Monday, February 1, 2010

DAY 24

Day 21

I cant say that I am off cigarette, since the urges and cravings are still there, but in less frequency compared to when I first tried to quit exactly 21 days ago, more or less. I would describe it as manageable. I would delay the need to smoke a little bit when it hit my nicotine deprived brain, while making myself busy with something else until its gone.

I noticed that there are times when the craving is so strong . i.e :-

1. Right after waking up from the slumber in the morning.

The first thing I usually do when I wake up in the morning, is to reach for my cigarette and lighter, and have the first smoke of the day before anything else. What I did to quit this habit was to delay it until at least after my morning jog (which is about 2 hours after I wake up). Previously, its one right after waking up, one or two while I did you know what, one before I started jogging, and another after that. I gradually phased it out, over the last 21 days.

2. After lunch or dinner.

I would categorized myself as kuat makan cili especially cili api. As ulam. But since quitting, I ate less hot food, sambal and cili api. I dont know, but having a smoke after eating something felt like the nicest feeling in the world. Ada kick. Now, I sip hot, plain water to kill the craving. It works.

3. Working time

Self disciplined. I smoked in my office all the time, even though its designated as a non smoking building. Couldnt care less about the regulation. But now, I used it to deter myself from smoking. meaning if I want to smoke I have to go down the smoking area outside. So I tell myself, its not worth the effort to walk out there in the cold just to have a nicotine fix. So far so good.

Surprisingly, I dont mind if people are having their nicotine fix in front of me. I am not at all attracted. Of course, cigarette smoking friends would offer, tease and tried to coax me (being wonderful friends of course, no doubt contributing in training me to build up my resistance to cigarette), but honestly I did not crave for it at all. Having been a chain smoker, for the past 26 years of my life, I would think that resisting my friends would be the ultimate battle of all. Well, I found out its not the case at all. I fount that its harder for me to fight my own craving than friends taunting. Really surprised by this.

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