Today is the day. The day I quit smoking cigarettes. I've tried in the past, but never lasted more than a couple of weeks. I was trying to quit for the wrong reasons. My heart and mind wasn't behind the quitting so I would cave in to my demon rather easily. Not this time though, I really want to quit. For myself. I'm 30 now and I'm starting to see the downhill side of my life. I want that slope to be very shallow and long. I want to see my children grow up. I am confident I can overcome the phyiscal addiction with the help of the patch I am wearing. The mental addiction will be the hardest part. The routines, the associations with smoking will be tough to bust up though. Just getting in my car this morning w/o rolling the window down and lighting up was agonizing. My 35 mile commute seemed to be 350 miles. Everywhere I look I see people smoking. For those that have quit, what were your successful stratagies for coping with those activities that you associated with smoking? 6 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds. 4 cigarettes not smoked, saving $0.68. Life saved: 20 minutes.
Good for you. It's not going to be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. You've made the right decision, it's all about willpower now.
Congratulations & keep up the good work. It can't be fun now, but it will get easier with time. Try to keep yourself distracted. You've just made one of the best decisions in your life; as with any good decision, stick with it and that will be a permanent positive change. Before you know it, you'll wonder why everybody smokes. You'll think it stinks.
Good luck. I've tried many times, and failed. One day I will join you. The routines are the hardest part. Remember that any craving you have to smoke a cig will be gone within 120 seconds.
Congrats and good luck. Sounds like you really mean it this time. I had my last cig at 11:59pm on New Years Eve 1999. I had smoked for 10 years before that. The key for me was changing my daily routine as much as possible. That way, you don't associate certain activities with smoking. Granted this was pretty easy for me because I had just changed jobs. Try driving a different way to work, if possible. Listen to a different radio station. Take a different path to your desk in the morning. Just try and change as many little things in your daily routine as you can. That will help with the mental part which is actually tougher than the physical part IMO. Again, good luck. You're doing the right thing. Especially since you have kids.
I was just about to say, thanks for the encouragment guys how much you in for PhiSlammaJamma? I'll take your bet
Give up pot. Give up smoking. Give up drinking. Give up fatty foods. Give up hazardous recreational activities. Give up red meat. Give up meat. Give up City Life. All in all, it's all the same. Joggers die every day. Smokers live to be 90 every day. It's called risk vs. reward.
I'm quiting in August, right after I take the Bar. Good luck Moe. If for some reason you are not able to quit, please keep it on the down low, right now you are one of my inspirations.
Honestly, that's how i stopped smoking cigs 10 years ago. I used the dug out when I wanted cigarette. Now I am smoke free overall.
I quit cold turkey after about 5 years of smoking. I didn't find it that hard once I put my mind to it. Every time I wanted a cigarette I basically just htought about how pathetic it was that something as stupid as a cigarette could control that much of my life and told myself I wasn't that pathetic.
