Alberta Quits Group

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Alberta Quits

5026

This group is for quitters from Alberta both new and migrating from Alberta Quits allowing us to...

5026

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Thought for today

Saturday Smile

Teach

2 hours 2 hrs

6,828 Days Quit

Repost:  Emotional Coping Tools I Have Found

Excellent suggestions here.
Amazing repost.
Have a super Saturday.
Cara
D6828

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Emotional Coping Tools I Have Found
From BilliB on 5/25/2003 11:56:08 PM

In an earlier post this evening the subject was brought up about the emotional connection and smoking. I have really watched this part unfold in my quit.

Since the early days of my quit, when I was in detox after 40 + years of smoking....... I am lucky to be so healthy as I am. In the beginning of my quit everything was CRS. Nothing made any sense and the cravings went up and down and I just had to fight my way through that part.

As the days, weeks, months went along I really watched my craving patterns. Each time I would really want to smoke, I found that I was being challenged by something in my life. I wanted that crutch, that little bit of reassurance that a smoke would give me. Never did I come close to lighting up, but the urge/thinking was pretty strong sometime.

Here are a few techniques I have learned and use to *follow the string of my emotions*

When upset, do deep breathing to get yourself back in balance. Focus on slowing down your breathing. When we are upset, we are moving fast with our emotions and need to slow down. We can't sort things out when our emotions are flying around uncontrolled.

Think about what is REALLY upsetting you. (not just that you had a fight with someone.......) What are you feeling ? the feeling that is deeper then the anger. Stop and figure out what is really happening on a gut level. Don't be a quick to blame everything on the other person.......

Stop all the negative talk in your head. Not easy, but that is the goal. Learn to think kinder thoughts about yourself. You are a good person and you would not be friends with someone who treated you as awful as you treat yourself.

Work with positive affirmations. What you think about, what you believe is what you bring into your life. Get excited about your quit, be sure to always honor how wonderful your life is without nicotine as the center of everything you do.

I hope these ideas give some thoughts to ponder during your quit. Life is full of new twists and turns all the time. As nicotine addicts we tend to reach for our *comfort stick* if even in our minds.

Smoking is no longer an option in my life. I smoked well over my quota and one day at a time, I make the choice not to smoke again.

Billi

Repost: Emotional Coping Tools I Have Found

Excellent suggestions here.
Amazing repost.
Have a super Saturday.
Cara
D6828

***************************************************************************************************

Emotional Coping Tools I Have Found
From BilliB on 5/25/2003 11:56:08 PM

In an earlier post this evening the subject was brought up about the emotional connection and smoking. I have really watched this part unfold in my quit.

Since the early days of my quit, when I was in... Show more

Teach

2 hours 2 hrs

6,828 Days Quit

Good morning all
Happy Saturday!!!!

Nasty stomach bug. I had one of my kids throw up at school the other day and suspect that is what hit me yesterday. Feeling a bit better today. May try and run to the store once my meds are delivered. Not sure what all I will get up to today but I can tell you smoking will not be happening here. Saying NO to smoking and keeping to my path on the Freedom Road. I offer my hand in friendship and support to the next winning quitter joining me kicking ash to the cur... Show more

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Thought for today

Friday Smile

Teach

yesterdayyesterday

6,828 Days Quit

Repost: Until one is committed

I am not 100% sure who originally posted this and if I have it titled correctly and should you know, I would be happy to give the correct title and credit to the original poster.
I love the message and how you can apply it to your quit. You have to commit to the process. Take smoking off the table and take your power back.
Quitting is doable - not always easy but doable.
KTQ
Cara
D6827
... Show more

Teach

yesterdayyesterday

6,828 Days Quit

Good morning all
Happy Friday!!!!!

I am sick today so going to take the day off. Here to pledge and think I will go back to bed. Saying NO to smoking and kicking that ash to the curb. Who will join me on the Freedom Road today?
Have a great day
Cara
D6827

3Y 11M
Life Saved
$101,381
Money Saved
184,329
Unsmoked

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Thought for Today

Thursday Smile

Repost: Removing the Brainwash

Short and sweet - this is one worth printing and posting where you can read it as needed or keeping with you to read as needed.

