Tuesday Thoughts - On quitting smoking...
Ummm... My name is Matejka and I have a confession to make... One that I'm not particularly proud of. I have a smoking "career" for 20 years now (started vey stupidly with only 16). Last months I've been thinking very intensively about quitting that habit... I think I have a guilt trip over my bad habit and I don't even feel joy when I smoke, like I used to before...I wonder if the time has finally come to finally QUIT?
There is not much use of blah-blah-ing about that issue much, but I was wondering what stopped me from doing that before. I figured out that it has become a habit, a certain way of a lifestyle. And NOT very good or healthy one. When I feel nervous, I light up a cigarette... When I feel bored, I light up a cigarette. When I have a lot of work to do, I light up a cigarette. When I go out, I smoke (with or without company for it). It has become daily routine and I don't like the feeling of something (even so trivial) having control over me. I think I might be ready (if one is ever actually ready for anything) to set myself free at last. I don't think it is an easy thing to do, but if you want to see the change in your life in general, you have to become that change you want to see. Right?
So, what does change when person stops to smoke?
I still can't tell you first hand, but hopefully I will soon be able to. This is what should change, coming from people who experienced it (and some common sense):
Lower chance of hearth or lung diseases
That should be a number one reason. We all know smoking harms our health. But, at some point we just become more aware of that fact. I would like to see my grandchildren one day and still be alive and able to play with them. I would like to be there for my son later in life and if you think, but really think about that, you come to a breaking-point.
Better sense of taste
Many people who stop smoking tend to get some weight. But it's easier to loose kilos after then still have cigarettes for lunch and dinner. I've heard many ex-smokers saying that food all of the sudden tasted so better once they've finally quit. Tongue buds just feel the food and drink taste differently and more intense. I can't wait to discover that (I am a gourmand and I love to prepare delicious meals...Maybe they're even tastier that I can tell?).
Better smell
Not only you will smell better, but you will sense scents in a different way. I had this awkward situation with a guy I was seeing who told me I put too much perfume and that is, probably because I can not smell it myself. Felt bad and ashamed at first, but on a second thought, I realise he was right. F**k!
Improved financies
We have to mention that aspect, too. That is an important one, too. I realised I spend from 100 -130 euros a month only for cigarettes. Think of all the other things you can treat yourself with that extra cash. It's like - you're in that self-destructive mode doing yourself bad and paying money for it. Damn!
Lighter hangovers (on going-out nights)
When I go out or hang with my friends and consume some alcohol, I tend to smoke even more (like most of the smokers). The next day, it's not 'just alcohol and dehydration that makes you feel like s**t (do I have to censor myself here?:D), it is the cigarettes you've smoked. You're just of no use the next day (or that just comes with a certain age? :D)
Feeling better in general
Not much need to add anything to this one. You just do. You have more energy, you sleep better, you wake up fresher and you can climb that stairs to your third floor apartment without losing air. Sounds enough for me.
So, don't inhale - exhale ;)
Has the time to quit finally come?
My cousin gave me this electronic cigarette couple of months ago, but I didn't really paid much attention to it. Yesterday I felt so oversmoked that I went to a local store and got some low-nicotine liquids for it to start some sort of transitional phase from a smoker to happily-ever-after non-smoker.
“The truth is that everyone is bored, and devotes himself to cultivating habits.”
― Albert Camus
Are you a smoker, ex-smoker on non-smoker? Have some advice? Please share it with me and thank you for reading!
xoxo,
M.
Thank you Pixabay for free photos, you rock!
I quit about half a year ago and the thing that surprised me most is not the smell coming back or the money saved but the waste of time smoking is. I smoked 15-20 cigarettes a day and maybe for half of them I took an extra break, which amounted to at least half an hour per day. But for the other half I needed a bit extra time as well, plus I had to buy the cigarettes, I had to think of taking the stuff with me when going out and then the lighter was empty etc. Overall, I think I lost an entire hour every day to them and I got stressed more than I am now without them. That was a very strange realization.
My success trick to quitting was more sleep by the way. Maybe it helps you as well to spend 1-2 hours more in bed per day for a few weeks.
