I am convinced that breaking a habit, whether it is smoking, eating, or whatever Is a matter of reprogramming your way of thinking and what triggers your brain. I am not speaking for everyone…just what works on me.
One of the ways I did this, when I quit, was to carry and read everyday “My Quit Book” It was a small note book I carried around with me and read a number of times a day That was made up of various sections that contained short “Bullet Type” phrases and highlighted in bright iridescent yellow. Some of the sections were as follows:
(1) First was the Thankful Section. As it indicates, it included all the things I was thankful for.
(2) Next contained My Reason List….it contained all the reasons that I should quit smoking
(3) Next was my “I Will List” ie I will not put one of filthy things in my mouth…etc
(4) Then was my “Facts” section …included facts that smoking does to your body
(5) Then there was my Act/React list…I am convinced that the only things in this entire world that we are in control of is how we act or react…this section had some suggestions on to do either…ie what to do if you find a half empty pack in the house…sounds silly but these things and many more were real problems for me
I ended up with about ten sections…you get the idea……I would read this book a number of times a day and the bright yellow made it stand out. It only took a couple of minutes and the idea was to internalize these goals…reprograming my brain. It only took a couple of minutes each time.
Sometimes it would help to say it out loud…careful where you do this one. I guess it would help to hear myself saying it…crazy I know, but it worked for me. One time, I had about 84 days behind me and I had a monster crave sneak up on me. Some of my Elder (Mentors) told me it was all in my head…it sure felt real…I felt there was a hole in my chest the size of a bowling ball…..So I took off to a quiet part of the property and took out my Quit Book and started reading out loud with all the fervor of a TV Evangelist.. and I looked up and cows were lined up on the other side of the fence staring at me. Don’t ask me why but I was embarrassed…and thought “I am losing my mind” anyway the crave passed and I think that was the last really big one that I had.
I am not saying that “My Quit Book” was the magic bullet, but I believe it helped me be successful in my quit.. Other things that help me reprogram is reading as much as I could and staying active on this site and being involved in others quits.
