The reality of quitting smoking is the first few weeks, it really is a mental battle. It's like the TV antics of the man with a litlle devil on one shoulder and a little angel on the other!
The little devil is constant, 24 - 7, pestering you "Go ahead, you can have a smoke, this is too hard, you can't do it, one won't hurt...blah, blah, blah."
The little angel is on the other shoulder, trying to keep you sane with "You can do this, You are a winner! You are a non smoker now, you don't want to kill yourself, and on and on!"
You start to wonder, Am I ever going to win this battle? Could those little voices just shut up already? Will I ever have calm silence in my head again?
Well it does come, you all of sudden notice that you have forgotten about smoking for a short period of time, then the times get longer and longer and the little devil gets quieter and quieter. Before long, he can only whisper.
The best advice I can give you is to BE PREPARED for anything! Carry hard candy, straws, a motivational post from here, coffee straws, a bottle of water...carry something with you, all the time, so that if a stressful situation comes up you have something to fall back on.
The one thing that anyone who has slipped has told us all here, is that smoking did not make the stressful event any better at all. So plan that the stress will come and that you will be prepared to fight it without a cigarette!
Write some pump ups to yourself in a journal, and read them every day...ie. I am a non smoker! I can do this! I can beat this addiction!
Not One Puff Ever! One little cigarette is NOT going to run my life!
I used to tell myself, at every craving, "Smoking is not an option, so I have to do something else" and I did something else!
If you can win the mental battle,(of the little devil and the little angel) you are on your way to freedom, even when it seems relentless!It is only a matter of time and you will win! :)
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/5/2007
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 317
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,925
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,344.35
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 41 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 49 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34