Guest post from Mary of Adventures In Frugal Land
This is one the hardest posts I’ve written. Not because I need to do a lot of research for it. It’s hard because I’m going to admit to something that I’ve been ashamed of for years.
I began smoking a few years ago.
I wasn’t a teenager; I was an adult who knew better. I can’t rely on “peer pressure” as an excuse. No, I began smoking because of a choice I made, not because of anyone else.
For the past few years, I struggled with the shame of it. I would carry perfume and mints with me everywhere. I would try to hide it when I went to church. I felt like I was the biggest hypocrite. I hated it and I hated myself.
I’m sharing this post because I know there are other people who wish they could quit smoking but feel as if they can’t. I know that if I was able to beat the addiction and begin living again, you can do it too!
1. I purchased Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking book.
This book really helped me get in the right mindset. Allen Carr’s method is to show you the psychologically behind a smoking addiction and tools to beat it. You can do it without the book.
2. I set a date.
I chose the day after I finished reading Allen Carr’s book. Do not set the date too far away from now. Try to schedule your quit day within the next week or two. It’s helpful to arrange it so it’s on a weekend or another day you’re off from work.
3. I loaded up on supplies.
Epsom salt, essential oils (if you like them), a ton of good books or movies, snacks, LOTS of water, and mints or gum. When you’re purchasing snacks, try to find things that are easy to snack on throughout the day such as peanuts or sunflower seeds.
4. I didn’t tell everyone that I was quitting.
This step is very important. Once you tell everyone, then you’re going to get constant questions about how you’re doing. Wait at least a week to tell the “non-essential” people in your life. Essential people to tell may include the family you live with, your children (powerful motivators!) and one or two close friends.
5. I actually quit on my quit date.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP OF ALL. Once you quit: say NOPE. Not One Puff Ever. That’s it.
6. I cut myself some slack.
You will get irritable (at least I did!) It’s not going to be the easiest thing to accomplish. Don’t try to plan many activities during the first few days. Try to stay home and relax.
7. I took many hot Epsom salt baths.
I’m not sure why this helped me so much. But whenever I got a really bad craving in the first few days, I would drink a glass of water and get into a hot Epsom salt bath until it passed.
Some days, I took multiple baths. I believe it did help release the nicotine out of my system quicker. But that may be just my brain thinking that. It helps. I don’t know why.
8. I set reminders in my phone.
The first three days, I had alerts going off every half hour telling me phrases like “Tomorrow isn’t going to be easier than today. Get it over with now”, “Is the craving worth the health ramifications?” and “Be a good example to your daughter”.
I also kept a written list of reasons I was quitting with me. I referred to it often.
9. I refrained from talking with people who never smoked.
I envy those people, I really do. I love them… but they don’t get it. So instead of getting frustrated, I just stayed away from those people for the first few days.
You might not need to do this, but it really got on my nerves when people who have NO CLUE try to give advice when I’m in withdrawal from nicotine.
10. I treated myself to something nice.
A new book you’ve wanted to read, an outfit, or a haircut. Take the money you would have spent on cigarettes and use it for something fun.
I found it interesting that even after purchasing the supplies I deemed “necessary” and my “treat”, I still spent under what I used to spend on a month’s worth of cigarettes.
I understand some people feel that using nicotine patches and gum are beneficial to quitting; however, I do not believe they are helpful, at least not for me.
I’ve tried them in the past. All they do is prolong the quitting process. At some point, you WILL have to go into withdrawal. Whether it’s from a cigarette, a patch, gum, or an e-cig, it’s going to happen if you truly want to kick the habit. I like to see results, so I opted for doing it all at once.
If anyone needs any support or has any questions about the process, I am here and more than happy to help.
If you have successfully quit, what tips do you have for everyone else?
Mary is the mother of an energetic four-year-old daughter. She is passionate about bringing awareness to thyroid disease. You can find her blogging at Adventures In Frugal Land about thyroid disease, motherhood, frugal living and whatever else pops into her head!
