Quitting Smoking for good

This is about my 4th time to quit smoking!  I never was a heavy smoker but I did so when I was younger and a nurse in Vietnam and stopped when I got pregnant (1972-1979/7 years), when I went back to school (1984-1987/3 years), a short time when my son was in his teen years (1994-1997/3 years) and when I went back to DC on a detail (2009-2014/5 years). So approximately 18 years.

I never was a heavy smoker, perhaps 10 a day at most. I smoked because I liked the ritual. I liked taking the cigarettes out and lighting it. If I was nerves of uptight, it seemed to relax me. I also thought for a long time it helped me too lose weight. Instead of eating, I would smoke.

I’ve always know it was bad for you. But, my mother smoked, so I guess I was use it and lived around it. My father smoked when he was young, my brother, sister, etc. So it was just something you did.

So what brought me here? I quit drinking 16 weeks ago/114 Days ago… I had on my goal list once I stopped drinking, my next goal would be stop smoking. So here I am! I used the Australian website “Hello Sunday Morning” https://www.hellosundaymorning.org, so I looked for a similar venue to stop smoking.

It helped to blog about it and share the experience with others in a similar situation. If this works as well as HSM, I will be pleased to have eliminated two bad habits of mine. I feel awesome and positive about the progress I am making.

Like drinking, I have found that if you are really committed to accomplishing a goal. You can do it! However, if there is any doubt that you have it will sabotage you. As that little voice in the back of your head will often tell you many lies.   I got pretty good and telling it to bugger off to stop drinking. I imagine I will find it just as annoying when stopping smoking.

Wish me luck!