Getting Past Tough Smoking Times
- The Morning Smoke
Every smoker knows this is one of the most important smokes of our day. It comes after the longest period we go without having a cigarette and our bodies are craving for it when we awake. The next time you light up in the morning; ask yourself, "Is it truly the taste of the cigarette which I enjoy?"
All smokers who want to quit will answer with a resounding NO. Keep in mind that there is no physical pain associated with nicotine withdrawal. Smokers are able to sleep the entire night without feeling any pain in their bodies. - The Night Time Smoke(s)
All smokers feed their addiction at night time in preparation for the long night without cigarettes. When you make the choice to quit smoking, make it a point for the first two weeks to go to bed earlier than normal. It is common for your body to become restless when you rid it of something it is accustomed to. It is very common for people who are trying to quit to have a couple of restless nights.
So go to bed early and remember, your body is healing itself. It is normal to have nightmares and interrupted sleep during the first few nights. Soon, you will be sleeping better than you can ever remember and you will feel a lot more rested when you awake. - The After Dinner Smoke
This is also one the most cherished smokes. Smokers are typically known to be the first ones done with their meal so they can get to their "dessert" quicker. Be honest with yourself, which actually tastes better, the food or the smoke? Again, it is important to understand how nicotine addiction works.
It is similar to having an additional stomach that needs to be fed. Will you starve if you don't feed the pseudo stomach after a meal? NO! Find something to take the place of your after-meal cigarette. Make the choice to go for a walk, take a shower, or do some yard work. - The In-The-Car Smoke
This is one of the most difficult situations for smokers. They do not know how to drive any other way. To be successful at quitting, there will need to be a lot of changes in your everyday life. Driving will be one of these. Make sure to take a different route to work, the grocery store, the bank, and home. Have items available like a straw or sugar-free gum to help cure the initial craving. Put on some music you can sing to and belt out a concert in the car. Get the inside of your vehicle cleaned and install an air freshener as a reminder that this is now a non-smoking vehicle. - The Social Smoke
Social smoking is inevitably why smokers got started smoking in the first place. Can you remember your first smoke? Did it taste good? Your answer is most likely NO to the second question and is exactly why smokers become addicted. The first cigarette of a smokers' life is the worst one they have ever had. It didn't taste good, it hurts their lungs, and they coughed the entire time. And since they hated it so much it would be impossible for them to become addicted, right?
Now its twenty years later and they have convinced themselves that they like to smoke. Smoking is not an acquired taste; we have trained ourselves to believe cigarettes taste good because of our nicotine addiction. If it is necessary to attend functions you are used to smoking at, make sure to have a plan of attack for the temptations. Keep some gum in your pocket, avoid alcoholic beverages, and take a few deep breaths every time you feel an urge to smoke. - The "I'm Feeling" Smoke
Smokers will light a cigarette for many different reasons. It may be because they are celebrating, stressed-out, frustrated, concentrating, or just plain bored. Smokers have a tendency to think that cigarettes make things better. The only thing smoking fixes is the cravings the smokers' body has for nicotine. There are no other addictions that work like nicotine. With other addictions, people use their vice of choice to bring them back up when they are feeling down.
Smoking is the only addiction which the use of their vice is used at the exact opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Smokers will light up when they are feeling over-stressed and also light up when they couldn't be more relaxed. Two opposite feelings and yet the same urge to indulge in smoking. It is the addiction that needs to be fed, not the mood that needs to be changed. Watch non-smokers, they have the same feelings as smokers and are able cope without the nicotine. - Congratulations
Now that you have made it through the most challenging moments without a cigarette, you can make it through anything. Congratulations on making the choice to live a tobacco free life!
Updated on 30-SEP-08
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