Joanna Kingsbury says
Congratulations and it’s awesome you wrote about it to help others. I (a pastor’s wife!) also quit smoking after almost 20 years of smoking (started when I was 15). I tried many times different methods and kept failing. Here’s what finally worked for me (everyone’s different, and I always share my way in case it helps someone else): every 30 days of NOT smoking, I’d go buy a pack and smoke as much as I wanted that very night. The next day, I threw away the remainder of the pack and waited another 30 days. I also was training for a marathon at that time and so I planned my long run day the morning after the cigarette binge. Eventually, I began to get sick when I smoked on my 30 day mark! It took me probably half a year but then one day, on my 30 day “allowance day” I just simply didn’t want it at all. It went away. Vanished. And it’s never come back. I will say, during the first few 30 days of not smoking the cravings were very difficult but knowing I would get my “reward” helped me through it.
Cathie says
Congrats on quitting! I smoked for over 30 years and when my health insurance at my work was going to triple in price for smokers, I decided enough was enough. That was in 2012, come January 6, 2017, I’ll be 5 years smoke free. And I also did it a frugal kind of way. I used Nicoderm patches. Ya know, about new years every year they offer all kinds of coupons on them. I was able to stack my coupons at Target along with the little $5 gift cards they would give with a purchase, and they basically paid me to quit. I wasn’t a heavy smoker, so I was able to start with step 2 and wean myself down. So instead of having to pay $130 every 2 weeks for my insurance, I was able to pay $38…yep, they definitely paid me! Also, another help with my quitting, was my husband telling me that I couldn’t do it; I had to prove him wrong and still do to this day. He still don’t believe it.
Natalie Schroeder says
Way to go Mary! Congratulations on your victory over nicotine! I quit smoking 13 years ago, smoked for 8 years prior. My husband encouraged me to quit while we were dating by telling me he wanted me around a while 😉 It is sooo hard to quit. I found, like many others, that substituting another activity I enjoyed helped to keep me from lighting up again. Now that I’ve been focusing on leading a healthy lifestyle for so long people are very surprised to learn I ever smoked.
Leslie says
Funny thing, I’m a procrastinator, and was able to “procrastinate” my way into quitting smoking – I just kept putting off my next cigarette…. I’ll smoke after I finish the dishes, I’ll have a cigarette after I watch this show, I’ll wait until I get home from shopping to smoke… little by little, I cut one, then two, then three cigarettes out of my day until I wasn’t smoking anymore. It sounds strange, but it worked for me and now I haven’t smoked in 13 years.
JESSICA ROWE says
This is awesome! It’s hard but knowing what works for us individually helps. The reminders and texts I got from the fla. quit line helped me. But I fell off after 3 years for 3 months. I am now on day 3 and using what I learned the 1st time and Epsom salt baths!
Coco says
Congratulations and God bless you!
Both of my parents smoked and quit after many, many years. It even took my dad a few tries before it stuck. I’ve had several friends who successfully quit and a few who are still working on it. It seems to be one of the hardest things people set out to do. Tobacco gets a mighty hold on people.
With that in mind, whenever I need to be more mindful about any particular behavior I’ve allowed to become a habit, I think of people who’ve quit smoking. I tell myself, “Now *that’s* hard. If people can quit smoking, I can certainly be mindful of my actions right now.”
Your phone reminder tip is brilliant, by the way. I’m going to adopt that myself and teach it to my kids while I’m at it.
C says
This was great! I have been a nonsmoker for 2 years, a smoker for 13 years previous to that. I second the use of Allen Carr’s book. I read that & watched his YouTube videos. I found it so helpful to thoroughly understand nicotine’s influences on the brain. When I would quit during pregnancies I’d have dreams about smoking & wake up with strong urges. Now if I dream about smoking I wake up with relief that it wasn’t real! I really encourage any smoker, whether you “want” to quit or not to just read Allen Carr’s book (I borrowed a copy from the library) and learn more about nicotine & it’s effects on the body!
Kim says
Congrats on quitting! I never thought I would be able to quit. After 3 failed attempts… what helped me succeed was just taking a short walk when I craved. That was the key. Some times the walk was less than 5 minutes and my craving went away. It was never more than 10 minutes. I have been smoke free for 26 years now!
Jessica says
Congratulations on doing this healthy action for yourself and your family.
I’ve never smoked, but my dad has for over 40 years. He briefly quit when he was hospitalized for septicemia and was very, very sick. But then the next month, my grandpa died and then my dad started back up again and hasn’t tried to quit again since.
