A Favourite Thing:Giving up Smoking (Giving Up Smoking in General)

Member Name: mattydalton

Product:	Giving Up Smoking in General
Date:	06/08/02 (459 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Money, Health, Smell better

Disadvantages: Cravings

As some of you will know I went on holiday a couple of weeks ago. When i got up on the first morning there, I decided to pack in the evil we call smoking. It was Friday 19th July 05:30 when I had my last cigarette. I've listened to many different people about the different ways to give up. I have received advice varying from chewing gum to drinking water. I decided to sod all the aids and just do it. At the end of the day, I started all by myself, so why can't I stop all by myself?

I decided to give it a go on my holiday as I would be free to light up any time I felt like it. I wasn't restricted to having one when I was on a ciggie-break at work. I found that this gave me the most temptation. I went on holiday with eight other people, four of whom smoke, and two had recently given up. What better way to quit than around smoke and ex-smokers. To be honest, it hasn't really bothered me so far, I have had the odd bad mood, but nothing drastic. Whenever I feel like having one, I just eat something, or make a cup of tea, etc.. Keeping myself busy seems to distract me from the craving quite well.

I spent pretty much every night of my holiday in the pub, surrounded by people who were smoking. It is reckoned that this is the most difficult time to beat the habit, but I actually found it quite the opposite. I felt quite smug in the knowledge that I didn't need a ciggie like everybody else who was lighting up twice as often as they usually would, purely because of the atmosphere. To be quite honest, once I had got through the first day of not smoking, my frame of mind changed. I now think if I can get through one day without a ciggie, I can get through everyday without one. When you think about it, beating an addiction is just a battle of the mind. All it requires is a stronger conscious mind than sub-conscious. It is your sub-conscious mind that makes you think you want something, but it is your conscious mind that makes you actually do
it. It's all about self-control, or will-power as it is also known.

I got back from my holiday on saturday, and had to work saturday night. I work in a taxi office, and always found that I need a ciggie more than usual there, due to the stress of dealing with drunks on the phone, and the pressure of the amount of calls coming in. To give you an idea, in six hours, I would say I answer over a thousand calls. It can prove quite stressful sometimes, especially when you are the target of verbal abuse, or you get some snob being hoity-toity with you. I hate that. Whoops, I'm drifting slightly... Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I thought my big test would be getting through work without smoking. It was tough, but I did it. I went home happy, and set myself a target of getting through the next day without smoking. Again, sundays can be stressful at work, but again I managed to do it.

I read an article recently which was basically saying that a problem only seems to be unbeatable before you start upon tackling it. I certainly found this to be true. I thought it was impossible to give up smoking, but once I made a start, and got through the first day, I found that it wasn't as big a problem as I thought. Another thing which I think has helped me is that I don't like failure. I have now told everybody that I have stopped smoking, and I feel that I would look stupid if I started again. I think there is no point giving up if you are going to start again. I have never tried to give up before, but I reckon I'll succeed on my first attempt.

A lot of people put the money they save by not smoking in a jar to watch it mount up. I have decided to go and put a bet on at the bookies everyday. I bet three pound a day, meaning I'm still one pound fifty a day better off anyway, but I also have the chance of winning some more money. If I lose, it doesn't matter, as I wouldn't have had that money anyway.

To anybody trying to g
ive up, I would just say remember that a problem is only big before you start it. When you have a big pile of washing to do, you think you'll never get through it, but once you start, it soon gets finished. It's the same with somking, in my eyes. Luckily, I have not experienced feelings of rage or desperation like some people, but if this happens to you, don't let it beat you, it's all in the mind. If you really want to do it, you will. It's just a case of how much you want to succeed.

I decided to write about my experiences over the past 19 days as a favourite thing, as I thought it quite apt, considering it is a tribute to the fourth anniversary of Jill Murphy beating cancer. Hopefully I have beaten cancer before it has even reached me.

"Jill Murphy asked me to write about one of my favourite things to help her celebrate her fourth anniversary of cancer-free living and to remind ourselves of all the nice things in the world. It takes more muscles to make a frown than a smile you know. If you'd like to join in, whether you've only just joined dooyoo, or you've been here ages, you're more than welcome. Just write about one of YOUR favourite things, make your title "A Favourite Thing: [your choice]" and include this paragraph at the foot of your opinion. And post before Friday, 9th August."

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