thepowerofme

For all of you that may not know it I have been smoking for quite some time now.  What started out as a simple stress reliever has become a full blown addiction.  After the release of the possible price increase from government taxes on cigarettes, I realized now is the time to get the ball rolling to stop smoking.  So for each day from now on will be posting on this page with updates from time to time as well as providing some tips on how to quit smoking.  I will be doing this with out the aids of patches, gum, or any forms of prescription medicines.  So for all of you out there looking to kick the habit of death please join with me and take a look at how it might work for you.

Tip #1:  Pick a date and stick to it.  The hardest part of quitting smoking is that we as smokers generally hem and haw about when we are actually quitting.  I for one chose yesterday as the day I was leaving the habit for good.  I will no longer be smoking from this day forward.  Tell folks about it, mark it on your calender and stick to it.  Once the day is set don’t change it, no matter what life throws at you.  If you can take a baby step towards sticking to it, you need to keep this date.

Tip #2:  Begin stepping down on your addiction.  For many of us it is extremely hard to go cold turkey.  Once you begin the process of selecting your quit day take into consideration of a step down process.  What do I mean by this, it is quite simple.  For example if you smoke 3-4 packs a week, the first week you cut in half.  Second week drop it in half again.  After that cut it down to individual cigarettes.  Then you should be down to no smoking once you get to your start date.

Tip #3:  Don’t freak out if you fall off the wagon.  Just get back on it.  You didn’t start smoking multiple packs a day or week, so what makes you think in days or weeks you will loose the urge to continue smoking.  Every one messes up, whether it is eating too much or smoking.  Just get back on after the relapse.  No matter what don’t give up.

Tip #4:  Fight the urges with some thing healthy.  For most of us we miss the act of smoking just as much as smoking.  The desire to light one up and just stand there puffing away our miseries.  Well that is the problem, so one great way of fixing this is to create a urge buster with something else that is a form of oral stimulation.  Some use candy but then you get addicted to the candy.  So my trick and it seems to be working is to use water.  That’s right just every day water.  When I get the urge to smoke I just chug some water.  The water should help in two ways.  To get the body to flush the toxins faster as well as takes my mind off the urge at hand.  It gives your willpower a stronger chance to keep fighting.

Tip #5:  Do something with the money you will be saving.  Don’t do like so many people and just pay bills with the money that you were once spending on cigarettes.  If you could find the money to buy them you really don’t need it to get by.  So set it aside each and every week and do something special with it.  As an example, I smoked 3-4 packs of cigarettes each week.  Average cost per week is sixteen dollars in Wyoming.  Going to round up each week to an even $20.  Then going to set that money aside for something I want, or something my wife wants.  Going to alternate after each purchase.  You can also use it to pay for family vacations every year, that would be a great way to reward your family for the support they are going to be giving you to kick this habit.

January 19 2009:  Well things are going pretty well.  Having a hard time staying focused with the need to light a smoke.  But combating pretty well the basic desires for the cigarette.  The other problems are the physical ones, the lack of nicotine is making my back and shoulders hurt, but am going to get through this.  Added some other tips up above so check them out.

January 25 2009:  Things are going great.  I am still craving the smokes a bunch but so far have been able to withstand the cravings.  The last few times I had tried to quit smoking I was never able to even go into a convience store with out buying a pack.  Now not a problem made it in five times hehe, and not one impulse purchase.  The physical pains are going away and the water purge is working great.

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