Yes, I know I have totally dropped off the grid lately. Finals burned me out, and when I got a chance to catch my breath all I wanted to do was relax and catch up on sleep! My kids started pre-k last week, so there has been a lot of 'me' time, which is good.
Before you ask, I'm still quit. Hard to believe it's been this long. I'm just focusing on the goal of never going back to that habit again. There are still hard days here and there. Sometimes I am out doing something and see someone in the parking lot smoking, and it's all I can do to get to my car. Sometimes I am just relaxing and reading a book when I suddenly have a craving. It's very random, but I've still got gum and other tools at my disposal. It's mostly short urges that pass once I ignore them for a little while. Just tell that quiet voice in my head to shut up, and keep on going! Hubby switched to full time vaping, so he's no longer a source of potential relapse.
If anyone reading this just quit, I think the best thing I can tell you is to stay focused on the goals. Reward yourself for progress. Celebrate your accomplishments, and remember that it will get better as time goes on. Don't give up. Look for new ways to relieve stress, new methods of coping with your moods. Start with small goals: make it to the end of a day, reward yourself with icecream. Make it to a week, and go for a relaxing walk in the park or buy a new book to read. Just start setting goals, and making milestones for yourself. Tell as many people as you can about your goals and milestones. Get people to help you celebrate big ones! It's definitely tough, but once you start feeling better and breathing easier, you'll wonder why you didn't quit sooner.
-snow
