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I did it…..you can too
I remember the day I came home from work and told my husband I was quitting smoking. It wasn’t a huge resolution, it wasn’t a health issue that set me off it was just something I decided. I didn’t want to smoke anymore. I had tried to quit smoking one time before, we were hypnotized about 10 years before. It worked for me but my husband said all he wanted was a smoke when we left. Saying it worked for me is weird since I had to quit again 10 years later. Well, all my friends still smoked and while I quit for a whole week I was back at it shortly there after.
Here we were 14 years later
I had decided to quit for real. We all have something that we do that is not good for us. We know it and yet we continue. Knowing it is unhealthy for us physically or mentally but it usually takes a life altering event to make us take the steps to quit the unhealthy habit.
I had heard about a book that had helped several people I knew quit. ( The Easy way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr) So that same afternoon I went and bought the book. I made a complete plan. The book recommended to continue smoking while reading and choose a date to finish the book and quit smoking. Now it was time to make a plan. I choose October 11th at 12:01 to be my last cigarette. Trust me I had a smoke at 11:55 pm on the 10th. That was 45 days from the day I said “I am quitting smoking”.
Face it head on
One of the most important thing the book taught me was to NOT replace cigarettes with another bad habit…..suckers….candy…..food……but to try to take myself out of situations I would normally smoke. A few places I knew I would struggle was driving, talking on the phone and after meals. I knew being around smokers might affect me (it had before). I made up my mind that I would find a way through all of these things.
Support System
The last thing I want to mention is have a support system. Be honest and tell them you might be a little tough to deal with. Explain to them what type of support you need. Also making sure they understood I didn’t need advice or counseling. I was clear that I knew I would probably be a monster for a while but please be patient. (The vacation helped with that too I was on my own quite a bit)
It works for all habits you want to QUIT
As I mentioned at the beginning of this it does not have to be smoking, whatever it is you want to quit. The steps are easy.
Decide you are quitting
Tell others
Choose a date
Make a list of challenges
Make a plan on how you will handle each challenge
Ask for support and explain CLEARLY what you will need from them
Do not let anything get in your way.
14 years later
I know I have an addictive personality and I am all in when I am doing anything whether that is a bad habit or a good one. I choose to think of this as my character STRENGTH rather than a flaw. IF you are good at bad habits you can be just as great at good ones. Choose to do that. I am around people who smoke everyday and I have no desire to go back there.
What do you want to quit?
Live a life you love
Paris
October 11th , 2008 The day I quit smoking forever . If you want to quit smoking I highly recommend Allen Carr’s Easy way to Stop Smoking
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