Stop smoking? Who me?

30th September 2018

Smoking. A thief of money, time and health.

I put a lot of effort into things I enjoy, and I used to put tons of effort into smoking. It was what I did.

When I was doing it, always believed I’d keep doing it. I never felt ill. I showed no signs of becoming ill. I was quite healthy. I used to walk up two steep hills to get home, puffing on a fag to relieve the boredom for goodness sake. I “enjoyed” it. Give up? Who me? Why?

Well, here’s a few reasons why I’m delighted I’m free of the habit and have been for ten years.

What it was like.

Always needing to know I had enough in my packet to last me till the next day was vital, otherwise panic would set in.

I’d buy extra for nights out, weekends away, and I was always first in at Duty Free when going on holiday.

On holiday what I really loved doing was buying souvenir ashtrays and lighters! Hellsbells.

My weekdays were spent clock watching at work counting down the hours for lunch breaks and home time so I could light up.

I was very annoyed at the introduction of the smoking ban as I really “enjoyed” a fag between each course of a restaurant meal, and several with coffee afterwards.

Popping out every half hour or so from a restaurant, pub, café onto the street to get my fix was a real pain but I still did it. In the rain, freezing cold, snow! Coat on, coat off, coat on, coat off…arghhhh. I think of it now and I seriously cringe.

What it’s like now.

Nowadays I do ‘waste time’ watching smokers inhaling around stinky bins, struggling to light up in windy and rainy conditions, workers standing in office and shop doorways taking time away from their jobs several times a day.

These are breaks that their non-smoking colleagues don’t get, unless they “buddy” a smoker and take the breaks too! And why not, for the sake of equality when the average smoking breaks during working hours per smoker add up to ten hours per month. That’s over a day off per month! (Source Op Opinion, www.opinion.co.uk )

I’m in awe that people still smoke. The stats are out there and they’re not great. Yet I did. For years. The power of addiction is not to be underestimated.

I can’t get back that time or money but going forward I’m grateful I’m not putting myself at awful risk of smoking related illness or death from smoking.

Loosing some of my friends and family because of this legal poison is heart wrenching. They all died too soon.

I have very good health because I chose to give up and started taking better overall care of myself. I love exercising and manage my very steep hills home with much less effort and sometimes even enjoy the extra workout!

Maybe I’d have less wrinkles if I’d give up earlier, or never smoked. Who knows, but probably.

I am glad I don’t smell like an old ashtray anymore. I don’t think I smelt that bad…..actually, I’d rather not think about it.

Why am I blogging about this now?

Monday 1st October is the start of Stoptober and I’m interested to see how many clients I’ll get coming my way in October because they want to quit and are up for trying hypnotherapy.

The uptake has not been overwhelming so far. I get less people coming to me for help with this addiction than other issues such as anxiety, weight issues, phobias.

Whatever method smokers use to give up I’m happy they’re trying.

I’m sure there will be people out there visiting smoking cessation clinics, buying patches, intending to go cold turkey. I wish them well. I used patches to give up ten years ago and they worked for me. It was the second time I’d tried. The first time was eighteen years ago, again with patches but I was smoke free only three months, the length of the course of patches.

I could go on for a long time about the medical dangers and personal hygiene issues of smoking (smokers do smell pokey) compared to the benefits of becoming a non-smoker, but everyone knows most if it.

Everyone knows that it’s a vicious and selfish addiction and requires a real desire to find out what it’s like to be free of the shackles to make that life changing decision.

“When the time is right” is usually the smoker’s mindset. I get that, but how much time is there though? For so, so many, time ran out.

If you have children and still smoke around them, they’ll be pleased you quit. Look at this artwork done by local primary school children. The posters are displayed on the wall by the school gates.