I have found so many benefits to giving up cigarettes. Just one of those is drinking just a portion of the diet soda that I drank as a smoker. And that's a good thing! Apparently the soda was almost entirely a smoking thing. 

But today I did something that just blew my mind!

I grabbed a fresh bottle of diet pepsi, headed to the car and got in. 

Then, opened my purse and was rummaging around - for what?

Then I realized I was looking for cigarettes and lighter! OMG! This was done TOTALLY without thought, just pure habit. Of course there were no cigs or lighter in my bag.

I laughed out loud and my husband was pretty sure I had lost my mind. 

Wow, just wow. I had no idea how ingrained those old habits became.

So glad I don't have that nasty habit any longer :)

 

 

They are hard to break. If it makes you feel any better, I still occasionally reach in my pocket for a lighter when I am sitting down for breaktime at work. I laugh and move on. Its not just cigarette habits that cause absent minded reactions either. We recently, like 2 months ago, got a new entry method at work and i still find myself trying to use the old method even though its not there anymore. I was laughing about it and a coworker admitted to doing the same thing. 

I know the rummage around in my purse habit. One good thing is that I don't need a purse as much now or I can have a tiny one that fits just keys, money , lipstick

It's strange isn't it. For years the worst thing would be to forget them, it would require an immediate detour home or to a shop for a purchase. Pleased you laughed, freedom always sounds happier. x

I know where you are coming from...

 

Like many (or most) of us on here, I never smoked in my own house..I always went outside.

 

Well, a great opportunity to light up was when I would take the dogs out for a walk...

 

That was the biggest trigger to suppress...As soon as I would hit the door with the dogs leash in one hand, my other hand would immediately go to  the inside pocket on my jacket where I kept my cigarettes...

 

and...Thankfully, there wasnt any there..

 

I bet I went through that scenario at least a dozen times before it was no longer an automatic reflex..

 

It made me realize how "automatic" smoking had become for me..

It's strange isn't it. For years the worst thing would be to forget them, it would require an immediate detour home or to a shop for a purchase. Pleased you laughed, freedom always sounds happier. x

This is soo true. God forbid I would not have cigarettes in my possession. I would even count how many I had left and calculate if I needed to go buy some even though I was in my pjs or it was raining. Or how about smoking a butt from the ashtray, or several butts , eeeuuu. The ashes would get on my lips

I know where you are coming from...

 

Like many (or most) of us on here, I never smoked in my own house..I always went outside.

 

Well, a great opportunity to light up was when I would take the dogs out for a walk...

 

That was the biggest trigger to suppress...As soon as I would hit the door with the dogs leash in one hand, my other hand would immediately go to  the inside pocket on my jacket where I kept my cigarettes...

 

and...Thankfully, there wasnt any there..

 

I bet I went through that scenario at least a dozen times before it was no longer an automatic reflex..

 

It made me realize how "automatic" smoking had become for me..

I still tap my pocket every time I have the leash in hand.....

I still say I'm going to the garage for a vape!

 

I mean I'm going for a bottle of milk out the fridge, or an ice lolly for someone. My mouth just operates before I give it time to express my intentions, as you all say, old habits ;) everyone in the house laughs.

 

Thankfully it's no skin off my nose now and I laugh at it myself.

I still say I'm going to the garage for a vape!

 

I mean I'm going for a bottle of milk out the fridge, or an ice lolly for someone. My mouth just operates before I give it time to express my intentions, as you all say, old habits ;) everyone in the house laughs.

 

Thankfully it's no skin off my nose now and I laugh at it myself.

That's funny Sharon. We  are de-programming our brains as non smokers now. So I'm sure things are going to be a little weird for a bit. 

This is so true,

 

So many times as i'm leaving the house,

 

Wallet check,

 

Keys check,

 

Keep thinking i'm forgetting something,  

 

O ya, the stupid smokes and lighter, lol

 

Out the door i go!  :)