2 Years Quit: How to grow to be a happy NON smoker

The day is here! 2 years quite for me. Although I am celebrating and am more confident than ever, I am not going let the nico demon use this as an excuse that I have beaten it and I can "just have one puff, or one cigarette"

I found a video presentation that was interesting and thought I would share what I related to most and wrote about in my postings on this site:

1. When starting out do not think that you are "quitting" smoking. Think of it as you are "escaping" smoking. The simple difference has a big impact on how we process and visualize ourselves achieving the desired outcome of becoming a non smoker.

2. Our mental inner voice struggles when quitting are "I want a cigarette" and followed with "no, you can't have a cigarette" and this continues several hundreds of times / day. Instead of saying "cigarette" replace it with something positive like "I want to continue seeing *insert loved ones name*" OR "I want air". Practicing and repeating this several hundred times a day helps keep our thoughts from focusing on a "cigarette"

3. For long term quitters (for me, I knew I had become a long term quitter after around 9 months), you need to continue conditioning the skill you have learned. There are tips and tricks you used to get through the first week/month/3 months, etc. Like anything, if we don't continue to use and condition this new skill, we will forget it, which gives the nico demon a chance to strike if you should be faced with a situation/event that makes you weakened in resolve. An example would be giving yourself a reward every so often that is specific to quitting smoking. For me, I have been wanting a pizza slice with chocolate milk followed with a heavenly dessert. I don't normally do this, but today is going to be an exception (and I can't wait for it!).

To anyone just starting out and thinking that 2 weeks, 2 months is impossible, just remember everyone on this site was at the exact point you are at not time or another!