Smoking does nothing for us people! Stop believing the lies.
KTQ
Cara
D6826
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Subject: Removing the Brainwash
From: Michaellevy
Date: 2014-07-01 08:13:16
Message:
I will not smoke today or ever again, because I am not missing... Show more

Good morning all
Happy Thursday to you!

Up and going for the day today. Subbing again and it is very snowy so I need to pledge and get on the road. Saying NO to smoking and keeping to my path along the Freedom Road. I am offering my hand to the next winner joining me kicking ash to the curb today.
Have a great day
Cara
D6826

3Y 11M
Life Saved
$101,366
Money Saved
184,302
Unsmoked

Show previous comments (2)

Thought for Today

Wednesday Smile

Repost:  Why "One Day at a Time" - Living in the NOW!

I really like this.   Yes we need to learn from the past, but we succeed by living and moving forward in the present.
KTQ
Cara
D6825

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When you’re new (and even when you’re not new!) life can be pretty overwhelming sometimes.

We can spend a lot of time assessing blame and dwelling in the past "if onlys" and preach about "what everyone else "needs" to or "should" do" but in reality, we have one primary purpose here: to help the person still using tobacco to quit. Our secondary purpose is to provide support to those struggling to maintain their smoke-free life. How do we do this? One day at a time...

Maybe it would be easier if there was a quitting smoking island or something where you could go and paint watercolors and listen to Beethoven symphonies until you feel strong in your quit, but there isn’t. You still have to live life, go to work, walk down the streets, deal with people, places and things, all of whom could cause problems, stress and many of which we perceive (because our inner addict is a liar and wants to kill us) "smoking triggers” in the past.

Maybe it was great if we could sit around all day and make a list of blame or fault or responsibility as if any of this would help us quit - it won't.

So, what we do is we focus on this not smoking thing just one day at a time. “One Day at a Time” is hardly a ground-breaking phrase or concept: it’s been around for centuries.

When we spend too much time focusing on the past (creating nostalgia or regret or blaming or making excuses or whatever) or the future (which can elicit hope, but also a lot of fear, since the future is unknowable), we’re not living in the NOW and therefore missing the whole point of life and living – we only have right now – the past is gone, the future not yet here – so why focus on anything other than right now whether that be to quit smoking or do anything else?

This does not mean we don’t care at all about examining what we may have done in the past to inform us on what to do or not do today, or forget about the future entirely, it just means that we try to have a more balanced approach and stop telling ourselves stories about "those good old days" or "what we deserve" or what "we're afraid of."

If we try to take on too much at one time it certainly will lead to disaster because we are loading ourselves up with guilt, fault or blame about the past, or worries and stress about a day that has not even arrived. Again, your inner addict is a liar and wants to kill you.

One day at a time is even a more sensible approach to quit smoking – we focus on not smoking today, or even 1 hour or 10 minutes at a time when need be – certainly even a person with just 8 hours without smoking can not smoke for another 10 minutes!

This breaks it down to a more manageable set of time within which to focus. We can breathe, relax, meditate for 10 minutes – we can stand on our heads – whatever it takes.

Here are a few things to try as you move through this:

Repost: Why "One Day at a Time" - Living in the NOW!

I really like this. Yes we need to learn from the past, but we succeed by living and moving forward in the present.
KTQ
Cara
D6825

*******************************************************************************************

When you’re new (and even when you’re not new!) life can be pretty overwhelming sometimes.

We can spend a lot of time assessing blame and dwelling in the past "if onlys" and preach about "what everyone else "needs" to or... Show more

Show previous comments (1)

Good morning all
Happy Hump Day!

