Today's Inspiration: I'd love to be able to sit through a sporting event, movie, or play without becoming antsy or feeling the need to run out the door as soon as it's over.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Points of Inspiration
As I sit here this morning, starting to feel the effects of withdrawal, it occurs to me just how many reasons I have for quitting. I feel it's a good idea for me to start posting a point of inspiration daily. It should be one more thing to keep me focused, keep me thinking, and maybe even inspire others like me to begin this difficult but rewarding journey as well.
Today's Inspiration: I'd love to be able to sit through a sporting event, movie, or play without becoming antsy or feeling the need to run out the door as soon as it's over.
Today's Inspiration: I'd love to be able to sit through a sporting event, movie, or play without becoming antsy or feeling the need to run out the door as soon as it's over.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Day One - Complete
As I find myself ready to call it a night a calm seems to have come over me for today. It was quite a day, but in the end I am nothing but happy that I made it and have put this one behind me.
Why was it quite a day you ask? Well, let's start at the beginning. I woke up first at nearly 5am to yet another terrible nightmare (in case you don't know me well I suffer from terrible reoccurring night terrors) luckily this one was not bad enough to cause serious injury, so I guess that goes on the plus side. Normally this would cause me to go out for a smoke, but I resisted the urge and fought my way back to sleep on my own.
I finally got out of bed around 7:30 and did all the usual morning stuff. I've never been one to smoke before leaving the house, so this went pretty smoothly... until I went to walk out the door and couldn't find a shoe. No, not shoes... ONE shoe. The same shoes I wear to work almost everyday and one is missing. How does that happen?! So I tear the house apart to no avail and finally go to work in flip-flops... ugh. My urges were raging at this point from the frustration, so I asked my roommate/coworker to drive today since I can't smoke in her car. Excellent choice. By 10 minutes into the drive I was nice and clam again.
Once at work things went pretty smoothly. I found that drinking through a straw helps greatly and didn't really have a craving at all... until I got the call... my roommate/coworker had gotten ill and I would be spending my lunch in the car, by far the most difficult place for me to be, but I love her and would do anything for her so off we went.
Once back at work I was doing okay, proud of myself for getting through an hour in the car and on a bit of a high, right up until my entire system crashed. 3:30 in the afternoon and my computer decides "hey.. screw you... I don't want to work anymore today" so here I am with things to do and a blank frozen screen. While waiting for the computer to do it's thing and reboot and whatnot the boredom finally sets in, having nothing to do is another HUGE trigger for me so I decided to get up and do a lap around the warehouse. To my surprise it worked perfectly, by the time I got back to my desk the computer was back up and the urge was gone. YAY!
I'm now seated comfortably at my desk working again and someone runs in the building yelling "WINDOWS ARE DOWN OUT THERE AND IT'S POURING". At first I think nothing of it because I never leave my windows down when my car is parked, I don't want bugs in there, but then all of a sudden I realize this day is different... this day I decided to air out any remaining smoke that might be in the car. In a panic I ran out to the car just in time to find it soaked, to the bone.
Feeling defeated I returned to my desk, only to have my best idea yet, start a blog! That got me through the rest of my work day free and clear. Nick (my boyfriend who's also quitting) stayed on the phone with me the whole drive home which I think helped us both greatly. Physical Therapy went well, I had a healthy dinner and now here I am, successfully through my day and blogging once more, officially 24 hours free of nicotine and proud of myself and of Nick. I can't wait to see him tomorrow after what I hope is a tiny bit smoother day :-)
*Update* - Last night, after this post but shortly before going to bed, I found the shoe... RIGHT NEXT to the other one. In fairness it was upside-down, but I guess my brain really is starting to play tricks on me ;-)
Why was it quite a day you ask? Well, let's start at the beginning. I woke up first at nearly 5am to yet another terrible nightmare (in case you don't know me well I suffer from terrible reoccurring night terrors) luckily this one was not bad enough to cause serious injury, so I guess that goes on the plus side. Normally this would cause me to go out for a smoke, but I resisted the urge and fought my way back to sleep on my own.
