How to quit smoking... eventually
How I did it: on the 10th of march i had to get a wisdom tooth extracted. anyone who's had an extraction knows about the "rules". i couldn't drink, smoke, suck through a straw, have carbonated beverages, or any hard food. now, they instructed me to wait at least 3 days before smoking, and i thought, "well, i'm going to quit for 3 days....why not just kick it completely?" and so i did.
let it be said that it's a combination of factors that made this happen (and made me so willing). first of all, the prices of cigarettes in washington state is actually vuglar. these people don't want you to smoke or enjoy soda, EVER. (fyi, i moved from va). so i wasn't ready to be paying about $7 or more for a pack. and then there was the whole tooth thing. i have more dental work to get done, and i really don't want to go through withdrawal again. and finally, there's the fact that my body had had enough. i was raspy, got winded easily, and coughed in the morning. all these things combined clicked my brain into the right mentality of quitting. because if you're not committed mentally to quitting, it's not going to work.
i think it's fair to say that i feel better now that i've quit, even if it wasn't entirely my idea this time around (i've quit before...what can i say? i like to smoke).
Lessons & tips: make it YOUR choice: it is your body, and your health, so it is your choice. don't let anyone pressure you into it, because it's likely to backfire. once you are committed to the idea, you'll have more success.
get a hobby: if you're mind is occupied with something else, you're less likely to think of smoking
know your triggers: everyone has their triggers, and stress is number one for most. make a list of times when you want to smoke the most and try to think of alternate ways of reacting to the situation. for me, getting in a car and not smoking is hard. so instead, i just turn my music way up and sing.
eat apples: they are yummy and good for you and help with that oral fixation. this probably has no factual evidence, but i think it's a good idea.
don't give up: remember, even if you go back to smoking after a day, or a week, or whatever, you are that much closer to fully quitting. not smoking for a day is better than nothing.
