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Stop Smoking:
For years my wife has been telling me to stop smoking. She herself smoked almost as much as I did and was often expressing her wish to quit smoking. I had the feeling that she wanted me to quit smoking so that it would be easier for her to stop smoking. She had been smoking for about 20 years and i had been smoking for about 13 years. Probably the thing was that when you are living together and either smoke, both should stop smoking together otherwise one will keep reminding the other.
Last month my wife had to go abroad for two weeks, during this business trip she stayed at a pension where smoking was not permitted on the premises. This resulted in a severe decrease in nicotine intake for her. During our phone calls she complained about not being able to smoke freely when and wherever she pleased. However, she seemed to be able to cope with the situation. I started thinking that if she was cutting down on smoking there would be a chance of completely stopping smoking as well. So the idea to stop smoking began to feel more realistic than ever before.
Upon her return she smoked a fag at the airport which made her dizzy and far from satisfied. I was there when she did, so I started to feel that the opportunity to quit smoking together was gaining momentum. Event on the way back home we started talking about it. For smokers this is always a difficult topic to talk about because so many alarm bells go off inside the unconscious part of the mind. Our subconscious is afraid of loosing the adrenaline rushes as well as the affected hormonal and chemical spikes which occur in the body during and after smoking. However we managed to talk about this opportunity and the benefits it would have in the short and log run.
Stop Smoking Dream
Stop Smoking Dream
On the second day after my wife's return back home as I wrote about in my previous entry (stop smoking), I had a dream in the morning... Honestly, I do not dream very often or at least I hardly ever remember my dreams. But this dream was very clear. I dreamed that I had quit smoking and in my dream I felt very healthy and somehow freed from some kind of weird bondage to those cigarettes. It felt unbelievably real, I seemed to switch between views of myself from a distant angle and views from my own eyes as I was dreaming the story. This again was something I do not remember ever experiencing before. I am not a dream expert but I dreamed this just before my alarm clock went off.
Now I remember it just like it was a movie, being in nature, surrounded by green foliage trees and blooming flowers. I was running and could breathe freely and smell the freshness of the forest and the flowers. It was like a scene from a movie where happy people walk, talk, and run through a field of green grass and blooming flowers. Waking up after that dream I kept the same feeling of this dream with me. Coming down stairs to smoke my first cigarette of the day in the kitchen, there was only one left in the package. With that I decided that I had to quit smoking. I felt it was a coincidence which I couldn't ignore. That last cigarette was delicious but also made me realize that it was a disgusting habit. To inhale all those chemicals seemed so useless and ultimately dumb... I knew that this had to be the last cigarette I would smoke in my life.
On the second day after my wife's return back home as I wrote about in my previous entry (stop smoking), I had a dream in the morning... Honestly, I do not dream very often or at least I hardly ever remember my dreams. But this dream was very clear. I dreamed that I had quit smoking and in my dream I felt very healthy and somehow freed from some kind of weird bondage to those cigarettes. It felt unbelievably real, I seemed to switch between views of myself from a distant angle and views from my own eyes as I was dreaming the story. This again was something I do not remember ever experiencing before. I am not a dream expert but I dreamed this just before my alarm clock went off.
Now I remember it just like it was a movie, being in nature, surrounded by green foliage trees and blooming flowers. I was running and could breathe freely and smell the freshness of the forest and the flowers. It was like a scene from a movie where happy people walk, talk, and run through a field of green grass and blooming flowers. Waking up after that dream I kept the same feeling of this dream with me. Coming down stairs to smoke my first cigarette of the day in the kitchen, there was only one left in the package. With that I decided that I had to quit smoking. I felt it was a coincidence which I couldn't ignore. That last cigarette was delicious but also made me realize that it was a disgusting habit. To inhale all those chemicals seemed so useless and ultimately dumb... I knew that this had to be the last cigarette I would smoke in my life.
Stop Smoking Day One
Stop Smoking Day One:
My daily one-hour commute to work wasn’t too hard. I used to smoke about two cigarettes while driving but this time I felt highly motivated by my new resolution to quit. Continuously repeating to myself that “I can stop smoking,” helped me through the first few hours of the morning. At lunch time the need for nicotine grew and it made me feel nervous and restless. After eating lunch I made a phone call to my wife to report that I had decided to stop smoking (stopped smoking from the morning) and to tell her that she should go to the local drugstore to buy nicotine patches.
The thought of being able to get some nicotine through the patches after work helped me through the rest of the afternoon. When I was finished I raced home and quickly put a nicotine patch on my arm and within 30 minutes I started to calm down and feel less nervous. I was delighted to hear that my wife was also trying to stop smoking, because we had talked about it for very long but none of us had ever taken the first step until today. She doesn’t like to use artificial supplements nor chemical substances so she quit smoking by pure will power. I kept tha nicotine patch on until I went to bed.
My daily one-hour commute to work wasn’t too hard. I used to smoke about two cigarettes while driving but this time I felt highly motivated by my new resolution to quit. Continuously repeating to myself that “I can stop smoking,” helped me through the first few hours of the morning. At lunch time the need for nicotine grew and it made me feel nervous and restless. After eating lunch I made a phone call to my wife to report that I had decided to stop smoking (stopped smoking from the morning) and to tell her that she should go to the local drugstore to buy nicotine patches.
