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I have to clean my house today without smoking it’s huge trigger for me !!
I really messed up by not illuminating this trigger before I quit Greens are hired stay 11 I have to do this I really need some support I would like vacuum to go outside have a couple of puffs and come back in mop go outside have one or two puffs It was a sick ritual anyway I need to be broken LOL I can’t myself amused I thought I was happy but I was miserable and now the cravings are high and I have to clean my house !!
Put some music on LOUD and dance to it as you clean..or sing out loud with it! Keep a cold bottle of water from which to sip handy. Chocolate can be the answer to anything. Try frozen grapes! Do something different on your breaks. Do a few jumping jacks! Change up your routine!
This takes WORK in the beginning, but I promise you it will be worth it!
Hang in there!
Nancy
Thank u soo much!! I decided to cook first and definitely not as hoped up with a full belly !! Let the cleaning and the music begin
Nancy is so right....music really helped me. And I did used to break up housecleaning with smoke breaks. So rather than a smoke break, I would take 'fun' breaks. Sometimes it would just be a butterscotch candy and cup of coffee (I loved the flavors!) and other times it would be reading a favorite book for 15 minutes or calling my son and chatting. So, in other words, I'm just suggesting to find things that make you happy and do those things!! Often, if possible
Sheri
Awesome thank you !! We really appreciate it!
Boldly breath in clean, mostly unadulterated fresh air. Ham it up. If you find yourself pining for your old pal, exagerate the wound of loss--play act that you are greatly agrieved to be without. Doing these kinds of things might be a way of shaking loose old thinking--at least for a moment--and sometimes that's all that matters. When I go way off track emotionally, sometimes I pull out my imaginary violin and start bowing!
As you are cleaning, think that you are getting rid of all the scent of smoke, and the nicotine residue that you no longer want to be a part of. Clean Clean Clean. Put on Pharrell Williams "Happy" and Go!. Light scented candles to change the atmosphere. It's a party while you work. Dance around the room. Be happy.
Take some baking soda and mix it with ground rosemary. Sprinkle it before vacuuming. You will notice an incredibly clean, fresh smell. When break time comes just breathe deeply - count to 3 as you inhale and to 4 while exhaling. Repeat about 5 times. Follow with a muscles scan from head to toe (or visa-versa.) Then thank yourself for honoring your body, your health, and your home!
I'm a little late, but this too shall pass. This has been a hard one for me also. Cleaning and working in the yard is accompanied by cigarette breaks. Actually, one of the things I do when I take a break now is get on the Ex and read for a few.
119 DOF
Sorry I missed this post when it originally came out..
I hope you made it through your cleaning day. I myself spend nearly everyday cleaning my house to keep myself distracted and preoccupied till I knew I had the trigger conquered.
I made a game of it, both mentally and physically. I was sooooo pumped up to get rid of all the old stale smells and stains.....even though YOU couldn't see or smell them in my home....I knew it lurked there.
I ended up cleaning things in my home that you just don't normally do on a consistent basis and it felt GREAT!
For example.....I took the leaf blower and stuck in up the dryer vent shoot to flush out the lint !! That was great fun to watch from the backyard ( I need a life! ).
So I would suggest to alter your mindset, find a new approach to cleaning and enjoy the results.....
YOU GOT THIS !!!!
Miles of Smiles.............
I never identified that trigger in advance either...it's the "reward" cigarette and it's a powerful trigger but it is NOT something that you cannot get past. I love Barbscloud's suggestion to come to EX and do some reading...connect with others facing the same things. I drank lots of cold water, sucked on Sour Patch Kids, also had frozen fruit available...cherries and blueberries that I ate with a spoon to keep from staining my fingers. I went outside and blew bubbles...a respiratory therapist suggested it because it reminds us how to breathe more efficiently. I watch the bubbles float away and I am completely enthralled. I take deep breaths IN and hold and then exhale very slowly, much like when I was smoking. I did not smoke in my house but I DID love the clean smell after I quit smoking...the not so clean smell was ME.
You are doing great...take it one thing at a time...you don't have to clean the entire house in one day, do you? I CAN'T so that's no longer a choice for me. I tire too easily and I am too short of breath. DANCE as you clean, turn up the music, SING...be happy with each step you take.
Ellen
Cleaning the house is just like going off to a job. With that said, when I was at work and the urge hit, I would put on my sneakers, go outside, and walk around the entire building where I worked. When I returned, I did not have cancer sticks on my mind.
Irish Rose
I cranked up the music, would use my Google music and have Alexia change it up. I also would clean and purge like I was going to sell the house ( seeing it through a realators eyes) ...etc. I would take my time out and blog on this site..oh the possibilities my ex friend! Let us know how successful you were at the end of the day!!!
~Kathy
elvan Ellen, I did my first bubbles this weekend for my picnic on the deck! They really helped and it was fun. I'm am finally conquering being able to spend time on deck without smoking.
Barbscloud I am SO HAPPY for you...it really is a very simple way to be outdoors and remember breath control. Good for you, thanks for sharing.
Ellen
Sorry that text was so bad !! I was using voice text.. but if Anyone Can relate I would love to hear from you