Cognitive Quit Smoking

Hi everyone, It has been a month today since I quit smoking!!
WoooooHoooo!! I am really happy about that! Probably just as happy
as my 7 yr old daughter My quit would not have happened without this wonderful site.
I thank you so much steve, for everything you have done for me and
are still doing. It is greatly appreciated.
I post my Foundation Statements in my home and office and read them
often. What we “think” sooooo determines what we “do”!!! I have
learned to apply this to many other things in my life.
We can all do this if we really want to!
Thanks again steve
Nancy

Well today seems better mentally. Although, I have been fighting an
ear infection for a week and ended up back at the clinic this a.m.
for different meds cuz the other antibiotics didn’t work for me.
Hopefully I’ll be on the road to recovery soon; I always wanted to
smoke more when I wasn’t feeling well so maybe that’s part of
the “extra” crave yesterday because it’s sometimes easier to give in
when you’re not feeling well than it is to fight.
I’m glad I fought the crave yesterday cuz I’m sure glad today that I
didn’t smoke. I know that if I have one puff I’ll want more so
that’s not an option for me.
Well it’s back to work for me since I missed a good portion of the
morning sitting at the walk-in clinic so we’ll talk at you all later.
Chow for now
Joynoel

Joy wrote: “Everyone is entitled to have a bad day once in a while.”
I expect bad days. At least as often (if not more often) than good days.
But then I’ve been accused of being a pessimist so maybe my perspective is
a bit slanted. I wonder…. if I could choose which days will be the
bad days …. would it make make bad days any easier?
Have you ever been in a situation where you smoked much more than usual?
Some stressful or unusual situation where you seemed to light up one cig
shortly after the other? Whatever it was that created the situation, your
body was sending constant cues that it ‘needed’ a response and that
response, of course, was to smoke another.
Here’s a rule of thumb for dealing with rough days: Expect to stretch and
deep breathe AT LEAST as often as you would have lit a cigarette.
The first 3 days of stepping off nic are almost always an uncomfortable
experience. Think of it as having a ‘temporary condition’ that requires
that you ‘provide treatment’ almost constantly, every 20 minutes or so, for
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Well the work day is almost over for me and I actually found today to
be quite difficult. I’ve been very tense all day.
The worst time was at 1:30 this afternoon when there was no one else
in the office and I got a craving. For some strange reason I find it
easier when there are ppl around me in the office because then I don’t
feel tempted by the cigarette “butts” in the warehouse. I even went
so far as to walk out to the warehouse and “check them out”. It took
me a while to talk myself out of doing what I know I don’t want to do
(SMOKE) - I put the phones on call forwarding and went for a walk
around the outside of the building and when I got back in I phoned a
non-smoking buddy (She quit 4 years ago) and talked with her until
someone came back to the office.
So far today I’ve managed to bite my lower lip to the point that it’s
swollen and of course is now the “centre of attention”, my shoulders
are so tense that when I stretch - they crack (I am however, going to
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I was quite spoiled while I was on the patch and didn’t really
notice how much so until I went off it on Monday. It really wasn’t
quite time yet as I had only done 2 weeks of the 21 mg, 2 weeks of
the 14 mg and not quite a week of the 7 mg.
I happened to get 1/2 way to work one morning before I realized that
I hadn’t put the patch on so decided that was a sign to go off it
entirely.
That was Monday. Today is Wednesday and I’m finding myself thinking
more and more about cigarettes (smoking) than I did over the past
month.
I know this is because I am no longer getting the nicotine in my
system so I am more conscious of that fact and I am stopping every
hour to stretch, breathe and take note of how my body is feeling.
For the most part, I am quite tense in the shoulders and neck, have
quite shallow breathing (Sometimes I’m not breathing at all - find
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Hello to all…
I quit on Sept. 2, 2005. I’m doing okay but I’m experiencing some pain
in my lungs. It’s like a soreness. Anyone else feel like that?
~Beth

This is a excerpt from an article that was in a Toronto newspaper quite
some time ago. Dr Barry Simon, a
Toronto psychiatrist, is the author.
“Learning to kick back and relax is invaluable
The ability to shift into a relaxed calm, centered state of mind during the
very moment you need it most is a valuable transformational skill.
Being able to go from anxious, sad, frustrated to a calmer and more alert
space is one of the most important skills to master. So many people I work
with in psychotherapy feel compelled, driven, tense. In this state of mind,
options are limited and regrets over what you say or do are common.
This physical”stuck” experience can be better understood by taking a closer
look at the human brain. It has an ancient physiological system to deal
with danger, one that is present throughout the animal kingdom.
This system is called the limbic brain - it’s what instructs you to slam on
the brake in the car when you see a cyclist cut in front of you. It reacts
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Hello everyone!
I’m Kiz, 33, from England in the UK. I quit smoking on 18th August at 9:00
am, so will be celebrating one month smoke free on Sunday. *smiles* I’m not
yet free of nicotine because I’m using the patch while I deal with breaking
my habit, as I’m aware that for me, the psychological aspect is stronger
than the physical (drug/chemical) addiction.
And now for some rambling thoughts… LOL…
I say ‘quit’ because that’s the common term but I feel that the word ‘quit’
or ‘quitting’ is often associated with loss or failure and the giving up of
something, which can have negative connotations. While I am giving up
smoking, I feel it’s much more positive to think of myself as gaining the
desire and control not to smoke and all the positive benefits that is
bringing to my life. I am taking control and making a decision not to smoke.
This puts me in charge and the habit beneath me. All I have to do is say no
and mean it. And this time around, I really do mean it and am focused.
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There are several new quitters out there that I know of and at least a few
more I don’t know about. How have you been doing? Run into problems? Most
quitters will have a rough time, most of us have quit several times. Let us
help you work it through. Any one need help with timers or ABCs? Anyone
need help to get started again?
Quitting and staying quit is doable. Just takes some focused work, we can
help. Post here or email either Pam or myself.
phew@…
steve@…
Steve

…….. all know I will be having my surgery Tue. Sept 13th.
Check in time is 9.m. and surgery is about 11 a.m.
I should be in the hospital ( without computer ) for 1 to 3 days.
I will be back after I get home… Steve…….
I will post the timers and my ABC’s and everything when I get back.
My small notebook and my folder is packed ready to go !
Untill then …. <3 …Bonnie