Its Ironic how we used to use smoking as a stress buster 

 

Life in general can be pretty stressful and still will be as a non-smoker

 

smoking in reality just used to cause more stress in an already stressful situation

(recognising now that in truth we only got a  nicotine fix) 

 

but what did we have to put ourselves through to get that FIX??

 

 its only further down the line in your quit you realize this

 

for me it was about the 2 months point when I noticed it or noticed lack of it

 

for some hopefully it was a lot sooner

 

Lets see if we can list the times when you realized  smoking caused or could have caused more stress for you and uncover some truths and bust some more myths about smoking

 

Remember if you cannot relate to this topic yet - you soon will :)

 

 

The other week staying in a hotel

 

the hotel was huge as a smoker I would have had to

 

get coat on

go in lift down 8 floors

walk half a mile through the Lobby

stand shamefully out side in wind and rain

have tourists stare at me

walk half mile stinking back through lobby

lift up 8 floors

coat and boots off

 

repeat all of above every 40 minutes or less if drinking wine

 

OMG how pathetic it looks and sounds when you type it out - but as a smoker that is what I would have done   :dash2:

I used to have to leave my apartment, take the lift down 9 floors, go outside and walk away from the apartment building to get my stress reliever!!! Lmao...makes tons of sense right??

:D

I am definitely less stressed now...and have been since the day I quit :)

Travelling - wow isn't Singapore great they have smoke rooms for stopovers - yep,really stops stress to have to move into a smokey aquarium with the other addicts ! New Zealand on the other hand .... How dare they force us to breathe fresh air on our stopovers !

My work break is 15 mins long, I used to have to sign off computor, lock down all customer data, leave secure area, go through second secure area, up 4 flights of stairs, go through security lock door, into staff room, locate my handbag cigarettes and lighter, go back the way I had just come, leave branch, walk across main street as we are not allowed to be seen in uniform smoking, walk round back of shops, light cigarette look at watch realise I have 30 seconds of break left, smoke cigarette so quickly I had a coughing fit and streaming eyes, run back into branch up stairs etc etc etc, and get back to work station, OMG and I am still alive lol thank god I now have a lovely coffee break instead!! xx

LOL Jackie... When I used to work for NatWest we weren't allowed to be 'seen' smoking outside the building. So we'd all go together and sit in someone's car and smoke - about 5 or 6 people packed into a ford fiesta puffing away spilling ash all over ourselves, smoke bellowing out the windows!! Bright red eyes from all the stinging smoke - we must have looked deranged lol

 

Today I am stressed because I just got back to work after 10 days off... Super stressed in fact. I reckon I would have gone through a pack by now and it's not even mid-day... Where would that have gotten me? I'd still be at least as stressed as I am now, but probably more so, because I would have spent lots of time outside and got even less work done and been even further behind!!

 

It was hard work being a smoker...

Until I read this I hadn't really considered it.

 

But my mum came over this weekend and I didn't have to shake and vac the whole flat and sofa, didn't have to clean up ash trays or fill the place with air freshener.

 

So I guess that's pretty cool.

At work I don't have to stress on when I will be able to stop the train next so I can rush out the back cab door to burn one. Feels Good.  :)

At work I don't have to stress on when I will be able to stop the train next so I can rush out the back cab door to burn one. Feels Good.  :)

I have never seen a shark driving a train...!

My little one has an illness that makes her immune system not work as well. She is sick again at the moment (on the mend, not a bad one) and she always wants to sit and cuddle. I remember getting hyper stressed when I was a smoker as I needed to calm her and get away for my fix. Now it helps I can just sit and relax whilst comforting her.  That's my biggest win I think.

 

Going to stay in a flash hotel this weekend for a wedding. Won't have to leave the event or the room to go outside and have a smoke, that will be lovely!!

The whole not worrying about being smelly in front of people is great!