Step 1: go to bed at 22:00, wake up at midnight, be unable to fall asleep again
Step 2: take a few deep breaths, decide to clean apartment
Step 3: go back to bed, finally falling asleep around 03:30
Step 4: hit snooze when alarm goes off at 05:00
Step 5: realize you gotta drag your butt out of bed after 3 snoozes
Step 6: take a few deep breaths, go shower
Step 7: step into shower and realize you are standing in day-old shower water
Step 8: take a few more deep breaths, grab toolkit
Step 9: open a tiny hole in drain with wire coat hanger, wait for water to drain, unscrew drain stopper, remove clog
Step 10: finally shower, take a few more deep breaths
Step 11: drink coffee and head to work
Step 12: feel proud of getting through all of that without smoking
Well, it's been a difficult few weeks for sure. Today I got in a car accident, I was absolutely terrified as my car lost control on ice as I approached an intersection and I knew that I was going to rear-end the car at the stop sign in front of me. I did all that I could, and then I ran my other errands and got home. Without smoking. Of course I thought of it at least a million times but didn't.
I am trying to reward myself for getting through a difficult situation without smoking, but I find it difficult to do so when I feel so guilty about the car crash. How does everybody handle this kind of situation?
Congrats! 3 months is awesome!! Is this the longest you have ever gone without smoking? Either way it is truly an impressive accomplishment.
Do you host a large group for Thanksgiving? I've been hosting since last year because I don't have enough time to travel home to see my family, so my parents come to me. I'm actually vegan (no animal products), my mom eats fish but no meat and my dad is a die-hard carnivore, so it's truly a challenge to cook for everybody. I pretty much do all of the standard Thanksgiving fare, except vegan, which honestly doesn't affect much except for the turkey which I made from tofu, and I buy some real pre-cooked turkey for my dad so he doesn't give me too much of a hard time about it!
Happy Thanksgiving! Buon giorno del ringraziamento! I hope everybody traveling is safe and gets to their destination on time. :-)
This year I'm grateful for all the support I've gotten here keeping me quit for 40 days now. And, of course, I'm thankful to get to spend the holiday with my friends and family.
Thanks for bumping this thread Pen. I've been going through a similar "blah" phase lately... and I recall having gone through it last quit around this time. I think 6 weeks to 2 months, you are far enough away from the agony of the quit, and also tired of the daily effort of quitting, that you start to have thoughts like "why not just one...?" Also the time of year doesn't help, I just spent several days with family which puts me on edge... and now the smoking dreams have started for me too. Through all of this I'm trying not to lose my resolve, even though the junkie in my brain wants a cigarette very badly.
Speaking of exercise, 4 months after breaking my ankle and having pretty major surgery, my orthopedist finally gave me the OK to start running again!!! I used to run marathons so this is a pretty big deal for me. Being able to run again will be just what I need to keep motivated to stay quit this time. Not to mention I won't be stressing so much about weight issues from quitting and not being able to run. I don't care that the high of the day tomorrow is in the low 20s... I'm going outside for a run no matter what!
Kudos to everybody else getting out there and exercising. Never think that whatever you're doing is too small. I hear people all the time saying things like "I only walk" or "I only go jogging" as if that's not a huge deal. Getting out the door, onto a treadmill, bike, or whatever, is awesome. :-D
I totally know where you're coming from. I had about 2 months quit last time before I decided one cigarette wouldn't kill me and if I bummed one I wouldn't even have to buy a pack. It was absolutely horrible and I even texted my friend that I was glad I did it so that I remembered how much I wanted to quit. Unfortunately I was smoking a pack a day again within a week. Now I realize that I have an addiction to nicotine, and for me there is no such thing as "one cigarette." Sure, one won't kill me, but I can't have one. I have to have a pack a day or more.
I find that I still struggle with that idea, because it's really hard to admit that I have an addiction, and I still think about just smoking "one" cigarette. So I always remind myself that I can't do that unless I want to be smoking 20/day all over again, and that the next time I want to quit it's just going to be worse. So I'm taking it day by day and sticking with my quit this time. :)
I hope things get easier for you! I highly recommend reading the free e-books on whyquit.org, the book Freedom From Nicotine - The Journey Home was especially helpful for me. And remember, it's scary to admit that you're an addict, but you're in good company here, and we're all going through the same thing together.
I'm struggling with many of the same things myself. One thing that has helped is going to the library or a Starbucks between work and home, someplace I can read or use my laptop for a while and be productive before I go home and hibernate. Because once I get home and get those pyjamas go on I know nothings gonna get accomplished afterward except maybe mindless internet surfing.
I know it's a struggle to keep exercising but try to find a way to squeeze it in. I'm finally able to run again, so I'm doing that often. That said, running is my drug of choice so I'll be running whatever the weather and hitting the treadmill if I can't run when conditions are right. Can you go for a run during your lunch break at work? I don't know how flexible your schedule is. I usually work 6-4 so I can usually squeeze in at least a short run after work before it gets too dark.
Also, get together with friends or try to find an activity to do once or twice a week and really commit to doing it. The hardest thing is walking out the door but you'll always be glad you did.
I hope you find something that works out for you!!
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