So, perhaps third times the charm? Last time I quit (chronicled here), I was very successful for almost two months! Sadly, I went back to my useless and ridiculous crutch after my whole life fell apart: Lost my job, my boyfriend at the time cheated on me with a friend, lost my apartment, and so on) And I’ve learned some very valuable lessons about myself: I have little will in quitting, and I have no freakin’ idea what to do when a big crisis comes and I don’t have my little (read: BIG) addiction to fall back on.

The good thing about all of this, is that I really experienced what it was like to be free from the clenches of the cancer sticks. MAN, it was awesome! I had never felt so much energy in my life! I almost thought I had become manic! I also didn’t have any insomnia anymore, AT ALL! I have the worst sleeping patterns and issues, and it was all cured by not putting those chemicals in my body anymore. Pretty great, huh? I slept well, exercised without huffing and puffing, had a delicious heightening of all of my senses… It was like I was born again! And man, smelling my unwashed clothes and my car full of stale smoke…..ugh! But you can’t smell any of that when you smoke.

So, I’m getting ready to quit again. This time, I’m only going to tell a select few people. The last couple times I’ve told everyone possible, and it made it that much harder for me to not fail, which I did anyways. But hell, being a quitter is quitting until you make it. Try, try again! And my little success that those two months made me feel, really fed my optimism and confidence with what I could do elsewhere in my life. The hardest thing is going out drinking without smoking, and replacing that idle time I know will have that used to be filled with polluting myself. It’s hard, man. But it’s not impossible. And all I can think about is how amazing I will feel again not being tied in a useless circle…..smoke a cigarette….then crave a cigarette…smoke…crave…smoke…crave…rinse and repeat…and all for what? To get to the state of feeling normal. That is: TO FEEL LIKE A NONSMOKER ALWAYS FEELS.

So, join me in this journey, yet again, folks. and chime in if you have advice or stories you’d like to share. Quitting smoking will only make your life better, have more money, and become healthy again….in other words, there is NOTHING to loose.

Wish me luck!

It has been over twenty-four hours now since I’ve smoked a cigarette. The first day was pretty hard…but certaintly not as hard as the first day I quit LAST time. I have to admit that at about six pm, I gave in and purchased a pack of nicotine gum. It tastes really disgusting and tingly-weird, so I am mostly chewing regular gum. I also bought a hefty supply of lollypops, tea tree oil toothpicks, and hard candies…Just in case.

It’s been a whirlwind, so far. Fortunately, I think I prepared myself psychologically well enough to deal with what comes in a balanced and logical way. I can’t let my heart/emotions get to involved with the quitting process. That’s how I started smoking again. I’ve had moments of manic restlessness, small anger bursts (while driving, as usual), and enough mood swings to last me a couple months. Don’t worry, If you are around me you won’t really experience my mood swings. The key is support and distraction. Those two very important things…and willpower!

Everyone quits smoking differently. What works for me may not work for you. A lot of people need to change their lifestyles and stop drinking and such. I am determined to not drastically change my lifestyle. Most of my friends are non-smokers, or in the process of quitting themselves, which makes things a bit easier. For me, it’s all about adding more healthiness to my life with exercise, meditation, yoga, and cooking elaborate meals. If you are in the process of quitting, or thinking about quitting… I want to remind you of the pages here to help:

100 Reasons Why you should quit smoking

Tools to Help You Quit (What are your options?)

Points to Keep in Mind When You are Quitting (Keeping Positive)

137 (and counting) Things to do Instead of Smoke (when you have the urge)

However, I am settled (enough) again to try to quit….again. But really, there is no “good” time to quit smoking. Unless of course you can run away to some distant and deserted island for months at a time, and there is no possible stress encumbering your life. So. Tomorrow morning I am going to wake up a non-smoker. This time I’m not going to use the patch, and instead my willpower. I don’t have any money to afford nicotine replacement products, so willpower will have to do. I am getting mentally prepared as we speak. I figure that, as hard as the next few days will be, the nicotine is out of your system in twenty four hours. The “withdrawal” effects on my physical body will last no more than three days.

