The first thing is you need to want to change. I recently had an interaction with someone who I thought wanted to quit smoking but learned that she did not. When you do not desire this change, no article, advice or anything will penetrate. I remember my midwife asking me to just consider the possibility of quitting smoking which I resumed after my daughter was born. It took another 10 years for me to make the big (and it was BIG) decision to quit. I had quit for a year previously twice and resumed smoking after a year. This time I meditated and asked how I could stay quit. It seemed more difficult each time, so I wanted to make it permanent this time and so far I have. It’s been 29 years since I’ve had a cigarette, so if you are looking for help to quit, read on. If not, skip to the next blog entry.
This is just my personal experience and not backed by any double blind Placebo controlled studies. I went through a weaning program switching from menthol to non-menthol, then gradually decreasing the amount of nicotine. I bought a whole carton of my next step ciggs so I would stay with it until I became accustomed to that level/taste. By the time I got to NOWs, I felt like I was just smoking air.
In my meditation I was shown that there are circuits of energy that are built up by habits. We are aware that it takes energy and effort to build a positive habit and that was present for me building a habit of smoking. I had to fight against all the signals my body sent me that told me this was not good for my body: dizziness, nausea even vomiting. When you build a habit energy circuits are formed. There is a daily circuit, a weekly circuit, a monthly, a quarterly, and a big yearly circuit. Each has to be broken to succeed at quitting. Knowing that at a year there will be a day that will be so full of urges that it will feel almost as bad as the first day of quitting helped me realize it was only one day and I could push my way through that one day. The first three days of quitting break the daily cycle. The first three weeks break the weekly one and so on. The first year was the worst. Later years were easier. There are also object and event specific cycles like after a meal. It helps to substitute something in it’s place, a strong mint gives a nice sensation and opens your air passages. Go outside and enjoy the air while taking your mint.
The meditation also suggested that I pay myself the amount I saved from not smoking and keep it until 10 days after my anniversary of quitting. I was to spend it on something to reward myself, something I would find rewarding. Initially I chose jewelry because I had little at the time and had great fun and a huge sense of accomplishment when I spent that first year money on some nice jewelry. I still buy myself a piece of jewelry each year to commemorate, but now the money goes to travel or to something I want that I normally would not allow myself, like a spa day. I call it my “mad” money. This has helped me stay quit when situations have offered the opportunity to smoke. I have looked a cigarette in the eye and said, I’m not giving up my mad money because as a true addict, I cannot even have one (one is too much a hundred are not enough).
Exercise was crucial and I was guided to take a steep uphill walk picking up a large stone and carrying it until I became winded. I walked the same path daily and picked up the stone each day to carry it further giving me a very real indication of the improvement in my breathing abilities.
Homeopathics to cut urges helped.
Isolating myself from my family on my worst days helped. I had to tell them not to expect me to be reasonable for three days initially and again at intervals for a day here and there, especially at the year day.
Switching from coffee to chai tea helped because the tea was not associated with smoking.
Staying out of bars and places where smoking was prevalent also helped. It was a few years before I could risk this and it has been helpful that most establishments have gone to no smoking indoors.
Breathing deeply on purpose helps.
I’d love to hear what helped you quit smoking. What is your success story?