Simply Relax and Let It Happen

[SimplySheri]

~~Relax.  Life takes time.~~  Unknown

Deep breathing?  Check.

Meditation?  Check.

Yoga?  Check.

Yes, I have my relaxation techniques handy at all times.  They keep me on an even keel.  They keep me happy.  Life is easy when I relax and let it happen.

Stress used to be a way of life with me.  Finances, family drama, work......health, sleep....you name it, I was stressed.  I wish I could remember when things changed for me but it was so gradual that before I knew it, I was happy.

Life happens like that, both good and bad.  You can change your habits either way.  I started with positive affirmations, a little yoga, and then.....WOW!  I liked it.  And I liked the way I felt when I did it.  So I continued on......a little deep breathing (from the diaphram), a little mediation, and then.....WOW again.  My life looks lovely, feels wonderful, and I am headed in the right direction.

I quit this time after I started changing my life for the positive.  So I actually had somewhat of a positive quit.  Yes, I had withdrawals.  Yes, I had the urge to smoke at the beginning.  Everyone does.  It's part of the process of quitting.

But I knew I'd get through it.  I relaxed and let life happen.  What a change for me!  I'm coming up on a year soon and I look forward to it.  I can do this.  And I'm smiling.

You can do this, as well.  You can think quitting is a hard struggle or you can think that you can do this...and relax and let it happen.  It's your choice.  Isn't that wonderful?!

Life truly is a dance......

Sheri

[linda258]

Signed up for yoga .... check.

Signed up for meditation.... check.

Not smoking..... check.

[SimplySheri]

You always make me smile, Linda!!  Enjoy all three 🙂

[elvan]

Lovely and so very true...life is going to happen no matter what but we can fight it every step of the way or we can let it wash over us...congratulations on being close to being a 6%er.

[linda.mustafa]

Congratulations on nearly completing a year, what a great achievement ! I agree, to learn how to relax is very important, to me relaxing was always a bit of a problem, I just couldn't relax as easily as other people but now I'm learning how to and is pretty awesome how calm it makes you feel. 🙂

[moody_9-18-13]

Life is whatever we believe it to be. If I believe everything is a struggle, it will be!

When we take charge of our lives instead of making excuses, begin to take positive steps that improve our mind, body and spirit, we truly begin to live life to the fullest.

You have found the secret to happiness! Congratulations and I look forward to seeing you hit that one year mark!!

[Bee_Jay]

You told me to relax and I fell asleep for two hours. Does that count?

[JulieSw]

I am in day 84 of my quit and struggling 😕

i just read your blog and must say it hit home.

I think I am obsessing too much over my quit 

and I believe I need to take your advice, quit thinking

its a hard struggle, relax and just let it happen!!

For this I thank you !!

[SmokedOut041412]

Such an inspirational blog, Sheri. 

You never gave up on yourself and just look at you now---close to celebrating 1 entire year!

It truly makes me *smile.*

♥

[Kay64]

I'm impressed.  You are an inspiration and i am going to follow in your footsteps.  Only 113 days but I have a good start and let me tell you.  When I hit 1 yr. we are having a party!!!!

[Ms.J_11-10-2013]

Thank you Sheri, very good advice and congratulations on almost a year quit that is fantastic!!!

Jackie

[louise-irene]

I found that  by doing "something"  or rather, "anything" positive relieves the stress of life.  Not doing anything makes the stress deep seated and stuck in that state.  Do anything, just make sure it is a positive thing and stress will go away.

[constanceclum]

Thanks for this blog not only that smoking is a choice but so is our mental outlook.

Congratulations on almost a year. I know sharing from your heart has certainly made my days go a little easier.

Connie

[indnprincess]

Great post!

[Dobguyexsmoker1]

Iv'e been much more mindful of smoking but haven't been able to quit completely.  I get stressed, some freaks alarm goes off or somebody throws trash by the car where I live and I smoke.  If I get happy, I smoke.  Iv'e gone on bike rides with a friend and then we smoke once we get to where we are heading.  My doc at the VA is really trying to get me to quit and I wear the patch often but when I don't I get cravings and smoke again.  If I go fishing, I smoke.  I don't smoke in the house but my wife smokes and so it's hard to stay on the same page with her.  I am 51 now and just don't want to fight about stuff...too burned out to deal with that so if she smokes, sometimes I do to.  My best therapy for not smoking is to write.  I write alot and like writing books and I write for people online for website blogs but then its such a long standing habit I picked up in the Marine Corps in the 80's it's easy to just mess up and light up. Still trying though and now I went from a pack a day to maybe eight to ten a day in the last 4 months...

[t9t2feb3]

Inspiring! Thanks for the advice 🙂

[shell24]

This gives me so much hope. Before, I focused on the stress, and felt like I 'needed' a smoke. Now that I'm taking the chance to breathe and focus on the other positive changes I've made, quitting is sounding easier than continuing to harm myself with bad habits.

