I have to confess that I haven’t completely quit smoking. I do still often go several days without smoking, and I no longer think about cigarettes all the time. But I have the occasional smoke from time to time, especially when I run into friends who are smokers. I will invoke the 80/20 principle here- I’ve reduced my smoking by roughly 80%, but that last 20% will certainly take immense amounts of effort and energy that could be better spent elsewhere.
For now, I am content with my substantially decreased level and frequency of smoking, and I will divert the bulk of my attention towards other things that would improve my quality of life- my fitness and diet, for instance. I know that this sounds like I’m making an excuse to continue smoking– but this is not the same. I used “quit smoking” on multiple occasions, but every time I failed I would revert to my full habit.
This time, I’m looking at it progressively- I go cold turkey for a period of time, and when I succumb to the cravings and impulses, I do it in a calculated and structured way that allows me to maximise the utility gained while minimising the quantity consumed. I am really, truly smoking less and less- for the first time since I started smoking. I think cigarettes will continue to be a part of my life and identity, especially while I’m in NS, where I find that smoking is really good social lubricant. But I will continue to smoke less and less.
Would you be interested in reading about how I got started to begin with, and how it became a part of my life? If I get some favourable comments, I’ll do an entry!
ya, i am SO FUCKING INERESTED.
Hahaha! What are you even doing here?
interested! because i’ve been smoking for two years and i’m curious.
Hey I agree with you! Please do share your story of how you got started. I started smoking during NS too, and for now, it’s drawing closer to my ORD date. Similarly, I found no reason to stop because it was such an excellent social lubricant. (much better and cost effective than alcohol imo though I love my liquor and beers)
However, I found that true addiction comes about when first, you start to do things alone. ie, when you first bought that pack out of camp and smoked without your buddies by yourself. Secondly, when you start having a routine for it, because in BMT we had smoke breaks. Morning aft breakfast smoke, after lunch smoke, after dinner smoke. It gives you something to look forward to, because you know what’s coming after a stressful day or after a good meal. It hooks onto you because I personally believe that smoking is mostly a psychological addiction. Sure there are physical withdrawal symptoms like what you’ve have experienced – I did to, when i tried to quit cold turkey for fun, but it’s the psychological element that makes it so addictive. Stress: smoke. Sian: smoke. Emo: smoke. Happy/Celebrating: smoke. Eat: smoke. Hungry: smoke… you get my drift. Some say it’s more difficult to quit smoking than to stop doing heroin. Scary huh.
Haha. I’m still smoking, so…
haha please do make that post soon, about how you got started. 🙂
oh, right, right! after my A’s okay