No More Malboros

|
Guess what? I quit smoking! That's right. Tues night @ 11p was my last cigarette. Here we are friday at about noon and I haven't touched one. It's hard, but I can only think of the money I save. The experience floods me with emotions, cravings, and insights. I'll keep them posted here.

Reasons Jim Weller Doesn't smoke anymore

  • The money. Smoking cigarettes costs a lot of money. Here's the math for my pack-a-day habit $5 * 007 days == $35/wk $5 * 030 days == $150/mo $5 * 365 days == $1,825/yr $2000 a year! A year! I've been smoking since I was 14 and cigarettes were $3 a pack. That means I've spent almost $15,000 on cigarettes. I'm going to put that $2000 to good use.
  • My health. Man....there are so many fun activities to do in this state. Hiking, biking, kayaking, running, dancing, and sex. I'm gonna get in on it all. Everybody knows I'm going to be filthy rich. I just want to be alive and healthy to enjoy it.
  • Women. Rule of economics: bigotry always reduces your potential customer pool. Because I had that disgusting habit, I was excluded from a lot of lovely ladies' customer pools. That only left a handful of tolerant women. Now I'm taking my marketability up a notch!
  • Maturity. Somebody told me recently that I don't have any will power. I want to thank that person (fugger), for forcing me to prove I do. Stand back world! Symptom's of Quitting
  • Anger. Man want to get so short with people. Don't. Its not there fault. If you think you have a hard time. Think about me on that customer service phone call.
  • Hunger. The sense of empty lungs and the hand to mouth craving will generally lead to snacking and munching. Again, Don't. You've made the resolve to be good to yourself. Don't subvert it by over eating. Food won't fill your lungs and you have to kick the hand to mouth habit eventually.
  • Sweats. Man carry some deodorant or perfume. If you were a heavy smoker, your body will note the chemical difference internally. You'll get chills and sweats as your body shakes the nicotine and remembers how to process oxygen.
  • Restlessness. The psychological effects can be irritating. Like you've got something pent up. Like being 13 again. Just stay calm on the outside. Find something constructively fidgety. I've got a yo-you that's helping me vent my restless energy. How Jim Weller is quitting smoking.
  • Have a friend. My roommate Caroline is quitting with me. Our support of each other is the most powerful thing we have going.
  • Save your money. Take all the money that you spend on cigarettes in a day or a week and put it in a container. Watch it grow. You'll be surprised how much of your precious cash went up in smoke!
  • Redefine you rituals. If you look closely at your smoking patterns you'll find that there are certain smoking times you have. They are habits originally formed out of convenience. Like 'during lunch', 'in the car', 'after dinner smoke'. These are the killer times! You need to have a ritual that you perform at those times to acknowledge you change in habit. Caroline and I chose to drop quarters into our savings jars. It's a multi sensory signal ( audial, visual, tactive, mobile) that physiologically re-enforces you goals.
  • Breathe. Everytime you're caught wanting a cigarette, examine the urge. Physiological. Your body has been replacing oxygen with nicotine and carbon monoxide. It is confused by the oxygen and you bodies sense of inertia craves it. Smoking is a habit in the pavlovian sense. Sights, sounds, smells like the dinner bell all trigger your need for a cigarette. Try to pin point the exact thing that is giving you the urge. Is it your friend smoking? Is it the lighter you see? Is it just where the sun is hanging in the sky? Are you just bored? Find the cause and deny it.
  • Be busy. It's seems like a constant in our culture that consumption is the universal solution to boredom. I had that problem as a kid. I wanted goodies to deal with the doldrums. It looks like I didn't really shake that general habit. I smoke when I'm bored now. Well know more destructively apathetic consumption for me. Now I'm keeping active; Either thinking, dinking, or playing.
  • Understand. Remember that when you decided to quit it wasn't a plane ride or a stay at a non-smoking hotel. When you quit it's not just a break from smoking. You won't be able to smoke after a statute of limitations. This is forever. Is that the decision you made?
  • Be honest. You're making promise to yourself. If you made a promise to someone else ( a loved one), would you break it? No! Do the same for yourself. Remember your promise.
  • No cheating. My roommate still smokes. You don't know how hard it was to not grab one of his cigarettes while he was asleep and satisfy my urges. But that would be dishonest and would only make things worse. Remember, this is forever!
    YOU CAN DO IT!