And to Dobguy above: That is a huge reduction in consumption! Hope you keep trying. I too live with someone who's not ready to quit, but maybe by setting the example, someday we can inspire them to try.

[nessiern]

Good words from everyone, still struggling. Relax I say to myself.

[beckya2]

Thanks Sherry.  I have been having a tough few days but remembering to relax and breathe has helped me so much.  This too shall pass....

[jhndnsh]

Good work. I wish I had read this earlier. The only thing I have realised so far is that one can never win against something if he keeps fighting it everyday. The more we think about something, the more important it becomes. Understanding/ackowledging the weekness and trying to focus on other things that will keep us busy is the only solution. Deep breating, meditation and yoga all does the same thing. Developing a passion on some good thing and get addicted to it surely helps.   

[annimarlee]

What is the 6% reference all about?

[jacks1125]

Im relaxed just by reading your wonderful comforting blog...thanks ,best blog ever!!

[renee108]

Thanks for the post!

[carolyn91]

Hello, I am on day 1 and just joined this community. I happen upon your post and it made me smile. Just relax and let it happen... That is something I have never tried to do until now, thank you.

[laurie85]

I love the way you think, if you succeed or not is all in how you think about the process. Congrats on your year, Wow great accomplishment

Laurie

[vioey]

YOu are awesome my friend - 

I like meditation and yoga and i think this is an vital part of our recovery and spiritual happyness as beings..

Well anyway i love you man - keep meditating brah and stay strong on the goodside not bad - wich is smoking a lot of nicotine and tar and fucking your body up and your bodyodor...

Blabla  - i love you - make peace not war

[Lyates66]

How do you meditate and do yoga?

[tjolie]

I'm reading the book, "Radical Acceptance" by Tara Brach, which talks about allowing feelings and experiences to happen. I am such an axious person, worrying about everything, making plans  to stop worrying... sometimes it's good to let those anxious moments happen instead of doing everything you can to run away or change the experience. I'm resolving to meet every experience with openness, and allow it to teach me what I'm really needing - and it isn't cigarettes!

[tamara7]

Thank You! Let life happen...I love it! You make sense and give comfort 🙂

[missmags]

In day 3 of my quit. I almost went out and bought a pack but sat and read this post instead. Think I'll take a bath and then do some stretching instead. Thanks for being here everyone.

[nma015]

Just happened on this post and it was inspiring for me as I have been doing meditation over the last couple of months and I understand what you mean completely.  I am only 1 full day into my quit but like you I did so after making some positive changes in my life and can only hope that a year from now I can say I've come up on a year of being smoke free!

[kay8]

This is such a great philosophy.  I am going to do some yoga today.  Moving our bodies makes everything feel better.

[hnolan]

Beautiful post! I too practice yoga & have decreased my anxiety level immensely. Being a non-smoker will decrease that anxiety even more-I know this. Today is day 1 of my quit and although I've had a few cravings, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself and pretty good. Adopting a healthy lifestyle makes all the difference!

[Abbe2]

I'm supposed to quit on Thursday, day after tomorrow, and for some reason I'm afraid to throw away my ashtray.  I'm sure it's irrational.  It's the only one I have and I wouldn't know where to go to get another one.  I'm sure it's just a trick of the mind.  Maybe I'll just throw it out today and get on with it.

[elfa]

That's really good advice & generally how everyone should go about life, I think.  I just joined this site today.  I actually quit on 4/8/15.  I didn't plan on quitting, but about 2 wks ago I took one of my cats (her name was Elfa...thus my screen name) to the vet, as she was having shortness of breath.  I suspected it was the beginnings of Congestive Heart Failure, but was DEVASTATED to learn it was actually lung cancer.  The vet said she didn't have long to live.

I had her euthanized on 4/7/15, as her condition was worsening, & I did not want her to suffer.  She was 16 years old...a lifelong companion/family member.  I'm still grieving her.  I decided to quit the next day, as I want to honor her & do not want her death to be in vain.  I feel that all this is somehow a message from a Higher Power...a God thing, so I didn't feel I could "ignore" it, ya know?

So far, so good, though.  The hardest part of quitting so far is waking up in the morning & realizing that I can't have a cigarette to help me "wake up."  When I have urges to smoke, I just try to get busy doing something so I don't listen or give credence to my longings/ruminations about wanting a cigarette.  I feel if I linger on my thoughts about such too long that it would eventually wear down my defenses, & I'd end up going to the store to get a pack....so I'm not going to let that happen.

Congratulations on your upcoming year of not smoking!  That's a MAJOR MILESTONE!  Also, congrats to EVERYONE here for not smoking!

[ms-sha]

this is so true tomorrow is my quit date n  i will do that relax   thanks