Comments on: Ask Havi #9: smoker’s edition http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/ When you need some destuckification. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:51:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Diana http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-4840 Diana Sun, 03 May 2009 02:13:42 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-4840 I absolutely use smoking as a way to take a break. I don't smoke inside my house. I go outside to smoke. I think about what to do next with my day. I plan out blog posts or articles in my head. I soak up the sunshine. I relax. Also, until I very recently found out that I am pregnant, it was probably the ONLY time I wasn't guilting myself for one thing or another. It let me quietly sort out my thoughts. So now...trying to cut down, quickly, and quit smoking for my own health and for that of the little person, I am feeling guilty each time I light one. I'm really struggling. I remembered this post and came back to it. I have bookmarked it. <abbr><em>Dianas last blog post..<a href="http://www.readingssexy.com/2009/04/books-that-will-mess-up-your-kids.html" rel="nofollow">Books that Will Mess Up Your Kids</a></abbr></em> I absolutely use smoking as a way to take a break. I don’t smoke inside my house. I go outside to smoke. I think about what to do next with my day. I plan out blog posts or articles in my head. I soak up the sunshine. I relax.

Also, until I very recently found out that I am pregnant, it was probably the ONLY time I wasn’t guilting myself for one thing or another. It let me quietly sort out my thoughts.

So now…trying to cut down, quickly, and quit smoking for my own health and for that of the little person, I am feeling guilty each time I light one. I’m really struggling. I remembered this post and came back to it. I have bookmarked it.

Dianas last blog post..Books that Will Mess Up Your Kids

]]> By: “Coffee Cup Kat” No More | Internet Bard http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-3551 “Coffee Cup Kat” No More | Internet Bard Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:18:25 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-3551 [...] was reading Havi’s post about quitting smoking, and this stopped me [...] [...] was reading Havi’s post about quitting smoking, and this stopped me [...]

]]> By: Marilyn http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1266 Marilyn Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:31:00 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1266 I'm in full agreement with Megan! Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" worked for me too. It is the best method I have come across. It's not about willpower, or scare tactics. It's about fully understanding why you smoke, and that you very honestly do not need it! I am both happy and grateful to know that I will never smoke again, after quitting my 15 year old habit 2 years ago. I’m in full agreement with Megan!

Allen Carr’s book “The Easy Way to Quit Smoking” worked for me too. It is the best method I have come across. It’s not about willpower, or scare tactics. It’s about fully understanding why you smoke, and that you very honestly do not need it!

I am both happy and grateful to know that I will never smoke again, after quitting my 15 year old habit 2 years ago.

]]> By: Chris http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1096 Chris Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:13:36 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1096 For Deb, a piece of advice: don't underestimate the power of the words you use. If you say you're trying to quit, that implies that you might or might not be successful. I like to just say that I quit. This seems to help me when I have the occasional craving, that I can combat it with a simple reminder that I quit. Somebody asks me if I want to join them outside for a smoke? No thanks, I quit. Here's to just doing it! Chriss last blog post..<a href="http://quittingsmokingagain.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-make-your-wife-quit-smoking.html" rel="nofollow">How To Make Your Wife Quit Smoking</a> For Deb, a piece of advice: don’t underestimate the power of the words you use. If you say you’re trying to quit, that implies that you might or might not be successful.

I like to just say that I quit. This seems to help me when I have the occasional craving, that I can combat it with a simple reminder that I quit.

Somebody asks me if I want to join them outside for a smoke? No thanks, I quit.

Here’s to just doing it!

