Holiday Advice, please.

[nsd_user663_4703]

Hi all,

I wasn't quite sure where to put this and guessed that the "tips" section is the best one.

Anyway it is this time of the year and people are planning holidays. We are going to Tenerife at the end of next week for ten days (yippee :):)).And I guess this is the reason to start this thread. I have quit smoking for forty days now and have managed to do so by keeping my guard up most of the time and not giving into the cravings. But I know from pervious holidays, plenty of sun, sand and drinks the guard can drop. I have been to Spain a few times, always as a smoker and know that smoking is accepted in many of the bars, people smoke more openly while chilling out on sundecks.

So here is a massive temptation coming, here is where the “Oh what the heck I am on holiday “attitude is likely to creep in.

So basically as anybody got any tips or advice to offer. Have you been on a holiday as an ex smoker and got experiences you may wish to share?

I would be grateful for anybody's stories or just general advice on how not to cave into the holiday attitude.

Regards Stateofgrace

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi StateofGrace

Well done on your 40 days and off on holiday next week

You'll perhaps get the odd trigger crave to start with, just treat them as you did any crave

If it's any help I went away for the first time after 5/6 weeks quit and didn't really struggle with it at all had the odd feeling of oh a fag would be nice but that's it

If you're bothered about having a few drinks while away try to limit the amount you drink

Love

Marg xxxxxxx

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

The tip that works is to understand and accept that if you give into that temptation you will be really annoyed with yourself when you return from holiday, you would have wasted 40 days hard graft and you will have to go through that 1st couple of weeks again.

Try to work on the mindset where you don't see smoking as a reward or forbidden pleasure. It may sound weird but looking yourself in the mirror every morning and repeating to yourself something like,

I am a non smoker, smoking improves nothing, I don't want to smoke, I want freedom from nicotine, Not One Puff Ever.....

Will help to reinforce that positive mindset, it did for me and also for several other long term quitters.

At the end of the day remember that non smokers have a great time on holiday without poisoning themselves so you don't need to do it to have a good time.

Have a great smoke free holiday.

Nic

[nsd_user663_4703]

Hi there,

Great advice, thanks a lot.

I guess it would be real easy to let the guard down while on holiday but of course you are correct it would be a mistake to do so and one I would regret.

Thanks a lot,

Regards Stateofgrace

[nsd_user663_3845]

I've found that just making the decision that you don't want to be a full time smoker and understanding that there is no such thing as a part time smoker sorts me out. I was in Portugal for a week last month, at an Oasis gig the day I got home, an AC/DC gig the following week and then in Scotland for a week just passed, I'm off to London on Friday to see Madness, I have enjoyed all these but have had very, very strong urges to smoke. I remind myself of how crap it feels to be a smoker and that if I start smoking again I couldn't possibly afford my trips. My wife 'stopped' 2 weeks after me and she still seems convinced she can be a social smoker, her smoking is becoming more frequent but she still thinks she is in control and only smokes when she wants. I have gone through the same enough times to know she is kidding herself - she probably knows too but we all know how the addiction works on you.

Anyway, enjoy your holidays, smoking will not make them any better, it will just p1ss you off that you have caved in:eek:

[nsd_user663_5204]

Your on holiday. Relax dont smoke. Simples.

[nsd_user663_4990]

Think i said this on another post i replied to, but I really don't see that you can ever just be a social smoker, not for a single one.. not for a day.. not for a holiday.. and then come home and everything be back to normal?

Nope. All the withdrawals start from the moment you take a drag on a cig. Cigarettes are probably the quickest delivery method for nicotine and once you've fed your addiction, you aint just having 1 smoke.. you wake up your entire addiction so if you smoked the 20 a day, or for some 40 a day, you are waking up THAT addiction.. not the 1 smoke. Think on that.

basically, if you feel tempted to take a smoke off someone, make an excuse to leave the group and go the toilet instead. temptation over, smokes are already offered around the table by the time you get back.

And then there is the immortal line to use for the folk offering them to you...

'No thanks, they don't do anything for me'