I will rip this addiction away like a bandaid. *SNAP* quick and….well, painful. But I’m trying to remember (and so should you) that the best thing to do is keep yourself occupied. Mind and hands. There will be much gum-chewing to be had. When I was not smoking, I had NEVER felt more energized and healthy in my life. So, my plan is to exercise profusely, hang out in non-smoking areas with mostly non-smokers, and keep myself busy busy. At least I have much to do: I recently got laid off, so I need to find a job, I am creating two new music projects that I want to become established, working on finishing a series of paintings, catch up on my wayward reading, and create a new life for this moment.

I will write a blog tomorrow about how my first day process of cold turkey is moving along.

Wish me luck!

Wow. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks! I am now onto Step 2 of the Nicotine patch. I opted to do step 1 for two weeks and step 2 and 3 for a week each. So, one whole month on the patch. I feel so great! I have ridiculously more energy, my senses are coming back! woo! In two weeks I will be FREE FROM NICOTINE!

It’s gotten to the point where most days I don’t have any cravings at all during the day! I will only get them if I’m out in the evening and such. It’s strange.  Everyone has their “main triggers” and mine happens to be that I get social anxiety and stress when I go out, especially if I’m drinking. Don’t get me wrong, I still have other triggers, but instead of deeply craving a cigarette, I just kind of have a nostalgic “Oh, I kinda miss that” feeling. Especially when I’m driving on my way to work, or having my morning coffee.

But, in all reality, even if I decided to have a cigarette now, it wouldn’t be satisfying. That is a key thought which you should tell yourself often when you have a craving. If you don’t smoke for a few days, a cigarette will not taste the same to you. It will not be fulfilling like you THINK it will. Unless you chain-smoke for a couple weeks and force yourself to become a smoker again, from this point on…no matter if you even have one drag, it IS NOT THE SAME! This is a good thing because you don’t want that gross thing anyway!

Sometimes when I see people smoking, I now literally feel bad for them. I feel sorry and pity for them. Poor thing who spends her money on killing herself. Poor thing who doesn’t realize what an ignorant and stupid habit it is! I know, I need to keep my ego in check. But hell, it’s really nice to feel like you’ve beat something that many people haven’t. That’s why I’ve made this blog! As much as writing here has helped me, a twenty-four year old woman who has chain-smoked two packs + for eleven years, and hasn’t gone a day without a cigarette; If I can do it, so can you!

Now that I’m a quitter, I feel much more in control of my life. I don’t have horrible mini-withdrawals during the day anymore.  I’m no longer chained to a horrible and STUPID addiction that takes money from my pocket and time off my life! So, if you’ve quit too, or are in the process, or even just thinking about it: Push through! YOU can have your freedom back too! YOU can stop the vicious cycle!

Some days it can be so hard, and I want to punch the wall in. Or I would give my left arm for a single drag. But the key is to keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep reminding myself over and over why I have chosen to stop smoking. You gotta keep trying to suceed, try, try again!

Oh, did I mention that I haven’t gained ANY weight? I think that shit is a myth! (Disclaimer: unless you go overboard eating a bunch of crap)

It’s been ONE WHOLE WEEK since I’ve had a single puff of a single cigarette. MAN, this is hard! I’m really proud of myself! It’s hard working at a bar and not smoking,  watching everyone smoke around me, having a really stressful day and not having that “outlet” anymore, etc. I’ve just gotta keep perspective. I’ve gotta distract myself and keep-on-keepin’-on.  More than anything it’s kind of like I’ve lost a limb. I’m not sure what to do with my hands anymore. But holy crap do I feel more energy! And I’ve been sleeping better too! It’s weird how smoking actually has been causing so many of the health issues I’ve had. The benefits will only get better, and after a couple months, cravings will become very FEW and far between. I just gotta get there. THIS IS FREEDOM!

But, what if you or I mess up and have a cigarette?

