Nicotine Fixes
I only smoke one cigarette a day. I know I can go without that cigarette–but I don’t. I’m still addicted to nicotine.
With this lousy flu bug, smoking really doesn’t sound appealing. But, by golly, it sure hasn’t stopped me from smoking my daily cigarette. (I don’t know about you, but I’ve always felt pretty stupid smoking when I’m sick.)
There are three motivators at play when we smoke:
- Physical desire or addiction
- Mental or emotional need
- Habit
Before I first quit (all two months of being smoke-free), I’d kept track of which of the three smoking motivators matched cigarettes I smoked throughout the day. I knew the physical desire cigarettes were going to be the toughest to avoid.
(Downloadable Smoking Journal or Trump the Trigger forms are on this blog and can be used for this purpose. You’ll find them by going to the list on the right column of the home page.)
From this experience, I can tell you that my cravings these days come nearly completely from my mind.
Another Quitter
Our dear friend, Owen, has been cigarette-free for several weeks. Last weekend, he told me he’s been so ornery in the process that he’s feeling like bowling down people when he’s driving.
I asked him, “Do you want to take them out or just maim them?”
“I don’t really care,” was his response.
