Be Prepared

[SimplySheri]

~~  People often say that motivation doesn't last.  Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily.~~  Zig Ziglar

You know how you find this site and you are all excited about quitting?  You post and others respond, encouraging you and supporting you and you think you've got it!!  You feel sooooo good that you know you'll never smoke again.  Your family and friends are amazed and impressed and you are delighted in your quit.  Everything's good....

Until it isn't.  One day you wake up and all that pretty energy has gone.  Maybe you forgot to get online.  Maybe you are stressed at work.  Maybe you are just having a 'blah' kind of day.  Whatever the reason, thoughts of smoking creep in and the more you struggle through your day, the more you want 'just one'.

I don't have to tell you how that story will end.  Some give in, others don't.  The difference doesn't lie in what is going on in their lives, the difference lies in them.  Their inner dialog.  Their actions.  Their ability to push through uncomfortable feelings and irrational thoughts.  Their skill at motivating themselves to function without 'that one'.

It's easy to quit when things are going your way.  When you are enthusiastic and energetic.  When you get the responses you want from people.  When things flow the right way.  But did you know that things can turn suddenly, without rhyme or reason?  Maybe you didn't get enough sleep.  Maybe you are lonely because of all this isolating.  Maybe you are simply hungry but don't want to gain weight. Then the quitting is not so easy.  You battle your thoughts, you fight your inner demons, you struggle.  Your quit is now at risk.

Nurture your quit each and every day.  Grow it.  Take care of it.  Whether by rewarding yourself with an extra 5 minutes of sleep or one more cup of coffee, doing little things to stay motivated helps.  Come here and pledge or write about how you are doing.  Hug yourself, love yourself, pat yourself on the back for another day smoke free.  Stay in bed with the covers over your head when you need to.  Binge watch M*A*S*H or your favorite show.  Take a day off work.  Just recognize that you need to take care of your quit and you need to take care of you.  You will have bad days (we all do) but share them with us or your family and ask for support.  Ask someone to comfort you.  Ask for help.  Share.  Share.  And share again.

Be prepared for those times when things aren't good and you can get through them.  Truly.  You can do this.  Just pay attention

Sheri