Cognitive Quit Smoking

Steve suggested it’d be worthwhile me making a list about when and
where I smoked, and the reasons I was smoking. It really got me
thinking a lot about it, so am posting it here hoping it might help
some others to focus. Next step is sort it all out into ABC’s
Times/places/reasons why/when I smoked
a typical work day would go like this :-
First one - shortly after getting up with that first cup of tea, in
th kitchen. Smoked it because I physically craved that first cig of
the day
Next one - probably only about 20 mins later. That first one was
good, but didn’t completely ‘hit the spot’ somehow. Usually smoked
it in the bathroom, putting on make up, with another cuppa.
In the car driving to work I’d have a couple more in the half hour
drive. Aware I couldn’t smoke at work very easily, so felt I needed
to ‘pack a few in’. Usually feel a bit stressed going to work at

the thought of the day ahead, so these cigs helped me calm down a
bit.
Mid morning I needed a cig - felt a bit irritable, needed my fix.
Depending on the weather I’d either stand outside, or if it was cold
or raining hide in the cleaners storeroom with the other smokers for
a crafty cig. If the morning was busy and I couldn’t get this cig
I’d feel really stressed the rest of the morning. If I got my mid
morning cig I felt like it helped me concentrate.
Lunchtime - topping up the nicotine levels was the main reason i
smoked, packing in as many as I could in the time available. Again,
having to stand outside, or walking to/from the shopping centre
nearby.
Mid afternoon - like mid morning
Going home in the evening - the cig and lighter would be ready in my
hand for the instant I walked out of the building so I could light
up straight away. Probably a couple more in the car on the way
home. another with a cup of coffee when I got in the house. yet
another while cooking the evening meal - several more during the
evening. Why smoke all these in the evening? Don’t think it was
about topping up the nicotine levels. usually it was because there
were issues to sort out at home - eg one of other of the kids
winding me up, chatting on the phone cig in one hand and cup of
coffee in the other, watching tv, going out to the pub and enjoying
a cig with a drink. Yet i felt I needed most of these cigs - but
usuallly had a bad headache later on due to all the smoking I’d done.
***************************************************************
I love writing - this sort of exercise really helps me. Now I’m off
to bed, it’s been quite a day.
see you later
Katie

This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2003 at 6:24 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.