Sunny Side Up Daily

      A lot of people are going to wonder how I could make this a how to. Maybe thinking if someone wants to quit they will just quit. It’s a little more complicated than that. You have to change your mentality and sometimes rearrange the people around you.

    I smoked for a long time quitting here then always starting back but I quit for good in 2008. It was very difficult at first but I knew I needed to do it for my health. Now I can’t really be around people who smoke if I do the next day I typically wake up with chest pain. I wonder to myself how I ever did it everyday. So here’s my list of ways to help you kick the nasty habit for good.

1. You have to decide on your own you want to stop.If your friends wants you to stop or your family is pressuring you it probably won’t take long. I was sitting in my car at a stop light smoking when I looked over seeing an elderly lady next to me smoking. I realized I did not want to be that person. I didn’t want to smoke anymore. It was as simple as that to decide I didn’t want to but not as easy to continue with my process.

2. Stop buy packs of cigarettes. Even if you need one really bad don’t buy an entire pack. Bum one if you have to but no more packs because that leads to well I minus well finish this pack then you buy another. It’s like if you’re on a diet you don’t go stalk your house with junk food. Sounds easy but is really hard and will quickly help you figure out your step 3.

3. Find your trigger. I typically only smoked in my car and the best cigarette was always right after work on the way home. It was the perfect end of the night treat in my mind at the time. When I ran out of my last pack that was the time I was seriously jonsen. I would drive around with others who smoked and it would kill me.

4. Stop hanging around smokers. I don’t mean kick all your friends to the curb. I mean think before you leave the house. If you smoke when you drink, you don’t need to be drinking for awhile (I had to stop for 6 months because every time I drank I smoked.) If your friends smoke in the car ask them not to or take your own car. You’ve got to let them know your serious and hope they respect this.I had a roommate at the time who didn’t take me serious and he would smoke in his car with me. It would drive me crazy but oh well that’s life.

5. Once you figure out the above information don’t start making excusing for yourself. “I’m really stressed out at work this week.” “My kids are driving me crazy.” “I’m not feeling well.” “I don’t have the time.” “I’ll stop next week.” No, you won’t. If your making these bull shit excuses you need to take your butt back to number one and really ask yourself if this is what YOU want. I don’t car if you were in a car accident on Monday, your kid got kicked out of school on Tuesday, you got into a fight on Wednesday, Thursday your dog died, and Friday you lost your job (which quitting smoking would save you money) you need to realize that’s life. It’s not going to slow down just so you can quit smoking. Deal with it! Try chewing gum, hard candy, or pen clicking to take your mind off it.

      Finally, you just have to let go. As soon as you stop within the first few days your body will start healing the damage it has from smoking. The human body is an amazing thing thagt can fix itself for most things.

<3 Bobbie