The things I do to feel better PUTTING IT OFF

[tyedye]

Good morning, everyone!

Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs there is.

I read that this morning in an article from another EXer's page. Thanks, Dale.

I keep forgetting that when I smoke a cigarette it is a delivery system for nicotine which alters the dopamine in my brain.

I can make so many excuses about why I smoke, but the reality of my addiction is I'm a slave to the effects of how nicotine alters my brain chemistry. That was my thought as told myself to "wait a little while longer" before my next cigarette. I'm using my love of procrastination to put off that next cigarette. I made it two hours practicing PUTTING IT OFF.

I don't work so it's been awhile since I had to wait for a smoke break, but I do remember how necessary that smoke break was for me every four hours. I am trying to practice prolonging a cigarette for four hours by slowly nudging myself further each time I have the urge to smoke. I would like to see myself go that long by next Friday.

I did pass that two hours productively...washed a load of clothes, read more about nicotine addiction, reflected on how I was feeling (thoughts were pretty interesting), drank an Adkins shake, etc.

Between each of these activities I told myself I would have a smoke afterwards. I did this enough times that I stretched my hour wait until two.

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Education is power.  Continue to research, study, read and you will have continued success.

Have a smoke free day, I am.

[Storm.3.1.14]

  I’m really happy to see that you are living life in between those smoke breaks! Instead of pacing the floor and watching the clock and squirming around from the effort of pushing back the next smoke break, you are doing chores and running a household. Good job!

  Will you do me a favor in between now and your quit date? Will you take a moment to think about how you will preoccupy yourself and invest your time when there are NO chores to do? No “to do” lists? Because the time will come when there is no laundry to be done, no dishes to be washed, no errands to be run. The floors will be spotless, the beds will be made, the yard will be manicured, and the bathrooms will be sparkling. So, how will you cope with “down time”? With “lazy Sundays“? 

  What are some of the things you could enjoy, peacefully, for an hour or two? Watch a documentary? Read a classic book? Work a few crossword puzzles? A jigsaw puzzle? Walks around the block? A vegetable garden? Potted flowers on the patio? Solitaire? Computer checkers? (When I was practicing my quit, I got free movies from the library and watched one every night after dinner, instead of smoking. That was my new “thing”, and it worked. I went from 6 cigarettes between dinner and bedtime to just 2 cigarettes!)

  Anyway, in the next 2 weeks, please experiment with NEW leisure activities and pastimes that could serve you well on rainy days, or days when you have no chores, or when you are sick, etc. Or maybe revive an old hobby that you haven’t done in awhile. Practice using any of these personal preoccupations to push the next smoke break back an hour or two…or more!

  Keep reporting your progress, okay? And as you get input and advice from others, keep what resonates with you most. The goal is to explore and learn and study and experiment from now until April 2nd. 

[elvan]

Great advice from Storm...you have to be ready for the "down" times when there is nothing to distract you unless you plan for it.

Maybe you will be able to move your quit date closer, you might find that you are doing a lot better than you expected.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

You are proving to yourself that you don't need to smoke just because you want to smoke. The time will increase automatically. You never deny yourself but if you do have one, I bet would would ask yourself, "did I really need to do that?"

Just waking from our smoke blindness is the start.

Once you see that, you can never look at smoking the same way.

[prjimm01]

thanks for sharing - we learn so much from each other.

[bonnie-12-28-14]

Keep reading, you will get inspired and just do it!!!

It's a wonderful thing to be free.

N.O.P.E.

[tyedye]

I am a nicotine addict.

I went out on a limb this evening and volunteered to chair at a group that was not my home group. They do things differently. I was given some suggestions on how to make my meeting meet their standards. They cater to those new in alcohol recovery. I have nine years sober.

I felt rejected. I accepted the comments with a smile, but on the drive home I started talking to myself while I had a lit cigarette in my hand. Then I smoked another one before I got out of the truck. Then I started the truck up to get two more packs because I didn't want to be without smokes if I couldn't control my anger that was brewing.

I smoked three more before midnight. I have not learned to deal with anger without smoking. While I was smoking, I prepared for next Friday's meeting while I was still upset. I calmed down to journal about it.

I still like feeding my nicotine addiction when I'm angry.

From what I read today I'm just prolonging my ability to feel anger by flushing my body with nicotine.

I don't like the uneasiness and emptiness that rejection feels like.

I still get some satisfaction from smoking when I'm angry.

I hate to be corrected no matter how it is presented, especially when I have made an effort to do something.

I hate being scolded. I feel like a little girl instead of an adult.

I want the freedom of doing things the way I want.

Putting nicotine in my system is a sick, twisted means of controlling how I feel.

I eventually have to feel my anger once the cigarette is out.

Then I feel guilt for allowing myself to smoke to think I feel better.

It's just my addiction playing a trick on me to get more nicotine in my system.

I'm getting tired of the cycle. I want my body to be clean of nicotine.

I'm still debating between having the patch and going cold turkey and sweat it out.