I've pretty much nailed the morning routine now. From the time I wake up to the time I'm thinking about lunch I've got lots to do, and I'm happily doing those things without smoking or thinking about smoking. That's when I have the most energy, and I'm doing housework or laundry or correspondence (online; I'm not that old!) I am completely smober every morning.
If I've planned some sort of outing, then the early afternoons are all set, too. I go shopping, or do an errand, or have an extended lunch visit with someone. Not a single thought about smoking, even though I'm out and about and could easily stop at a store and buy a pack. I am completely smober every early afternoon.
Late afternoons are when I settle back, find a good movie or book, and relax. And that's when the craving hits. It's not a physical craving; those are long gone by now. It's a trigger. I know it's a trigger. And I know that my smobriety is most threatened at those times when I settle back and relax in the late afternoon. Luckily for me, I am also extremely lazy at those times. There is no way I'm going to get myself back up and out to give in to that nonsense.
So, on a late winter afternoon, say around 3:00 or so, you'll find me searching the cupboards for a snack to take back to my chair. Sunflower seeds, popcorn, a little peanut butter on crackers maybe. Have a nice cup of tea to go with. Settle back in, and I'm fine for the rest of the day. Smobriety maintained once more.
Knowledge is key. Self-knowledge is everything. Stay free, my friends!
