It's morning, 9 am here. Just got up and decided to write this blog. Writing is helping me big time. It's helping me realize where I am, what I accomplished so far, and gives me a chance to interact with and learn from all you amazing people. Plus it's turning out to be a great stress buster!
So it's Day 13 now. Almost halfway into one month. Nearly 2 weeks. 8 days away from 21 days, It's said it takes 21 days to build or break a habit. I am trying not to overthink into the future, but I am still giving myself small milestones, a step closer to thinking one day at a time and maybe not thinking about it anymore one day 🙂
Something happened yesterday! I went grocery shopping, and to my bad luck, I saw a shop selling Cigarettes for the first time post quitting (Since its lockdown, Cigarettes are not freely available in the market but available at some places in black, which i had decided to avoid). I wasn't prepared, and before I knew it, the craving hit me with all force. It was too intense, and I didn't want to go home without a puff. It was the closest I came to smoking in these 13 days.
But then, I somehow tricked my mind. I first drove my car in a random direction, giving me some time to think, but effectively, reducing the intensity of the craving. Then I said to myself, let's not smoke at this moment, but I know where the shop is, and I can come back later. Somehow, my mind took that as an acceptable argument and compromised. I drove back home and interestingly, just forgot about it altogether. Now that I am narrating it, I remember it again and am having another craving, but it's not that strong. So this one I'll easily win over!
Honestly speaking, while its a constant battle and a challenge, I am enjoying this journey. I have had some withdrawal symptoms, stressful moments, some powerful cravings, rare moments where I almost gave in, but overall I have had far more good experiences than the bad ones. Every time I overcome a craving, I feel victorious. I love this sense of accomplishment. The only thing which matters is that 'I don't smoke again'!
I have started reading Easy by Allen Carr and its nice so far. The thoughts and instances are very relatable. I am also learning from my own experiences and becoming stronger and more confident with each day. I plan to explore the vast material available here as well. I'll start that soon.
OK, that's it for now. I don't have anything left to say, but I'll be back again. Thank you all for being there on this journey with me 