I finally got out of bed around 7:30 and did all the usual morning stuff. I've never been one to smoke before leaving the house, so this went pretty smoothly... until I went to walk out the door and couldn't find a shoe. No, not shoes... ONE shoe. The same shoes I wear to work almost everyday and one is missing. How does that happen?! So I tear the house apart to no avail and finally go to work in flip-flops... ugh. My urges were raging at this point from the frustration, so I asked my roommate/coworker to drive today since I can't smoke in her car. Excellent choice. By 10 minutes into the drive I was nice and clam again.
Once at work things went pretty smoothly. I found that drinking through a straw helps greatly and didn't really have a craving at all... until I got the call... my roommate/coworker had gotten ill and I would be spending my lunch in the car, by far the most difficult place for me to be, but I love her and would do anything for her so off we went.
Once back at work I was doing okay, proud of myself for getting through an hour in the car and on a bit of a high, right up until my entire system crashed. 3:30 in the afternoon and my computer decides "hey.. screw you... I don't want to work anymore today" so here I am with things to do and a blank frozen screen. While waiting for the computer to do it's thing and reboot and whatnot the boredom finally sets in, having nothing to do is another HUGE trigger for me so I decided to get up and do a lap around the warehouse. To my surprise it worked perfectly, by the time I got back to my desk the computer was back up and the urge was gone. YAY!
I'm now seated comfortably at my desk working again and someone runs in the building yelling "WINDOWS ARE DOWN OUT THERE AND IT'S POURING". At first I think nothing of it because I never leave my windows down when my car is parked, I don't want bugs in there, but then all of a sudden I realize this day is different... this day I decided to air out any remaining smoke that might be in the car. In a panic I ran out to the car just in time to find it soaked, to the bone.
Feeling defeated I returned to my desk, only to have my best idea yet, start a blog! That got me through the rest of my work day free and clear. Nick (my boyfriend who's also quitting) stayed on the phone with me the whole drive home which I think helped us both greatly. Physical Therapy went well, I had a healthy dinner and now here I am, successfully through my day and blogging once more, officially 24 hours free of nicotine and proud of myself and of Nick. I can't wait to see him tomorrow after what I hope is a tiny bit smoother day :-)
*Update* - Last night, after this post but shortly before going to bed, I found the shoe... RIGHT NEXT to the other one. In fairness it was upside-down, but I guess my brain really is starting to play tricks on me ;-)
Welcome
My boyfriend and I have chosen today, August 30th, 2010, as our final quit day. This is the day that we have both chosen to make a serious change and become better and healthier people. Today is the day that we quit smoking... for good.
We have many different reasons for wanting to quit and have both tried in the past, but the ugly habit has never permanently ceased. We've both been smokers for over 10 years and have decided that it's time to close that door and open a new and cleaner one. He and I will be tackling this quit in different ways. He has chosen to go cold turkey. I, after guidance from my doctor, have chosen to enlist the help of Chantix and the GetQuit plan.
In order to track our progress and hold us accountable I will diary our journey here (as best and as often as I remember to) for the world to see. I will try to throw in some interesting stories along the way as well for any possible reader's entertainment. Please feel free to comment, I am interested in hearing your thoughts and even advice. As I said, the point of this is to remain accountable (and to give my hands something to do when an urge strikes).
Happy reading and thanks for joining us!
We have many different reasons for wanting to quit and have both tried in the past, but the ugly habit has never permanently ceased. We've both been smokers for over 10 years and have decided that it's time to close that door and open a new and cleaner one. He and I will be tackling this quit in different ways. He has chosen to go cold turkey. I, after guidance from my doctor, have chosen to enlist the help of Chantix and the GetQuit plan.
In order to track our progress and hold us accountable I will diary our journey here (as best and as often as I remember to) for the world to see. I will try to throw in some interesting stories along the way as well for any possible reader's entertainment. Please feel free to comment, I am interested in hearing your thoughts and even advice. As I said, the point of this is to remain accountable (and to give my hands something to do when an urge strikes).
Happy reading and thanks for joining us!
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