I myself was a smoker for 15+ years and loved every minute of it....until
Yes "was" is the key word here....
I thought there was nothing more enjoyable than getting up in the morning and going outside to have a cigarette or two or three.I must admit my addiction and yes it is an addiction to these little buggers was pretty bad.At one time I was going through a pack and a half a day,what is that 30 cigarettes a day?
This was the best way I found to wake up in the morning but it was a little annoying to go outside when winter time has set in and it was below 30 degrees in Dallas,Texas.
I would often think to myself "this really is stupid"standing out here trying to hurry up and get 2 cigarettes down in record time often gagging on the attempt to "hot box" the things so I could get my fix, not freeze to death and continue on with my day.
Now is the "until" part......
I have always been able to listen to what my body is telling me and I would unlike others actually listen to
it and try to change the "unhealthy" thing I was currently doing.
At the very end of my cigarette smoking days my throat would have this little tickling sensation like a little feather in there.It would get so bad even if I was smoking or not at the time I would actually gag after coughing.Also I smoked so much and in such a hurry all of the time that my chest felt tight and sore all of the time.
After trying to quit cold turkey 6 yes SIX times I finally decided to put them down for good and as of January 3rd I have been smoke free for 1 year. "yeah me"
For anyone trying to quit "and yes you really should" you have to want to quit.
Don't do it just to be socially acceptable or because everyone else around you says "you really should stop smoking" it has to come from you and you alone.
One thing I did was listen to one of my mentors.This man is in his 70's and he said "if you really want to quit I can help you."He said he smoked for many many years and after he did what I am going to tell you about he quit and it also helped me.
There is a very wise book called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_and_Grow_Rich
In this book there is a section on how to stop smoking.Now this little "gem" of knowledge was published in 1937 so you know as well as I do it was the time when smoking was accepted all over the world by everyone.The "how to" in this book on smoking goes like this...when you tell yourself "I'm never going to smoke another cigarette ever!" your body goes into a kind of shock.That is why we get nicotine fits.
Try this instead, when you feel the need or urge to go outside and smoke tell yourself " I will go have one in 30 minutes" then go about your regular routine.When that 30 minutes is up decide for yourself either to go have a cigarette or if the urge is not very strong tell yourself "I will go have one in 20 minutes." you decide the time frame you can wait until you have your smoke break,mine was in 30 minute increments.
This way your body is being told "we will have another cigarette in a little while" not "NEVER AGAIN!!"
Keep in mind you have given your body this addicting activity for many years,just stopping cold turkey
will throw it into a tailspin.Try it,I am sure you will see you can go longer between smoke breaks if you just tell yourself "I will have a smoke in just a little while."
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