Chriss last blog post..How To Make Your Wife Quit Smoking

]]> By: Mike Stankavich http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Mike Stankavich Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:19:05 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1077 Maybe I'm some sort of freak or something, but for me smoking wasn't about the nicotine. I found the mental addiction to be far more challenging to overcome. What finally worked for me, along with pressure from my wife, was reframing my self-image as a non-smoker. I know, it sounds trite, but for me it really allowed me to step outside the mental addiction patterns. When I thought of having a smoke, I would just affirm "I'm a non-smoker. Non-smokers don't smoke cigarettes." to reinforce the reframing. I'll bet Havi probably has some clever Yoga way to do that. I found that it was much easier to visualize myself as a non-smoker than as a deprived smoker who was being starved of tobacco bit by bit. For whatever reason, the physical side didn't really matter for me. And I was last smoking Camel Straights, so there was no lack of nicotine :) The other thing that did help was pressure from my wife. That got me past putting it off - since I knew I could quit pretty much any time, that opened the door to pushing out the commitment to quit one day at a time - not good. Bottom line, do whatever it takes to be a non-smoker. I don't have to recite the reasons - you know them already. You can do it, so why wait? Maybe I’m some sort of freak or something, but for me smoking wasn’t about the nicotine. I found the mental addiction to be far more challenging to overcome. What finally worked for me, along with pressure from my wife, was reframing my self-image as a non-smoker. I know, it sounds trite, but for me it really allowed me to step outside the mental addiction patterns. When I thought of having a smoke, I would just affirm “I’m a non-smoker. Non-smokers don’t smoke cigarettes.” to reinforce the reframing. I’ll bet Havi probably has some clever Yoga way to do that. I found that it was much easier to visualize myself as a non-smoker than as a deprived smoker who was being starved of tobacco bit by bit.

For whatever reason, the physical side didn’t really matter for me. And I was last smoking Camel Straights, so there was no lack of nicotine :) The other thing that did help was pressure from my wife. That got me past putting it off – since I knew I could quit pretty much any time, that opened the door to pushing out the commitment to quit one day at a time – not good.

Bottom line, do whatever it takes to be a non-smoker. I don’t have to recite the reasons – you know them already. You can do it, so why wait?

]]> By: Amy Derby http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1076 Amy Derby Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:40:54 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1076 Deb and Chris -- Good luck. I know it's not easy. Like hardest-thing-ever far from easy. GirlPie -- I'm SO with you on the hyphen addiction. Havi -- Do you have a Hyphens Anonymous program yet? ;-) Amy Derbys last blog post..<a href="http://write-from-home.com/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-conquering-stress-addiction" rel="nofollow">Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Conquering Stress Addiction</a> Deb and Chris — Good luck. I know it’s not easy. Like hardest-thing-ever far from easy.

GirlPie — I’m SO with you on the hyphen addiction.

Havi — Do you have a Hyphens Anonymous program yet? ;-)

Amy Derbys last blog post..Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Conquering Stress Addiction

]]> By: JoVE http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1075 JoVE Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:16:06 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1075 I wanted to chime in on the tip about celebrating all of it. And I've never smoked so not really about the smoking but about any change you are trying to make. I've noticed that our culture has become some sort of extreme obesessed. "Oh, is that ALL you're doing. Why bother, if you aren't doing...." Even small changes are changes in the right direction. Beating yourself up for not changing more is just crazy. The important question is: are you on the right road? Are you moving in the right direction? JoVEs last blog post..<a href="http://jove.homeschooljournal.net/2008/10/10/lions-and-cheetahs-nostalgia/" rel="nofollow">Lions, and cheetahs... nostalgia</a> I wanted to chime in on the tip about celebrating all of it. And I’ve never smoked so not really about the smoking but about any change you are trying to make. I’ve noticed that our culture has become some sort of extreme obesessed. “Oh, is that ALL you’re doing. Why bother, if you aren’t doing….” Even small changes are changes in the right direction. Beating yourself up for not changing more is just crazy. The important question is: are you on the right road? Are you moving in the right direction?

JoVEs last blog post..Lions, and cheetahs… nostalgia

]]> By: deb http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1073 deb Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:06:12 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1073 Colleen, Yeah. I'm trying. AGAIN. (And so Chris? Dude. Please don't beat yourself up on trying for the third time. This is like my 5th time trying to quit this year alone. That seems to be how we do it. We try until we get it right.) ;-) And Colleen? I totally have those posts of yours on quitting smoking bookmarked. Cuz they pretty much rocked. (As does Havi's because I love that I get to forgive myself and stuff!) Thanks guys! All the best! deb Colleen,

Yeah. I’m trying. AGAIN. (And so Chris? Dude. Please don’t beat yourself up on trying for the third time. This is like my 5th time trying to quit this year alone. That seems to be how we do it. We try until we get it right.)
;-)

And Colleen? I totally have those posts of yours on quitting smoking bookmarked. Cuz they pretty much rocked. (As does Havi’s because I love that I get to forgive myself and stuff!)

