We do this blog every Wednesday afternoon to offer encouragement to those in No Man’s Land -- months 2-3-4 of a quit, give or take a couple of weeks. This community has chosen to put a big, bright spotlight on NML – we’ve chased away the shadows, taken away the mystery, and put a lot of effort into bringing people in NML together. Because we understand that quitting isn’t over in a month.
Everyone who goes through NML blazes a trail for those that follow. You are not alone on this journey, and you never will be!
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This week’s topic: Dealing with Stress
I had a fresh lesson in this just yesterday. Yesterday was one of the most stressful days I've had since early in my quit, and yes, the nicodemon reared its head briefly. I never let the thought fully form in my mind, but the direction it was headed was "this is stressful enough to justify smoking". I immediately dismissed that half-formed thought, smacked my ill-tempered inner junkie back into her cave, and got on with things. The only way for something to "justify" smoking is if you think smoking has some value. I do not.
Back to business now -- here's this week's blog:
For so many years or even decades, we associated smoking with stress relief. In times of stress your brain is going to gravitate toward what it knows. That’s not something you can change in just a couple of months. So plan ahead – when a major stress hits you, how will you deflect the urge to smoke? What will you say to yourself, what action will you take, to drive away the sudden and powerful belief your brain will have, seemingly out of nowhere, that a cigarette would be helpful? PRACTICE it now, so you’re prepared when it happens!
Surprise stress -> smoking thought -> acknowledge -> dismiss
“Yes I acknowledge that part of me thinks I want a cigarette. But, I know this is just my addiction attacking me in a weak moment. So there’s no point in dwelling on this thought. Instead, I’m going to turn my attention back toward resolving this stressful situation.”
Quitting smoking is a skill, and like any other skill, it takes practice. As you progress through No Man’s Land, you will put all of your new skills to work!
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If you're in NML right now, give a shout! Reach out and find each other!
Click here to read the original No Man’s Land blog on Dale's page:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-da...