I owe, I owe, off to work I go. Subbing in the south today so want to get out the door and on the road. Smoking is not going to be part of my day not today or any day thanks much. Saying NO to smoking and YES to my walk along the Freedom Road. I offer my hand to the next winner joining me kicking ash to the curb today.
Have a good one
Cara
D6825

3Y 11M
Life Saved
$101,351
Money Saved
184,275
Unsmoked

Show previous comments (3)

Thought for today

Tuesday Smile

Repost:  For the Strugglers Today

This is a great post.  Our quits are seldom linear - we have ups and downs as we progress and I remember being very upset when I would have a huge down past when I thought I should have one.  I often questioned if this process would ever get better- I can tell you from personal experience it does!
Have a good one.
Cara
D6824

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For the strugglers today
From zguy on 10/5/2007 12:01:29 PM

This means a lot to me. VegasHal qmailed me this on day 19of a former quit. I thought the old Nicodemon was gone, and let my guard down, and he jumped on my back, I was going crazy, and heading to the store for smokes. But I posted, and got a lot of help and support from the wonderful people on the Q.

Hope this helps you just for today.

You want a cigarette: Do I? What do I want? Specifically? What about the cigarette do I crave? Okay, fine. Maybe I want the "ahhh" feeling. But, wait, I'm through withdrawal. The first cigarette won't even give me the "ahhh" feeling anymore, because the "ahhh" feeling came from nicotine's ability to stave off the early withdrawal I felt after not smoking for 30 minutes or an hour. Now that I'm no longer in withdrawal, I'll only get dizzy and sickly from the first one, and that first one will be followed by the next one and the next one as I search for the "ahhh" feeling, and long before I ever get the "ahh" feeling, I'll realize I'm hooked again. Heck, I'll realize it after the first one.

You can handle just one: Can I? Why is it that in the past when I said that to myself, it didn't work out like I planned? If I could get by on just one, why didn't I smoke just one every now and again when I smoked, instead of smoking all of those other ones I didn't want? No. There is no such thing as just one for me, or the other greater than 90% of the smokers out there who smoke whenever their addiction demands that they smoke.

You NEED just this one: Do I really believe that I NEED to inhale hundreds of toxic chemicals into my lungs to get through this given situation? Do I really believe that I need to recommit to my addiction so that I can dull the feelings associated with this situation.

This crave is going to last forever, this crave is unbearable, quitting is just TOO DAMN HARD: Okay, what does this crave really feel like? How long is it lasting? Is it really lasting all day long? Or, is my fear of the crave, and my fear of failure, or my fear of success, making me THINK about it all day long? For how many seconds have I actually WANTED to put a cigarette in my mouth, light it and inhale, as opposed to just being anxious about my lifestyle change, and all of the things associated with it. Am I feeling anxiety? Or am I really wanting a cigarette? Will smoking a cigarette make me feel better or worse than I do? Furthermore, I KNOW from talking to all the former smokers around me that this isn't what being an ex-smoker feels like! I'm in the latter stages of withdrawal, and the early stages of reconditioning my life to NOT revolve around my addiction. Soon, I will be feeling a lot better, and I'll have a hard time remembering how hard this has been. It's only hard for a while.
Hope this helps someone. It saved me !!

Conrad

Repost: For the Strugglers Today

This is a great post. Our quits are seldom linear - we have ups and downs as we progress and I remember being very upset when I would have a huge down past when I thought I should have one. I often questioned if this process would ever get better- I can tell you from personal experience it does!
Have a good one.
Cara
D6824

***************************************************************************************************************

For the strugglers today
From zguy on 10/5/2007 12:01:29 PM

This... Show more

Good morning all
Happy Tuesday!!!!
Up and going for the day today. In my office again for the day. I am not going to be smoking as that simply is not allowed on the Freedom Road. Saying NO to smoking and kicking more ash to the curb. I offer my hand to the next winner joining me.
Have a great day
Cara
D6824

3Y 11M
Life Saved
$101,336
Money Saved
184,248
Unsmoked

Show previous comments (2)

Alberta Quits

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