This week, Becky Midgley is still not smoking, and has surprised herself with her own strength and willpower, despite putting herself into some tricky situations.
The group is back on track and back into our regular weekly slot which saw numbers return to, well, only three of us actually, although we are assured through the grapevine that there are actually five of us who are still not smoking.
I’m starting to see that any number would have been a success; it’s been hard work on and off and while I have continually surprised myself with my own strength and the support of others, I think the key to my success was the two weeks leading up to quit day spent mentally preparing myself for being a non smoker. I also think the patches as a form of nicotine replacement have been very successful for me.
I had a tough test last weekend; a friend was having a BBQ to celebrate her birthday, and I knew most, if not all, of the attendees were going to be smoking. There was a niggle in the back of my mind that if I was going to wobble during these first few weeks it would be then. But I got through it, felt quite pleased with myself for being the only non smoker, and had a brief insight into what the future looks like for ‘non-smoking m’e as I am left holding the babies while the smokers go outside to puff away. I know now that it will be: ‘watch our drinks’ when I am on a night out with friends; ‘watch the kids’ while my sister steps outside to smoke when I am visiting; ‘watch the luggage’ in the airport while travelling companions trek off to the nearest exit to kill some time while I hold the fort for check in.
And I don’t mind all this, really, I don’t, but there is a small voice inside me that I can faintly hear reminding me that the hard work will never truly be over. There is a definite chance that I may always feel I’m missing out or that I ‘need’ a cigarette. And these are the thoughts that have loomed over me this week, putting only a slight dampener on how great I still feel for lasting nearly two weeks now.
See also:
Up in smoke: An employee’s attempt to quit the cigarettes
Up in smoke: One week until ‘quit’ day
Up in smoke: ‘Quit’ day? Nothing to worry about
