My mission for day 19: to make a list of things that have worked for me, and why I think they did...(bonus mission points for posting on my favourite forum! I have yet to receive any points, bonus or otherwise, but hey, I like the missions.)
1: Distraction, in the form of a) food, mainly sweets.
b) water. Gallons of water.
c) Reading. The complete works of several chick-lit style easy-reading authors.
d) Copious forum-haunting
e) Baths.
A distraction only really needs to last for a few minutes, but hey, then you get sucked in...
2: Making lists. Of i) reasons to quit
ii) benefits of quitting
iii) things that have worked to help me quit...hang on...um...brain melt!
Keeps you focussed.
3: Remembering my Dad's extreme bravery and humour in the face of his last weeks of pain. Honestly, we laughed at some pretty inappropriate stuff, and he made that ok. But at the same time he really made me realise how important, fragile and precious life is.
Quitting's like a tribute, or a promise, or something. He'd be pleased, and I don't want to let him down. (You'd better have internet connection wherever you are, Dad!)
4: Exercise!
This works because - it's a distraction
- it's measurably easier than it used to be on the lungs.
- makes all those endorwhatsits or whatever they are that make you feel good come out and play.
5: NOPE. It's just genius.
6: DonnaJ's signature. Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants pain, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.
This reminds me that a few minutes per day, a few weeks of my life, is a small amount of rain, and the rainbow's well worth it Thanks Donna!
7: Complete, and I mean TOTAL change of routine for the first three killer days. I was on holiday. It worked...might not have ever managed it in my own house. So phew!
8: Celebrating millions of tiny milestones and reminding myself how hard this is, how awesome I am, and how proud I can be. And making lists of those milestones. And sharing them on the forum...now I'm back to 1: so I'll stop.
TLDR: Keeping busy, basically, was my key!