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Tomorrow you will embark on Session Five, and a very important session it is.
Quitting is a celebration, not a sacrifice, so make sure you prepare yourself with a positive attitude. There’s nothing to grieve for, yet so much to celebrate – first and foremost your sense of self-control.
Here is some simple and straightforward advice to make things easier in the first days of cessation.
Call your dentist and make an appointment to have your teeth cleaned. Get rid of the stains and feel that sense of freshness in your mouth that you will now sustain.
Throw all your cigarettes away. Don’t leave any lying around, as they’ll beam and hum and rattle to get your attention. Take them out to the garbage where they belong, with no pity and no hesitation. And please don’t ‘forget’ any anywhere!
Nicotine, like any other drug, has its rituals and you may pine at times for these little rituals of yours. Make it easier for yourself by simply getting rid of all the peripheral accessories, such as your favorite lighters and ashtrays, and whatever else is related to your smoking habit.
Put a toothbrush in your bag, and brush your teeth more often just as a form of oral gratification.
Get some sugar-free chewing gum. It will keep your mouth active and refresh your breath.
It would be helpful if you could do a thorough clean-up of your home environment. Wash your clothes and bed linen – even your curtains and bed cover. If you smoked in your car, give that a good clean too.
You will probably need to change a few habits that are closely related to smoking, such as drinking your coffee. The association between coffee and cigarettes may be so strong that you won’t enjoy your coffee and will suffer a tremendous craving for a cigarette. Instead of coffee, drink fresh juice. Fresh juice and a cigarette don’t really go together. If you need your coffee in the morning, drink a short espresso on the way to work, or buy yourself a gorgeous looking espresso machine as a well-deserved reward. These little espressos will give you the caffeine buzz that you are after, yet you can slurp them in one go and so avoid the ritual of coffee and cigarette. Also be aware that without nicotine in your system you absorb twice as much caffeine. So lean on the juice in the first couple of weeks, or otherwise you may become anxious and snappy from caffeine overload.
Alcohol is a big challenge. Psychoactive drugs tend to work better in couples, there’s a chain reaction in the brain - one drug activates certain faculties another enhances the effects or intervenes with the re-uptake mechanism of the natural hormone. Also it is so socially common and accepted to have a drink and a smoke. The choice is yours – if you feel like having a drink and you think you can handle it, than go for it. Millions of people drink and not smoke, you can too. However if the challenge is to big, why risk it? Take it easy for a while and rid your nicotine addiction first. You have to remind yourself that you are on a mission and you have to be discerning with your priorities.
If you have the habit of smoking a cigarette in the morning to get your bowels going, you may want to think about another strategy. A good bowel movement in the morning is not something you want to compromise, so have some prune juice instead. You can make it at home yourself or, alternatively, go to your favorite health store and ask them what natural laxatives they have. Also drink a large glass of water in the morning and do a couple of simple exercises. Or walk around the block for fifteen minutes to get your body going. In short, find what works for you and implement it. Don’t neglect this issue and feel miserable, there’s no need. Smoking is not the only laxative; there are much better ways to get you going.
Think about your habits and make sure you are aware of the sensitive spots. If you smoke when you drive, ask a non-smoking friend to give you a lift for a few days, or take the bus or a cab. Whatever you do – do not succumb. If you automatically light a smoke when you are on the phone, cut your conversations short. Everything can wait – your health and wellbeing are much more urgent and important. Be aware, be aware. Get out of the routine and the automatic pilot mode and bring awareness on the scene.
Quitting is a celebration and you will feel the joy in every day of freedom. But you may also become edgy and irritable as a natural withdrawal reaction. It will pass; it is only a temporary adaptation period. Don’t indulge in any misery that befalls you. You are a winner and a winner tolerates hardship with dignity.
Ask people around you to understand your circumstances, and to forgive you if you are snappy. You don’t have to rely only on yourself and your own faculties. Part of the process is about leaning on others in times of need. If you need support, ask for it with no hesitation whatsoever: that’s what friends are for.
Pay attention to your eating habits. Do your best not to replace the need for a cigarette with overeating or constant munching on sweets. The best way to look at your smoking cessation is as a part of a bigger plan for a better lifestyle, including a proper diet. Don’t be too strict, however. If a chocolate bar helps you forget the desire for a cigarette, then eat it. If you gain a couple of pounds along the way, that’s not the end of the world. We will deal with this later to make sure you lose them and maintain a good weight.
Use the Bulletin Board on The Arena. You are anonymous there, so feel free to open up by sharing your thoughts and feelings.
Reward yourself – do something you’ve desired to do but didn’t dare. It might be parachuting out of an airplane, or swimming with dolphins. You could indulge yourself at the best spa, have a really good massage, get tickets to a concert or a show, or spend a weekend away. Only you know what you like, and you deserve it – so go for it!
Always remind yourself why you’re doing what you are doing. If you remember why, you can trust that the way to go about it will become clear. You have the strength; you can rely on yourself. You are stronger and more determined than you realize. You are a winner! |
