Comments on: I need an ABC

By: addie_50

addie_50 — Thu, 05 Jun 2003 20:12:13 +0000

— In CognitiveQuitSmoking@y…, “Becky aka Chennoa” That’s funny. My humor usually gets me into trouble. Yet, my life
just would not be complete without my boss calling me a smart ass at
least once during our grueling work weeks. Keep everything in
perspective for me.
- Cat

By: Raleigh Missy

Raleigh Missy — Thu, 05 Jun 2003 02:55:22 +0000

Hi Becky,
What time do you get up, what time do you go to sleep? Where is your
work shift within your 18 or so hr ‘awake’ period? Reason I ask is that
fatigue is a major stressor. Also energy levels resulting from nutrition,
or lack of it, have a cascading effect re: performance and general feelings.
Get as much sleep as you can. Eat a ‘breakfast’ that provides some long
term energy i.e. oatmeal, fruit. Try to eat something healthy every 4-5 hrs.
You talked about trying to schedule your breaks so you have more break time
toward the end of your shift, great idea and very responsible.
Regarding the thought/feeling connection, it’s true, our feelings are
often a result of our thoughts. We’re discovering every day that simply by
changing what we think about being tired or hungry, how we feel changes and
our responses change in turn.
The ‘lost, out of synch’ feeling is perfectly normal and is as sign that
you are indeed changing your patterns. For so long we had only one response

to so much of our daily routine. Because there was only one response, I
think we became oblivious to all the little responses that made up a day.
Now, we’re incredibly aware of them. It’s a bit like having an injury… we
are suddenly intensely aware of how much we used the injured ‘part’ and
were never really aware. The change from one single non-specific response
to specific responses is huge and disconcerting. During this readjustment
period, we aren’t going to feel anything other than out of step with
ourselves. Well… we will feel other things like the euphoria of finding
ourselves moving forward in ways we didn’t expect and all the other little
indications that our lives aren’t what they were. But through it all is the
out of synch until we become ‘used’ to the newness.
you wrote: “I avoided the computer for the first month…..since that is
where I smoked a majority of my cigarettes……….now I can sit and type
away for an hour or more before I get this antsy feeling.”
To this day, I still find myself typing away and I’ll feel stumped and
I’ll jump up and head…. somewhere. If I could give ‘voice’ to what might
be going on in my head it’d sound like this…
Higher Brain surprised - “Hey!! Where are you going?”
Warren confused - “I don’t know. I just felt something and ‘thought’ I had
to get up and ‘do something’.”
Higher Brain curious - “Do something? What do you mean? Why did you think
that and what do you ‘need’ to do?”
Warren trying to explain - “Well I felt antsy, and I ‘thought’ I had to do
something about it.”
Higher Brain persisting - “What did you ‘think’ you had to do?”
Warren getting a bit huffy - “Listen Smarty Brain, if I knew what ’should’
be done, you’d be doing it about now wouldn’t ya? You’re the ‘Higher Brain,
so how about a bit of help here? What do you think we should do in response
to this ‘antsy’ feeling?”
Higher Brain thinking - “Well, we’re already up so we might as well go pee,
maybe grab something out of the fridge and head back to the puter. What do
you think?”
Warren calmed - “Fine by me, I’m easy. Just point me and that’s where we’ll
go.”
…… or something like that.
Way back in the beginning there were the constant moments of “This is
what I used to do when I smoked. So what am I doing now?” and that went on
for months. Why shouldn’t it? I had an entire life full of associations
that were being examined and rerouted. Now, at this point in my quit life
it’s usually just “Guess I ran out of words there …. time to pee.” or
something like that.
“I did read about the quit and how we prepare and then we stop after we put
down the cigarettes………..I hope that I never take this for granted……”
Becky, I don’t think you will take it for granted. Taking something for
granted implies a degree of not being aware. You are becoming very aware.
And you’re seeing a pay-off already.
Steve
www.cognitivequitting.com

By: Nathanial English

Nathanial English — Mon, 02 Jun 2003 04:17:37 +0000

changed since I quit……….also I have been thinking about how I can spend
the money I have saved………the cravings are starting to go away……thanks
for all the help though……it sure was scary…….I also have a line I tell
myself……”Hell no I won’t smoke, not after all this time, my mama didn’t
raise no dummies” LOL
When the dragon pops up, I think to myself, “Shaggin’ The Dragon!” The accompanying mental images are a total riot. If I can laugh, then
I escape being emotionally pulled into fixating on the craving. -Frank

By: Raleigh Missy

Raleigh Missy — Sat, 31 May 2003 21:26:38 +0000

I think cat may have a competitor for alpha smart a– www.cognitivequitting.com

By: Nathanial English

Nathanial English — Thu, 29 May 2003 20:33:37 +0000

better……..I have been dealing with it as it comes about……I don’t like it
but hey I won’t ignore it……….it was just so out of the blue for
me………my girlfriend said it may be because I am doing repetitious acts and
that is what cigarette smoking is……..LOL…..not a bad suggestion………I
never had a craving this strong even in the first few days…………that is
why I was soooooo surprised……….
Hi Becky. It sounds like boredom or the
stress of monotony might be the trigger.
A: Feeling bored is the trigger. In the past,
when you have felt bored, you have had “smoking a cig”
as something to “do,” or else you have used a smoke
break as a way to catch a five minute break from the
monotony.
B: Take a mental vacation?
Take a stretch break?

Find some way to make the work more interesting?
Mentally list the things you are gaining by not smoking.
Fall in love with your identity as a non-smoker.
Can you think of more possible options? Hope this helps
give you a start…
All The Best,
-Frank

By: Raleigh Missy

Raleigh Missy — Sun, 25 May 2003 13:13:32 +0000

tired!!!!!!!
And what would be the most logical and responsible response to being
tired at bed time?
www.cognitivequitting.com

By: beckie1900

beckie1900 — Fri, 23 May 2003 04:54:54 +0000

Can you identify when they (the craves) start, what is happening?
What are you doing/feeling? I used to use smoking to break the ice
with new people (smokers of course!). There are lots of new people
at a new job. I also would use a cig to mark the start and end of a
work break. Anyway, just some ideas. Terri— In

this job my urges to smoke have increased………….the job is
boring (repetitive) and I hate boring………..LOL

By: Raleigh Missy

Raleigh Missy — Wed, 21 May 2003 14:59:43 +0000

Hi Becky
If you can find a copy of a book called “Smoking: The Artificial Passion”
by David Krogh, there’s a section on some studies that were done to
determine how smokers perform, or don’t. It’s interesting reading. One of
the studies was to see how smokers perform during tedious/boring tasks.
Smokers allowed to smoke at will during the tests performed ‘better’
(maintained concentration and effectiveness) than smokers (not allowed to
smoke) or nonsmokers. I’m not convinced that smoking in order to endure
prolonged tedium is such a great benefit.
You mentioned cravings ‘last night’ …. do you work nights?
Steve
www.cognitivequitting.com

By: addie_50

addie_50 — Wed, 21 May 2003 10:31:49 +0000

— In CognitiveQuitSmoking@y…, “Becky aka Chennoa” this job my urges to smoke have increased………….the job is
boring (repetitive) and I hate boring………..LOL
Oh, Becky, that’s probably one on the worst things that can happen to
me I think, to have a boring job. But I’ve had them before and
somehow managed to find a way to get through the days. When you say
boring, do you mean busy but boring, or idle and boring? i.e., can
you read at work? Or work on other projects?
- Cat