Have to agree with Wanda, that FEAR OF QUITTING held a lot of folks back. Myself included. I quit 22 days ago, after being diagnosed with early emphysema. It's been easier than I thought because I told myself it was going to be so difficult I would probably fail...and then the OTHER part of my brain took that as a challenge as in, "Oh yeah? Hide and watch!"
Have there been difficult moments? Yep. But no entire day has been difficult. My best advice for the difficult moments? Acknowledge them. Give them your attention. Get down on the floor and cry with them in a full blown tantrum if you have to. Then stand up, calmly. Breathe slowly and deeply. Notice how this breath is deeper than one you could take one hour ago. Take another one. And another. You got this.
I told everyone I could that I was quitting smoking. I figured the more people I told, the more I would have to look shamefully in the face if I let myself fail. While I quit for MYSELF, doing so publicly helped. I posted regularly on facebook. I still do. I announced it at work. LEAN on your support system (you have one even if you don't know it) and bask in every tiny victory. I promise if you posted or said: "Hey, I just went 20 minutes without smoking even though I really wanted to" people would cheer! At this stage there are no tiny victories. 2 minutes, 20 minutes or 22 days, all are huge victories.
And you know what? You've already done the hardest part, the part that a lot of people won't let themselves do. You've asked for help.
I'm wishing you the best and I'll be thinking of you and imagining you going 2 minutes without smoking and I'm going to cheer you!
Texas Tina with Emphysema
