Positive thinking is not about ignoring all or any of the less positive aspects in your life, it’s about how you approach these realities. This sort of mindfulness leads to positive thinking which can effectively change how you perceive the world, people and yourself.

Making simple changes to your approach to daily events and decisions can have a lasting impact on your overall ethos. Acknowledging and recognizing things within yourself takes work, but the results can be overwhelmingly positive.

Think about approaching stressful situations with humor or taking a couple seconds to breathe before answering difficult questions. Once you have mastered the basics of positive thinking, step it up and identify places in your life that could use change, while thinking about the impact it will have on your overall mental and physical health.

A great way to make sure that you’re checking in with yourself is being intentional about doing it, working it into your routine through ritual, or a regularly scheduled practice. Wondering what that might look like? We’ve got some ideas.

Establishing A Ritual

Self-care is at the forefront of establishing a ritual. If you’re already practicing self care (and you should be), then you probably have the first steps of your ritual down.

This may look like taking an hour each week to take a walk, take a long shower (or bath) to shut out the noise of the outside world. Even 15-20 minutes a day is a good start, but being mindful about taking time for yourself is critically important.

We usually snag a new smoking accessory to try out, because a new glass pipe piece or preroll cone produces a teeny-tiny bit of happiness in all of us smokers.

Take that bubbler out and leave it by your bedside for when the long workday is gone and the kids are asleep. Get some rest and think about the day, how you could have improved your reactions and then get yourself a great night’s sleep to start all over again.

Worth a shot right? We think so, & we’ve even got helpful guides like this one on how to fill a bubbler with water to help you along.

Upgrading the Experience

We recommend making a one time purchase of a one-time smokers subscription box like the specialty Me Time Box curated by Atomic Blaze Smoke Shop gives you the tools to experiment with ways to boost your mindfulness practice with the help of industry experts who hand curate each smoker’s box.

Going to a smoke shop to browse is just one more thing to add to your already busy schedule, & it’s also one more place to physically be at a time when the safety involved with public spaces is still questionable. Product discovery through a stoner subscription box or smoker’s bundle will allow you to get familiar with an array of glass pipes, glass bubbler bongs, chillums, hemp wraps, and other smoking accessories until you find your favorites.

You’ll have more than enough to parse out the perfect gift for smokers (doing nice things for others is a mindfulness practice) and if you know that something isn’t for you, you can simply send it back or donate it.

Find out more about all the different smoking bundles and gifts for smokers from Atomic Blaze Head Shop online put together for all of us smokers. We want to do our part to showcase to the community what us smokers can do for others, understanding the need to be mindful in a post COVID world.

Building Community

I know you are thinking....“wait, what’s that about a community?”

Even if isolation is a component of the rituals you create around mindfulness, community is important. Having close friends or family that you can share recommendations with & really talk with about the ways you’re actively working to be mindful in daunting times offers a sort of encouragement & support system that can all benefit from.

How or where you find that community is up to you, but we do advise against questionable digital spaces like the Free Pipe Frenzy Facebook Group (maybe you’ve heard of it?), that serves as a marketing tool for shady smokeshop owners looking to continue to overcharge stoners.

It’s likely that you have friends and family who are taking a similar path to mindfulness, so be honest and open about your chance to change yourself and others. You never know where you will find support, but negative influences will present themselves loud and clear, so be sure to avoid negativity like the ‘rona itself.

Start Now

Swap out liquor bottles & mixers for that next virtual happy hour with a smoker’s bundle. You’ll dodge the adverse health effects associated with frequent drinking while benefiting from a more natural course of action linked to stress reduction and even a boost in creativity.

Our discreet shipping means that you can avoid any stigma associated with having a dab kit with a torch delivered to your home.

Keep working on breaking that stigma.

Look for opportunities to incorporate your new glass smoking pieces into your routine, a puff or pull before meditation or yoga is highly recommended. If you live in a legal state, there are a number of wellness professionals that integrate this more natural lifestyle into their practice, so it’s definitely worth exploring.

Just F’ing Do It 

You can’t pour from an empty cup! Recharging through mindfulness could be exactly what you need to bring your brain and body back in balance.

Remember that other people's’ opinions are other peoples’ problems. Always keep your head up and stay blazed.