I can tell you right now, hey, it’s not the end of the world! As long as you realize your mistake and reinforce your motivation, you are STILL an ex-smoker! Same goes for me, of course. Although you should not have ANY cigarettes, choosing to quit smoking is just that, a choice. You are not depriving yourself of smoking. There is simply the option to smoke and the option to not smoke, and after quitting, you simply choose over and over again not to smoke. If you are in that mind frame of “not letting yourself smoke,” then you need to change your perspective! You will never completely quit smoking effectively if you are just thinking ” I cannot have a cigarette” instead of “I don’t need or want a cigarette.”

If you choose to have a cigarette (lets say you are drunk, or really upset) it doesn’t mean that you have failed. It only means that you need to remember why you have quit, and just continue to not smoke. And then from that moment on, you will have to find another outlet or replacement to ease your stress, or whatever trigger actually made you smoke again. You can also review the page of 100 Reasons to Stop Smoking, to reinforce your reasoning.

Also, I made a new page: Tools to Help You Quit. If you haven’t quit and are considering it, this page will give you many options to help you figure out the best way for you to quit.

Good luck to me and you, as always.

My day has come and past, and I haven’t had a cigarette since Friday!!!! That’s almost FIVE whole days without smoking! I am SO proud of myself. I have successfully become a Non-Smoker!

Saturday was my quit day, and BOY was it hard. I woke up around noon and slapped on a nicotine patch (which itched like crazy). I kept myself incredibly busy: I played a TON of online games, went out to a coffee shop for lunch, read half a book, wasted a half a tank of gas driving around like a crazy person, watched a movie, called my sister like eight times, took myself out for sushi…. I was a madhouse. I was so anxious and sensitive all day, and literally cried at the drop of a hat. But the day came and went, and even at my worst most-stressful moments, I didn’t cave!

Saturday I spent most of the day laying around being lazy and watching TV because I didn’t feel well. I didn’t wear a nicotine patch because I felt really nauseous and dizzy when I put it on, so I ditched it.  Without it, I had some serious cravings, but I STILL didn’t cave.

The past few days have been much better. I really believe in the whole “The first couple days are the hardest” philosophy. I can’t really believe it has been this easy so far. As a smoker, you always think that it’s going to be HORRIBLE when you quit. But honestly, the mini-withdrawals I’ve had during a normal day as a smoker have been worse than those I’m having now!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s only been somewhat easy because I’ve been living in my head. It’s been a blur. I’m keeping myself incredibly busy and distracted. It’s all really day-by-day and moment-by-moment. I’ve had some really hard moments where I am depressed, stressed, and want to tear my hair out of my head. In those moments I would give my right arm just for a drag of a cigarette. But I just keep having to remind myself that the moment will pass, and then onto the DISTRACTIONS!!!!

Seriously, that page I made of Things to Do instead of Smoking has saved my life!

I know that this is going to be a long and hard process, but that I am doing the best thing for myself and my health, and geez, the money I will save!!!! ha!!! that’s SO worth it!!! So, if you are quitting too, just hang in there. Take things moment-by-moment. Remember the reasons you are quitting, and how it will all be worth it in the end. If you have a craving, DO SOMETHING.  I know that if I were to cave in and have a cigarette, I would feel like a failure.

So, onto my moments and my distractions! Lets make this a week! How are YOU doing with quitting? Comment and tell me the ways that have been helping you, or have helped you quit in the past. Let me know your story!

I have been sick as a dog for about a week now. I have literally been barely able to get out of bed with the flu, and when I have been out of bed I’ve been so feverish and delusional that it seems as though an alien being has invaded my body. In a weird way, this has been a blessing for my becoming a non-smoker. I literally have barely wanted a cigarette.

Unfortunately that hasn’t lessened my anxiety about quitting on Saturday. It will be a whole new life-change! So, to help myself stay in perspective, I added a new page today:

100 Reasons Why You Should Stop Smoking

Go check it out, and maybe gain some perspective yourself!

