Ready....... here, let's go over to this side over here. The success to quitting is YOU. Only you can make you quit. Not a patch, not a pill, not a lozenge, not gum. If you believe that those things will make you quit and keep you quit, I'll guarantee you that you will go back to smoking the minute something frustrates you, angers you, upsets you, depresses you.
Just this morning the dogs were not cooperating with me. Barking their full head off. I don't need that over these next couple days because I'm tied to my computer doing daily copy for my job. I have a specified time period I have to get work completed. I don't have time to screw around with them today.
Now, I can take the easy way out, run to the store and buy a pack of cigarettes because I'm frustrated, but I know that that's not going to make them stop barking. That will not make me calm for the rest of the day so I can concentrate on my time sensitive material. A Xanax might, but a cigarette won't. There was my trigger, frustration, anger. But you know what, it doesn't bother me now. I've proven to myself that that cigarette doesn't make this all magically go away. I, me, myself, makes this easier, makes this go away.
Do me a favor, will you? Instead of impulsively running to go get a cigarette because you're bored, depressed, angry, upset, etc., STOP, deep breath in for 8 seconds, hold for 5, deep breath out for 6 to 8 seconds, rinse and repeat. Now, get up and do something else. YOU can do this......... psst, it's all YOU
