As Jo thought, I seem to have given up smoking. At least I haven’t had a cigarette now for (checks clock) just over a full week.
So that’s the hard work done then, I think. Actually, while I wouldn’t say it’s been easy, it hasn’t been as hard as I’ve thought it might be either. Probably helped by the fact that I’ve been smoking the lowest nicotine content cigarettes for ages now, so the drop isn’t as bad as it could have been.
I can’t tell you if I’ve done it the easy or hard way by not using any NRT patches, gum etc., but replacing nicotine with nicotine somehow doesn’t seem like it’s going to help in the long run, so cold turkey it was. And so far I seem to have managed to avoid replacing it with anything else either, like food or gum etc.
Why, and why now? I have no idea really. I just seemed to get the right amount of information on what you need to do to quit, and what you’re going to have to deal with when quitting. I recommend Alan Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking to anyone. Even if you don’t stop when you’ve read it a lot of what’s in there just rattles around in your brain building up a bit of momentum for when you are randomly ready to give stopping a go.
I guess a constant prod comes over time from others at work quitting or attempting to quit. Somehow someone who actually smokes quitting seems to have a lot bigger impact than someone who doesn’t telling you you should stop. Not that we talk about it much. Those of us that are quitting/just quit at work seem to just be doing it in our own way, and talking about it seems just to make things harder, as we’re used to talking outside over a cigarette. Not really the best support network you could have!
Sites like this one are quite good to read too, as they help to understand what’s gong on: http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Symptoms.html But there’s a really fine line between helpful advice and too much doom and gloom that might just put you off even trying. Some sites really go too far down the scary track!
Worst part so far has been having to limit coffee a bit. Instead of going for a walk to have a smoke at work, going to get a coffee is another decent reason to stretch your legs. But apparently as your nicotine intake drops, you need about half the caffeine that you previously did to get the same caffeine hit. And I’d believe that from my experience over the last week. So I guess getting glasses of water might just have to do for some trips.
So, now that the almost-kinda-not-really-hard-work is done and the first week over, now I just have to keep up the slightly easier work for the next few weeks, then the really easy bit for the rest of forever…
Hopefully I’ve not been too cranky for Bec, but she can fill you in on her side of things if she feels the need.