The thought of being able to get some nicotine through the patches after work helped me through the rest of the afternoon. When I was finished I raced home and quickly put a nicotine patch on my arm and within 30 minutes I started to calm down and feel less nervous. I was delighted to hear that my wife was also trying to stop smoking, because we had talked about it for very long but none of us had ever taken the first step until today. She doesn’t like to use artificial supplements nor chemical substances so she quit smoking by pure will power. I kept tha nicotine patch on until I went to bed.
Stop Smoking Day Two
Stop Smoking Day Two:
Soon after waking up, I applied the nicotine patch to my shoulder, had coffee and did my regular morning routine a little faster that usual to avoid thinking about smoking. The rest of the day was like this, keeping myself busy with work and errands throughout the building. When sitting at my desk I held a pen in my hand at all times and drank water and coffee to distract my mouth and stomach with. At the end of the day my soccer team was reluctant to study for the upcoming tests, and I started feeling increasingly irritated. But I just wasn’t sure if these feelings of irritation were caused by my students or by a lack of nicotine. so to be sure not to become angry at them due to my personal situation I went home earlier.
Soon after waking up, I applied the nicotine patch to my shoulder, had coffee and did my regular morning routine a little faster that usual to avoid thinking about smoking. The rest of the day was like this, keeping myself busy with work and errands throughout the building. When sitting at my desk I held a pen in my hand at all times and drank water and coffee to distract my mouth and stomach with. At the end of the day my soccer team was reluctant to study for the upcoming tests, and I started feeling increasingly irritated. But I just wasn’t sure if these feelings of irritation were caused by my students or by a lack of nicotine. so to be sure not to become angry at them due to my personal situation I went home earlier.
Stop Smoking Week Two
Stop smoking week two:
During the second week our body is slowly finding the hormonal balance which was disturbed by abruptly taking away the constant supply of nicotine. Unlike quitting on the first of January like many people do, I suggest to stop smoking while in regular month where you are doing your regular routines. As most smokers develop a smoking pattern like smoking after a certain period of time or smoking after certain events such as eating or travelling. During week one, we are reminded almost all the time (unless using nicotine patches or gum). Week two brings challenges during our regular routines. After most meals I would stand up and start walking to the kitchen, where I used to smoke, and then realize that I quit smoking. While driving my car I would often reach to my pocket and be shocked that there was no package of cigarettes. Waking up in the morning, finding no cigarettes next to my cup of coffee was horrifying. Every time I went somewhere or did something for the first time since stopping smoking I was reminded of the fact. Being reminded was hard during week one and two of non smoking, but week three was much easier because I felt no serious need for nicotine anymore. Now I’m in week four and I think I’m cured for good!!
During the second week our body is slowly finding the hormonal balance which was disturbed by abruptly taking away the constant supply of nicotine. Unlike quitting on the first of January like many people do, I suggest to stop smoking while in regular month where you are doing your regular routines. As most smokers develop a smoking pattern like smoking after a certain period of time or smoking after certain events such as eating or travelling. During week one, we are reminded almost all the time (unless using nicotine patches or gum). Week two brings challenges during our regular routines. After most meals I would stand up and start walking to the kitchen, where I used to smoke, and then realize that I quit smoking. While driving my car I would often reach to my pocket and be shocked that there was no package of cigarettes. Waking up in the morning, finding no cigarettes next to my cup of coffee was horrifying. Every time I went somewhere or did something for the first time since stopping smoking I was reminded of the fact. Being reminded was hard during week one and two of non smoking, but week three was much easier because I felt no serious need for nicotine anymore. Now I’m in week four and I think I’m cured for good!!
How to Stop Smoking
How to Stop Smoking:
There are people and various supplements which can assist to quit smoking. Friends, family, and co-workers can bring mental support and encourage you to never buy another packet of cigarettes. Encouraging words from those people around us are needed to create a positive environment and a feeling of being understood. They are the ones that prevent you from starting again when (if) you have a weak moment. It always feels good to know that people around you are aware of your situation and understand the difficult times you are going through.
The first few days, only my wife knew that I quit. I was afraid of embarrassing myself if not being able to stop. Just after two days I felt more confident and started to tell a few colleagues. Their reactions gave me encouragement and confidence in being able to refrain from smoking. It was nice to have them inquire about my situation from time to time.
There are people and various supplements which can assist to quit smoking. Friends, family, and co-workers can bring mental support and encourage you to never buy another packet of cigarettes. Encouraging words from those people around us are needed to create a positive environment and a feeling of being understood. They are the ones that prevent you from starting again when (if) you have a weak moment. It always feels good to know that people around you are aware of your situation and understand the difficult times you are going through.
The first few days, only my wife knew that I quit. I was afraid of embarrassing myself if not being able to stop. Just after two days I felt more confident and started to tell a few colleagues. Their reactions gave me encouragement and confidence in being able to refrain from smoking. It was nice to have them inquire about my situation from time to time.
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