Well @doodlebear, it makes sense. I also spend waaay to much time daily on smoking and it’s not relaxing as it seems at first. It makes us even more nervous. And about that more sleep trick, I like that part a lot. I’ve been suffering from lack of sleep for some time now. Gonna go to bed earlier today and try it myself. It will sure do me good! Thanks for sharing it with me :)
As an ex smoker I can say that, at least for me, non of the benefits you mentioned are true. I dont have more money cause I spend it now on other things, hangovers still hurt, senses have not improved and coffee tastes ok now(with cigarettes it was awesome). For me benefits are: sense of pride in acomplishing this, clothes doesn't smell awfull anymore and I have stopped biting my nails. I quit after 14 years of smoking. I just took one day at a time
And how long are clear now?
13 months. With exception on new years eve. I promised my self i ll smoke few, and i did. But the following day i felt no need to smoke again
That’s a good deal with yourself. Hope to go your way too!
I would stay away from the electric thing. My advice is that you replace your ordinary cigarettes with rolling tobacco but go for the organic additive-free ones. In HR you can get Pueblo brand for example.
This way you will smoke pure natural tobacco without additives that actually makes you addicted and you will smoke less due to the rolling problem, and gradually you will find out that you are not addicted anymore, you will end up smoking only a few cigarettes a day,- only the ones that you really want. Also pick nonbleached pure hemp rolling papers.
There is soo many benefits from switching to natural tobacco. It requires some effort on your part, but it will pay off.
I know that maybe would be healthiest alternative to cigarettes, but I have give it a try before and didn’t really like it... And still wanted to smoke, smoke, smoke... Im ok for now, it’s my second day :)
You can do it :))
Still contains nicotine. And tar.
BTW, "DIY" ejuice mixing is the vaping equivalent of rolling one's on cigs. So you can slow consumption either way if you want.
I used to chew red man golden blend and i still kinda miss it to this day. Haven't touched it in 15 years
Ako prekineš s pušenjem, biču oduševljen! Moja majka je umrla zbog toga mnogo prerano jer nikad nije mogla prestati s time!!
@tombort
Zao mi je zbog mame :( Da znas da cu dati sve od sebe....<
Pa mislim, da ako sam pravilno izračunao, ti si baš u godinama moje majke, kad sam bio ja još vrlo malen! Pa ako prestaneš više od pola života tvog če biti mnogo lepših vremena.
smoking very harmful for us...
Go girl! :)
I started to smoke for a long while when I was 26 or 27, too late probably to really get addicted to it, so I had no problem to quit when I just got bored with it. I understand it's more difficult when the habit has been fostered and cultivated for so long... but I have no doubt you can do it :)
Hahah, pa znala sam da imamo toliko zajednickog :)
Smoker i to onoliki, decenijski.
Vidi, e-cigarete ok stvar, koristila, a onda mi pala razbila se i ja opet na duvanu.
E sad, motam pravi duvan, sve ono papirici, filteri, dobar duvan..Pa onda kad mi se pusi smotam. Znaci nema, jedna na drugu, ne gore brzinski i nema onog groznog ukusa i smrada u kuci..No, ako zelis da ostavis, onda nista, ni e-cigara ni duvan..Samo prekid..
Znam da moze, moja veca polovina ostavila jos pre dve godine i ako nije pored mene propusio opet, nikad nece :)
Tako da devojko, drzim fige!!!
Ide nekako, vucem ovu elektronsku...Nije to to( al dopizdilo mi malo vec stvaaarno...:) Hvala ti, komsinice! Od <3!
A danas nam je The day, i @peruzovic nam se pridruzio, bas sam happy!
Znam znam, restimovala ga vec i kuckala mu na fb instrukcije :) Ti ces da ga poucis jos malo oko tehnikalija :)
Bravo svaka čast podržavam te, prvih 20-ak dana je najteže barem sam tako čuo i pročitao , a onda poslije postaje sve lakše i lakše. Ima tu još puno prednosti od prestanka pušenja, a vjerojatno niti jedan nedostatak tako da samo hrabro.
Znam da meni pomaže kad god se rješavam neke loše navike da ju zamijenim nekom drugom boljom(možda kad ti se puši uzmi žvaku ili pojedi neku voćku).
Nadam se da sam bio bar malo od pomoći.
Sretno!