Posted in: Other - Quitting Smoking
Date: April 16, 2010
I smoked my last cigarette at 1:00pm yesterday. The rest of the day was terrible. I took a shower, a long nap, then woke up to eat. I watched a movie, and then took another nap. I felt lethargic, my mouth felt raw, my muscles were tense, and I had trouble sleeping.
Whenever I begin to quit smoking, I always have this analogy in my head. I imagine that quitting smoking is like digging yourself out of a hole. You've dug yourself in deep, and now you have to somehow climb back out. Each time I have successfully quit, I’ve always told myself that I would never go back to that hole again. For some reason, I always forget how bad it is and how hard it is to get out. I start smoking again.
I'm thinking about shaving my head. I usually do that at important times in my life. It’s like a symbol of dedication to me. It’s like a tangible way of expressing my dedication to quitting.
I woke up this morning, and I’m still in a haze, but not as bad as yesterday. Instead of immediately smoking on the porch (like I usually do), I ate a bowl of cereal. I always eat way more when I quit, which doesn’t really bother me because I try to get a lot of exercise too.
I heard on National Public Radio that there was a study that smokers who where quitting increased their success if they exercised. Even simple exercises like clenching their fists, or flexing the muscles in their arms.
Before my Grandpa passed away, he told me how he successfully quit. He said just take it one day at a time. Say, “Today I will not smoke.” And then the next day, say the same thing. Just one day at a time…