stopping smoking relaxes you!

[nsd_user663_3810]

Its true!

I have never felt sooo relaxed, my mum used to say i live on my nerves-and although i have always lived on the'fast lane' i feel so much more relaxed since stopping smoking

i didnt realize how stressed i was as a smoker:

1. At work-god when can i have a fag break?

2. Holidays-just get me there-need a fag on the plane

3. Meetings-just shutup waffling and lets have a fag break!

4. Get out of bed-need two fags before i go to work

5. Cinema-why cant films have bloody intervals so i can have a FAG!!

6.visiting gran-cant stay long (cos i need a fag)

7.Hospital visits-cant stay long! (cos i need a fag)

8.Pubs-'shall we go to the next pub? (so i can have a fag on the way there)

9. DVD-put it on pause-so i can have a fag!

10.Train journeys-hurry up hurry up HURRY UP HURRY UP so i can HAVE A FAG!!!!!

I am sooo pleased i am not a slave to nicotine addiction anymore!!!!

OH YES and one more-no i dont want a sweet or coffee(in the restaurant)lets just pay the bill (BECAUSE I WANTED A FAG!!!)

[nsd_user663_3738]

well done shabba66..very good read..all what you have said i can relate to,and so can most of the fourm,,,you keep the faith tony

[nsd_user663_3633]

It is certainly true that I am less stressed out since I quit... and the biggest part of that is not trying to find a way out of just about any situation so I could have a fag!

I think the only thing I regret is that I wasted so much of my adulthood without ever knowing what the real me was like... I spent all of it up to 4 months ago wound up!

[nsd_user663_3687]

im not sure im less stressed. the stress is still there but i just dont stink and i can actually breathe

[nsd_user663_3810]

Hi Shabba

Great Post!

and so true ...

11. Working at a customers house .. err, just need to nip out and get a part ('cos I want a fag)

12. Visiting my mum - Dog looks like he needs a walk, where's the lead? (I want a fag)

13. Staying at friends', smoking outside in Norway in wind, rain, snow ... (Nah, I'm not cold, it's lovely outside, look at that view ..and my lovely fag)

...sure there must be more but it's still early for me

Lol that is soooo funny!!!-any more excuses for a fag out there?

[nsd_user663_3720]

Love this post! So true!

I can honestly say I have never felt so relaxed in years.

Basically, I can do anything, go anywhere, with anyone and not bother about when I can have my next drag.

Out walking the dog over Xmas through a beautiful, remote cemetary, I was stopped by a council worker who asked me if I smoked. I told him I had stopped and asked why he wanted to know to which he told me he had run out of cigarette papers and wanted a ciggie. I felt really sorry for him but also glad I didn't have to worry about running out of fags anymore!

When I was a smoker, I would get up in the morning and then rush around to have a shower and eat my breakfast so I could have a cigarette (if I smoked first thing without eating I would get really sick and dizzy). (I can't believe I used to pay to do that - crazy)......! Anyway, now I get out of bed and take my time and choose not to have breakfast....have it later....stay in bed longer......have a long bath......choices, choices. It is just all so relaxing and free and easy!

But the big thing I have noticed is during meditation where I sit and really pay attention to how I feel and how my body feels as I sit quietly. That's where I really notice how relaxed and basically back to it's natural state my body is.

I basically became a bit of a house hermit at weekends because I wanted to smoke in peace and quiet in the comfort of my own home!!!!

Now, I am never in and can go anywhere I want because I no longer HAVE to smoke at hourly intervals for the rest of my life.

Aren't we lucky to have escaped?! Thank gawd for that!

Unfortunately, recently after stopping smoking, I looked for a substitute; a hit I suppose and rather than lean on food, I drank coffee by the bucketload (which did not work) so instead I started having a couple of glasses of wine every evening to soften the blow.

January 1st and the revolution cometh though - I have not had any alcohol since then and will only have the odd glass at the weekend and I have also started the diet which is going well.

I am sure I will have more stumbling blocks to come but I think I can see a pattern emerging though. I seem to go three to four weeks of not thinking or bothering about smoking then I have a few hard days where I want to smoke again. As long as I keep the faith, the thoughts and feelings about wanting to smoke seem to just disappear of their own accord and I am back in the zone again. I suppose this will keep happening for some time yet but will gradually lose it's strength as time goes by.

Also, as I really do not want to go back to smoking (even when I think I do) -if that makes sense, it doesn't really matter if I have these hard patches from time to time, it is simply just dealing with more and more triggers as they come up and each trigger or memory or urge to smoke that is dealt with is another blow to the old conditioning isn't it?

Being a non/ex smoker is a very nice place to be.:)

Sorry for talking too much!

Lisa

[nsd_user663_3810]

Hi Lisa

i enjoyed reading your post-thankyou!

I smiled when i read the bit about rushing on a morning just to have a fag-crazy thought now isnt it? You sound as if you are well on the road to recovery, and mentally in a good place.

Yes i still feel the odd urge, but it soon subsides-and the thought of going back to being a slave to a very demanding friend-the fag just cant bear thinking about!

I have to remind myself of these now and again to keep up the strength-all the best xxxx