Roll call time
Seems like we’re all busy this past few days, with not a lot of posting going on
- but it would be good to hear how ppl are: any good ABC’s being written/used,
milestones been reached, difficulties or struggles?
Talking of struggles….. I learned the joy of reformatting a hard drive and
installing Windows this week - twice over! Got my crashed computer back up and
running, and then the old creaking one thats kept as a back up, went out in
sympathy. Ha! piece of cake - gave that one the treatment too, and now it too
is working just fine. And all achieved without any need to light up and smoke
my way through it all. Never would’ve believed that could be possible, 20
months ago!
So… lets hear from some of you soon,
take care
Pam
March 1st, 2005 at 9:22 am
Reporting in at just over 5 months quit - and feeling a lot better.
Some of you know I was diagnosed with depression some time ago, but
glad to say its now in hand. My quit feels very real and very secure,
and I love it.
I’m up late, and have been sorting through old emails - and found this
post I made at around a week quit - thought I’d re-post it, might be
of interest to some of the newbies…..
“It’s not just about stopping smoking….”
I’m nearly at one whole week smoke free - me! Throughout the course
of the past week week, Pam and Steve have been coaching me in the art
of the quit, and it’s been a week of learning about breaking old
associations, recognising what it is I want when I think I want to
smoke, and learning how to put new behaviours in place.
Now, this really is Ms hang-on-by-her-fingernails in previous quits
speaking: before this quit I hadn’t a clue about the process, and
just struggled my way through, getting swamped by the sheer misery of
it all.
The main thing I’ve learned this past week has been how to become more
aware and in touch with what I’m feeling physically. But more than
that, I’ve been learning the value of being a bit more proactive -
looking at the day ahead and working out in advance what I can do at
known trigger points.
Step 1, I learned, was to take more care of me: proper food, enough
sleep and a bit of exercise. The old pattern was coffee and cigs for
breakfast, a big Mac for lunch (if I got time for any lunch), a meal
around 7pm in the evening. As Steve pointed out, starvation mode for
the better part of the following day with all the wrong food.
Step 2 - some exercise. A walk round the garden before breakfast
(Brit weather permitting), and a few leg-stretching interludes during
the day.
Step 3 - plan out how I’m going to deal with those mind numbingly
boring meetings, when I used to be hanging on for the coffee break,
getting increasingly irritated with all the hot air flying round the
room. Solution - being more aware of breathing properly, a bit of
surreptitious stretching, fruit juice/piece of fruit for the break, a
walk round. All energy boosters, which did a much better job than
smoking. Smoking used to be my solution to most things and was how I
reacted to whatever was going on in my day.
I’m feeling good in all this - still foggy but that’s easing a bit
now. This weekend I’ll be visiting my non smoking family who don’t
know yet that I quit a week ago. That’ll be interesting - my work
colleagues haven’t quite worked out yet why I’m not climbing the walls
in this quit. Wonder how my parents will react? I’ll tell you more
next week.
Anyway, I promised I’d jot my thoughts down in the hopes it might help
someone else. So, thank you to my coaches - I’m doing my homework and
thinking, thinking..
Jan
posting going on - but it would be good to hear how ppl are: any good
ABC’s being written/used, milestones been reached, difficulties or
struggles?
drive and installing Windows this week - twice over! Got my crashed
computer back up and running, and then the old creaking one thats kept
as a back up, went out in sympathy. Ha! piece of cake - gave that one
the treatment too, and now it too is working just fine. And all
achieved without any need to light up and smoke my way through it all.
Never would’ve believed that could be possible, 20 months ago!
March 1st, 2005 at 4:45 pm
Just to report in - 10 months quit as of Hallowe’en………..
As Steve reported in a group message about a week ago - I surely had a
Could not have gotten this far without the support of some great people
very hard time, at first, trying to hear Warren’s whispers in the midst
of the roar of disbelief my cold quit had led me to.
What saved me, I think, was my foundation statement………….which
reminded me that my decision for or against smoking - was also pretty
much a decision about breathing or not breathing………..
Eventually the concept of ABC’s began to make some sense…………
……………
Good luck to all the “newbies”
Jean
March 2nd, 2005 at 7:15 am
Congrats Jean. Most ppl find the last couple months to their first
year is a short hop. However, keep a prepared watch for the onset of
urges. Lots of quitters hit a rough stretch coming up on the first year
quit. My guess is that it has something to do with a fairly common fear of
success. The closer we get to success, the more we fear failure …. all
of which sets up all sorts of stress which was always a huge trigger and on
and on. Keep some of those cog concepts in mind and you’ll do fine.
Steve
March 2nd, 2005 at 5:21 pm
Add me to the few posts but still smoke free crowd. I’m seven months 9 days
quit and have now removed 40 pounds. Yes, I feel good and feel good about
myself.
My success has been a willingness accept that changing my life (which only
started with quitting smoking) was going to involve some initial
uncomfortable situations. Cog thinking was a key tool in achieving this, so
take it from me you are in the right place to get the tools and encouragement
you need to quit and stay quit.
I still try to read all the posts as I find little hints that help me
continue on this journey.
I want to especially thank my sister Cat for all of the late nite (for her on
the East coast) chats, encouragement and help with ABC’s.
I wish you all sucess, health and happiness
Bobbie
March 2nd, 2005 at 11:21 pm
Hi one and all - just letting you know that I’m almost 10 months
cognitively quit - similar to Jean and, I think, Gail. I’ve been
very much a lurker in recent months: I was abroad for the summer,
and since coming home have been dealing with some domestic upheavals -
none of which have triggered any urges to smoke whatsoever.
I did click on to cogquitting quite quickly - but understanding the
concept was the foundation for this quit of mine - I had to ‘put in
time’ doing the work - the lists, the ABC’s - until it became part of
who I am now, Ms exsmoker.
One thing though…….do share how its going with the group, don’t
plod away on your own. This is what the group is all about -
learning from each other. It helped me so much to read how people
were dealing with x, y and z. I am so grateful I found this place -
or, was I ‘found’ ?
Katie
posting going on - but it would be good to hear how ppl are: any
good ABC’s being written/used, milestones been reached, difficulties
or struggles?
drive and installing Windows this week - twice over! Got my crashed
computer back up and running, and then the old creaking one thats
kept as a back up, went out in sympathy. Ha! piece of cake - gave
that one the treatment too, and now it too is working just fine. And
all achieved without any need to light up and smoke my way through it
all. Never would’ve believed that could be possible, 20 months ago!