In seeing what my dad went through, he didn’t have any other stress reliever to get him through, so he went back to what he knew.
I have used him as an example to my kids, as he has serious health issues, reeks of tobacco and has terrible teeth. I have even asked my dad to quit for his grandkids, but he’s made no effort.
My parents are recently divorced and my dad cares for my severely handicapped younger sister who is 33. Every time my dad lights up, she perks up too. I suspect she is addicted to the secondhand smoke. She has asthma. My asthma was undiagnosed until I was 23. I had pneumonia every year as a kid. I have tried to impress upon him that his smoking affects the health of others but he won’t hear it. In one ear and out the other.
Mary says
I also believe that it’s possible to be addicted to secondhand smoke.
As far as your dad, in all honesty, until he wants to quit…he won’t. He has to want to quit for himself, not his children or his grandchildren. Some people are just never ready to make that choice. I’m going through similar situations in my own family and it’s so frustrating.
Try to get him to read Allen Clarr’s book. His approach is great for people who don’t like thinking that anyone else controls them. So, if your dad is of the “I can quit anytime” mindset, I think it would be good.
If it’s the physical addiction/habit, I’d try to get him to use Chantix as other people have mentioned was helpful.
I will be keeping your dad and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Sarah@TheOrthodoxMama says
I loved the vulnerability of your post, Mary. I also agree that your ideas can be useful for other addictions. Super practical, and helpful for those of us who haven’t smoked and want to be sensitive to those quitting. Thanks.
Mary says
Thank you! Being sensitive to those around quitting smoking or another addiction is so important.
Amanda says
Wow, good for you! I love that you had the sense to have a good plan, the foresight to know where the hardest parts for you might be, and the strength to carry it out. I’m genuinely impressed. (I also think a lot of your points are useful for other situations.)
Mary says
Thank you so much! Knowing yourself is important to any type of change.
Tracey says
I avoided going inside the convenience store for months as this is where I always purchased cigarettes. I started paying for my fuel at the pump. I also avoided social situations for a while that made it easy for me to smoke; going to an outdoor party, going to my friends house that smokes etc. I really enjoyed smoking but I now enjoy how much healthier I feel on a daily basis. I also enjoy the longer hugs I get from my children and the longer kisses I get from my husband.
Mary says
Longer hugs and kisses are definitely amazing!
Lisa says
Yay for you! So happy for you and your family! What I loved was your suggestion to set alarms on your phones with reminders such as “tomorrow isn’t going to be any easier”. That. is. so. me. I always wait for the conditions to be “just right” to tackle something. And guess what, those “just right” conditions never happen. 🙁 I am going to set those reminders to keep myself on track and tell myself that TODAY is the day! Thank you!!
Mary says
Absolutely, there’s always something to wait for. You just have to tell yourself that you can do it today. You can!!! I’m so happy that you’re making this decision!!!
Denise says
Epsom salt helps detox the body. Also good source for magnesium.
Mari says
Mary I loved your post and congratulations! I too was a previous smoker and it was by far the hardest thing I ever had to do but the best thing I ever did. I smoked since I was 18 and quit right after my 40th birthday in 2012. I have not had a cigarette since and it was tough with life happening at times. I did a good job hiding it too as people I had known for years were surprised when I said I had quit smoking and their response was great, but I never knew you smoked. I used 1/2 regular dose of Chantix for a week and then I stopped taking the pills. Never went back to smoking. I think everyone has to figure out what will work the best for them. I took me at least 10 times of trying to finally be done for good.
Mari says
Mary I loved your post and congratulations! I too was a previous smoker and it was by far the hardest thing I ever had to do but the best thing I ever did. I smoked since I was 18 and quit right after my 40th birthday in 2012. I have not had a cigarette since and it was tough with life happening at times. I did a good job hiding it too as people I had known for years were surprised when I said I had quit smoking and their response was great, but I never knew you smoked. I used 1/2 regular dose of Chantix for a week and then I stopped taking the pills. Never went back to smoking. I think everyone had to figure out what will work the best for them.
Mary says
Congratulations Mari! I’m so happy that you’ve been able to quit as well!