The Stress Fag

[atwozee]

Here’s a tip that helped me when I quit – I’m sure all you smokers are familiar with what I call the stress fag – it’s the one you spark up when you feel under pressure and you really take long deep drags. Lots of smokers succumb to the stress fag whilst they are trying to quit, it’s the one most likely to get you going again.

When I thought I needed a stress fag I would just bring my two fingers up to my mouth as if I was going to have a drag – take a long drag on an imaginary fag and hold the drag for about 10 seconds. Then I’d give it a long exhale for about 10 seconds. I used to do that about 3 or 4 times and the craving passed. Job done.

Basically it’s a deep breathing exercise that helps to calm you down which is what the stress fag is really – only this way you aint taking in any of the nasty smoke or nicotine.

Eventually after about 4 weeks of not smoking at all I began to hate the smell, I guess I got lucky because now I can’t stand the smell or the thought of smoking. Weird really because I smoked for about 20 years and I actually thought I enjoyed it…how wrong was I!

My partner carried on smoking for about 3 months after I gave up and that was the worst part for me – I didn’t get tempted to smoke it was just the smell was unbearable – when that kicks in I don’t think you ever want to smoke again.

Good luck to anyone who wants to quit and I hope you find it as easy as I did.

[Brassed off]

What a good idea Atwozee

OMG did you go "cold turkey" then?

Says Bo contemplating on a new year "try and pack it in again" campaign

[atwozee]

I didn’t go cold turkey – although I hear spontaneous acts of giving up work pretty well for some people!

What happened with me was I knew I wanted to give up so I started to cut down and make little changes to the way I smoked. Nothing major – just things like using my left hand and smoking outside. This helped a lot. Then I caught a cold which turned into a nasty throat infection. I couldn’t smoke because of the sore throat and I just kept going. Looking back it was easy really.

It wasn’t that bad really – I just kept telling myself this was what I wanted to do and it worked. I aint had so much as a drag since and it’s great to be free. Like I said – I can’t stand the smell now so there’s no chance of sparking up. I just feel sorry for the people who are convinced that its to hard to quit. I used to be one of them!

Here’s another tip – don’t choose a specific day to give up. It rarely works. All you do is start to worry about the day as it gets closer and closer and that makes you think about smoking more and more so you end up smoking more and more. It’s a bit like dieting really –the more you think about food the more you want to eat.

Somebody told me once that I would give up when I was ready and they were right. The only thing is you don’t really know when you are going to be ready so how can you name the day? That’s how I think of it anyway.

I promise you the deep breathing fake fag thing really helps – I still do it now!

After years of smoking I can tell you with all honesty that when I knew I had quit for good it felt great.

Here’s another thing to think about and I think lots of ex-smokers can relate to this. When I smoked I was always so preoccupied about giving up – pretty much every day I would say to myself I wished I didn’t smoke. As an ex-smoker I’ve never ever wished that I did smoke – weird feeling that.

So don’t pick a day – just wait for a cold (not a cold turkey) and keep going – that’s the biggest tip of all!

[atwozee]

I caught a cold because I smoked outside btw!

[Brassed off]

I am so impressed

From what you're saying, it is definitely is mind over matter. I've tried so many different ways to stop but even on the Champix, I struggled to pick a day. I only chose a day to stop as the practice nurse said that she wouldn't write another prescription for the doctor to sign if I didn't

Very inspiring AWZ

I will definitely give up when I'm ready and not before

Well done you - how long is it now?

[Bookworm]

Same as for me, atwozee, really bad chest infection, after 2 weeks, I knew that the physical craving was gone and anything else was in my head, so just didn't pick a fag again... It's been... I don't even remember how many years now, and have never ever missed it again, and soooo glad I am no longer slave to it. Now, if I could be as consistant with pasta and bread, I'd be down to a size 14 in no time at all!!!

[atwozee]

That’s 2 of us then bookworm and I bet there’s thousands more out there that did it this way.

It becomes a waiting game and when your moment comes you have to grab it. As bookworm says – the actual physical withdrawal takes place within a couple of days so when you’re over your cold you are just battling the habit itself. That’s why you should try to change the way you smoke now because it helps when your moment comes.

Think of it this way – you don’t want to smoke it’s the cigarette that wants to be smoked by you.

People tend to get so worked up about giving up that it defeats the whole purpose. They get so stressed over it that they buckle and have the stress fag. It’s all about staying calm and telling yourself you want to be free. If you really want to give up you will but don’t fall into the trap about putting a time limit on it.

I didn’t realise you had to name a day to get Champix – mind you I’m not sure you really need that stuff – you are just swapping one habit for another.

I used to panic if I didn’t have a pack of fags on me it was crazy. My days were organised around smoking – I used to chain smoke in my lunch break just to catch up with the fags I thought I’d missed or was going to miss later on! Cigarettes really are a chain around you but unfortunately you only realiseit when you quit.

You do get your appetite back though as bookworm says! Food just seems to taste so much better these days – try keeping them portions small if you’re worried about your waistline!

[Rippedoff2008]

Thats just how I gave up. Had a nasty fluey cold in March and as asthmatic stopped smoking. (Always did with a cold, thought I could stave off a chest infection!! )

Once the 'magic' 2 day nicotine withdrawal finished I wasnt going to start again. I think its breaking the habit is the biggie. I had aleady stopped having the first one of the day early on and was determined to stop it!

I have now done since 31st March 2008 9pm. I could still do the stress one now and again. I did put on a bit of weight, I put that down to my slowing heart!! (Last year resting heartbeat 110 bpm!!!! now 65 bpm) However I haved moved th'horse to be closer to home and doing more with him and getting fitter. My skin has cleared up, I dont have that awful hacking cough and back down to my smoking weight....

Like you say the cigarettes rule, I smoked for 20 years and now I'm free!

Went to GP for flu jab last week. The nicotine receptors in the brain apparently will go back into overdrive after 11 seconds of exposure so will never be able to 'just have the one!' Just as well.

Good luck to anyone giving up, planned or not!

[jon-g]

good luck to everyone who is giving up smoking or any other vice, I wanted to recommend Bioresonance to any one who is having difficutly quitting. I stopped smoking last year with a bioresonance company called superdetox.co.uk.
The best thing was that I had the treatment at home and I did not have to travel anywhere. I can tell you that it was so relaxing and easy, i just gave up fags on the spot and didnt have any cravings at all.
I was so pleased that I had the same person back to help me stop drinking as this was an even bigger problem than my smoking. I never thought Id be able to stop drinking without a struggle but it was a piece of cake. I haven't had a drink for 6 months and I feel great.
Me and the wife are going to Florida for christmas with the money we have saved, my advice to anyone thinking that its too hard to stop your vice, is get bioresonance.