My mood weblog

My reasons for quitting centred around health and freedom from
addiction, as Steve posted about yesterday.

Health reasons were about wanting breathing, circulation and energy
levels to improve (and they did – very soon after quitting). I was
also fed up of the constant tiredness and headaches which I was
convinced were due to smoking (and within days of quitting I felt
much more awake – and I rarely get headaches these days). Very
tangible benefits like these certainly helped me stay focussed in the
early days and weeks of my quit.

Freedom from addiction. I was also fed up of with being addicted to
smoking – which I learned was not just about physical dependancy on
nicotine. Through cognitive quitting I learned how, during my life as
a smoker, I had connected smoking to just about every event in my
day. With Steve’s guidance I learned how to break those associations,
and put other more valid and appropriate responses in place. At this
point I no longer think of a cig in response to anything that happens
to me. Learning my ABC’s was the key here, and I’m sure Steve will
talk more about this soon.

Other reasons to quit were around feeling isolated in any social/work
group and not liking it – having to stand outside in the cold and
rain to get a fix, while everyone else could relax and enjoy the
conversation e.g. after a meal, at the coffee break etc. My personal
and main reason for quitting was about wanting to get control back of
my life – I was tired of cigs controlling me and how I spent my days.
I remind myself of that constantly.