Thanks guys!
All the best!
deb

]]> By: Lisa Wetherby http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1072 Lisa Wetherby Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:00:19 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1072 Um - I think Havi's approach would have driven me MAD. (MAD, I tell you, MAD.) Suggested alternate theory #1: Cutting back puts you in a continuous state of withdrawal (just like those patches they want you to buy.) If you are going to have to go through withdrawal, why make it last LONGER? Gah! Cold turkey (which no one promotes because there is no $$ in it - sorry Havi) is the fastest route to breaking the physical addiction. Three to 10 days and the nicotine is out of your system. Suggested alternate theory #2: Find your community. No one can help you like others in your boat. There is a free site www.quitnet.com that was enormously helpful to me. Lots of new, almost and long-time quitters, supporting each other. Amazing wisdom - and who know there was so much to say about cigarettes? My all-time favorite: Quitting smoking is to life what removing all punctuation is to prose. (In other words, if I don't smoke anymore, how do I know that I'm DONE?) Suggested alternate theory #3: DECIDE to quit. When I attempted to quit, I failed. When I thought, well, maybe I won't smoke anymore, I still did. When I learned NOPE (not one puff ever) I didn't have to think about whether or not I was going to have that cigarette. Duh - I had become a non-smoker. And guess what? Non-smokers are distinguished by the fact that they DON'T SMOKE. No more questioning - this was just my new reality. Best resources for future non-smokers: The Easy Way to Quit Smoking by Allen Carr www.quitnet.com www.whyquit.com Good Luck! Um – I think Havi’s approach would have driven me MAD. (MAD, I tell you, MAD.)

Suggested alternate theory #1: Cutting back puts you in a continuous state of withdrawal (just like those patches they want you to buy.) If you are going to have to go through withdrawal, why make it last LONGER? Gah! Cold turkey (which no one promotes because there is no $$ in it – sorry Havi) is the fastest route to breaking the physical addiction. Three to 10 days and the nicotine is out of your system.

Suggested alternate theory #2: Find your community. No one can help you like others in your boat. There is a free site http://www.quitnet.com that was enormously helpful to me. Lots of new, almost and long-time quitters, supporting each other. Amazing wisdom – and who know there was so much to say about cigarettes? My all-time favorite:

Quitting smoking is to life what removing all punctuation is to prose. (In other words, if I don’t smoke anymore, how do I know that I’m DONE?)

Suggested alternate theory #3: DECIDE to quit. When I attempted to quit, I failed. When I thought, well, maybe I won’t smoke anymore, I still did. When I learned NOPE (not one puff ever) I didn’t have to think about whether or not I was going to have that cigarette. Duh – I had become a non-smoker. And guess what? Non-smokers are distinguished by the fact that they DON’T SMOKE. No more questioning – this was just my new reality.

Best resources for future non-smokers:

The Easy Way to Quit Smoking by Allen Carr
http://www.quitnet.com
http://www.whyquit.com

Good Luck!

]]> By: Chris http://www.fluentself.com/blog/habits/smokers-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-1071 Chris Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:53:35 +0000 http://www.fluentself.com/?p=897#comment-1071 Very eloquently written. I'll be back tomorrow to read the whole thing again; Tomorrow I'm quitting smoking myself-- for the third time. Ugh. I'm going with the substitution method again. Last time I quit, I got through the early rough patches with lots of pushups, sunflower seeds and seltzer. They say the third time is a charm! Thanks for the inspiring post, your timing couldn't have been better. Chriss last blog post..<a href="http://quittingsmokingagain.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-make-your-wife-quit-smoking.html" rel="nofollow">How To Make Your Wife Quit Smoking</a> Very eloquently written. I’ll be back tomorrow to read the whole thing again; Tomorrow I’m quitting smoking myself– for the third time. Ugh.

I’m going with the substitution method again. Last time I quit, I got through the early rough patches with lots of pushups, sunflower seeds and seltzer.

They say the third time is a charm! Thanks for the inspiring post, your timing couldn’t have been better.

Chriss last blog post..How To Make Your Wife Quit Smoking

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