The count down is getting much closer for my own quit day, Saturday March 21st, 2009.  (T-Minus 3 days, 8 hours, 57 minutes, 43 seconds.) If you are thinking about quitting, it’s very important to make a set “Quit Day” and stick to it. But before quit day, there are some essential things that should be checked off your list:

• First and foremost, pick a date to quit and mark it on your calendar. I made my quit day three months before I quit so that I could have ample time to get myself mentally and physically prepared.
• Tell your friends and family about your quit date. Ask them not to smoke around you the first couple weeks, if they smoke. Make sure everyone is aware how stressful the situation is for you. You need all the support you can get.
• Get rid of all ashtrays, cigarette packs, and things that remind you of smoking from your car and home.
• Clean and detail your car if you are used to smoking while driving.
• Clean and wash everything in your house if you have smoked inside. You don’t want to smell stale smoke on your curtains and clothes after you quit.
• Stock up on oral substitutes like gum, carrot sticks, hard candy, cinnamon sticks, coffee stirrers, lollipops, toothpicks, etc.
• Make a “goodie bag” to take with you everywhere that includes your oral substitutes, reading material on not smoking, etc. So you always have the things you need with you when a craving comes.
• Decide on a plan. Will you cut down? Will you stop cold turkey? Will you use nicotine substitutes or other medicines?
• Practice saying “No thank you, I don’t smoke.” Practice visualizing yourself as a non-smoker.
• Think back to your past attempts to quit. Try to figure out what worked and what did not work for you.
• Think about why you are quitting, and what you will gain from not smoking. It’s very important to set your priorities straight.
• Calculate how much money you spend each week on cigarettes. How much do you spend each year? And think about all the things you could be doing with that money. For example, I spend $134.60 on cigarettes a month, which ends up being a whopping $1,612.80 a year! Holy crap! THAT should be reason enough for you to want to quit smoking.

• Plan for things to change a little in your life. For example, I am going to also quit drinking alcohol for a month, and not go to bars for a while. I’m also going to replace most of the million cups of coffee I drink a day to green tea. That way I will still get caffeine (and a bunch of antioxidants), but without the need to pair my coffee with a cigarette. Quitting smoking sometimes means you have to change a little bit of your lifestyle too. But hey, it’s all for the better. Bottom line- figure out your triggers, and change them!
• It’s recommended to start an exercise plan. It’s actually REALLY EASY to incorporate a little exercise into almost every day. Just wake up 30 minutes early and go for a walk, or do some yoga. if you have the money, get yourself a gym membership and start taking an interesting class. Getting yourself to exercise will help SO MUCH with cravings, and make your body feel SO MUCH BETTER!
• Most of all, DON’T SAVE A PACK “Just in case.” Seriously. Don’t do it. You are much stronger than that!

There are so many places that can help you get ready to quit. Some of my favorite websites are as follows:

1. My time to quit
   
2. Way To Quit
3. Quit Companion
4. Smoke Free
5. QuitNet
6. My Quit Place
   

With my background in psychology, I very much believe in positive reinforcement. So, I am going to reward myself for every day I don’t smoke. And I’m going to save up all that money and take myself on a weekend vacation in a month that I’ve stopped. It’s all about keeping it all in my head that this is a CHOICE. I am not MAKING myself quit, even though I want to continue smoking. The fact is that I have come to terms how stupid I am for smoking, and stupidity and ignorance just isn’t for me. I’m going to rise above that, and start LIVING my life more.

So, I’ve compiled a bunch of really awesome things from Etsy . All of these items are handmade by awesome people. If you are quitting, maybe you’ll find something really cool to reward yourself with. And if you know anyone who is quitting, send them something for support. That’s all a quitter really needs – support.

Here are my picks: (Click on the photos)

I’m a Quitter Charm

Marshmallow Lozenges

Detox Stress Relief Meditation Bracelet

A Little Book of Good Things

Lung Charm Necklace

Edgar Allen Poe Candle

Anti-Capitalist Tote Bag

BrainScan Coffee

Strength and Courage Hand Stamped Wooden Bracelet

Lavender Solid Sugar Body Scrub

I Quit Monster

Hand Painted Dia De Las Muertos Sugar Skull Angel

Hand Knit Teabag Holder

SLR Camera Diagram Napkin Set of 4

Framed “Reading is Sexy” Cross Stitch

Two Winter Cups and Saucers

Best Wishes/ Good luck Mustaches Post Card Set

Harold and Maude Finger Puppet Set (How hilarious!)

Dahlia Soap