We caution people that it takes two years of happenings like changes in seasons, family dramas, holidays, vacations and grief to get through them without a thought of smoking. We caution people to expect those remembrances to enter our consciousness. We haven't had a lot of practice relearning the associations and triggers that come with each, and thus are unprepared. At these times, we need to pull out the tools we found useful early in our quits and use them. March in place, call a friend, play a game on your phone, go for a walk, do a set of stairs, find a funny YouTube video...
This is currently a more stressful time than most of those mentioned, and most of us have ZERO experience dealing with something that is so overwhemingly terrifying.. Some of us have lived through forest and house fires, tragic losses in our lives, but this current time is so totally out of our control, worrisome and scary. We also are dealing with isolation from family, friends, coworkers and those with whom we used to have contact. Hugs are mostly nonexistent.
Pull out your tools! Difficult times call for inventive measures. Don't allow those memories to roam unabated in your mind.
Thoughts are not calls to action!
SMOKING IS NOT REQUIRED!
Be safe out there!
Nancy
