November 26, 20241 yr It's actually been 13 months, but I've only just found you all. I celebrated one year free from tobacco on 19 October 2024, and 13 months clean on 19 November 2024. Going forward, I plan to celebrate monthly, hopefully in this same thread so I won't clog things up.
November 26, 20241 yr Welcome @Penguin. I look forward to following you and getting to know you better. You have an amazing 13 month quit.
November 26, 20241 yr Congratulations on your Lucky #13 months of freedom, and welcome to the Quit Train! We’re thrilled that you found us. Edited November 26, 20241 yr by DenaliBlues
November 26, 20241 yr You are doing great @Penguin , and as I said in the other thread, Welcome Aboard!! 😀
November 26, 20241 yr Congratulations on your 13 months smoke free Here is a well earned Pat on the back 🐸
November 26, 20241 yr You've done well to achieve 13 months quit @Penguin! You've landed in a great place as well coming to this site. We're all quitters here so have been through similar trials & tribulations as you have and we're all committed to supporting each other in staying quit for life. Welcome aboard!!
December 19, 20241 yr Author I made it 14 months! Sometimes I'm surprised by what even makes me think of cigarettes, or of having one. A random sight or smell or rumble in my stomach can kick off a small urge. I've also noticed the irritation I used to feel around cigarette smoke has abated somewhat. I suppose at some point I'll level out and it'll be like it was before I was ever a smoker, when I didn't find the odor of cigarette smoke offensive. Then I'll really have to be on my guard, because that'll be one less thing keeping me from smoking. I don't mind admitting I enjoyed smoking, to some degree, and there's a part of me that would enjoy it still if it wasn't for all the negative things about it. Smoking is still a nasty, lethal habit, but that doesn't mean there isn't a part of me that misses it. Thankfully I don't tend to let that part of me in the driver's seat very often, because that part of me is an emotional idiot who does what feels good in the short-term, with no regard for the long-term consequences.
January 3, 20251 yr Author Yesterday I found the Serenity necklace I bought during a previous attempt. I decided that's going to be my gift to myself for my first year clean. I'm a big fan of physical incentives (like challenge coins to mark anniversaries), but no one in my life is really the type to buy that sort of thing for me, so I'm planning to buy gifts for myself--probably in the form of simple jewelry I can wear, or challenge coins I can carry, as my clean streak increases.
January 3, 20251 yr Congratulations Penguin on your wonderful 14 months smoke free It’s sounds like a nice idea to Reward yourself 🐸
January 3, 20251 yr Rewards along the way to mark whatever milestones you feel are significant is an excellent idea 👏 I saved up all the money I'd saved over my first year of quitting and put that toward a cruise for myself & the wife. The first cruise ever where I wasn't hiding away on the ship in the smoking area and the first time not suffering through major withdrawal during the flights to get to and from the cruise port! It was win/win all around 😃 So by all means, reward yourself for a job well done!
January 11, 20251 yr Author Just a tiny celebration today, but my dad and I were working on a project today. Normally, he frustrates me to no end because our work styles are so very different, and I used to always smoke a lot more whenever he and I had to work together. Today, it didn't even occur to me that I wanted to smoke; I just wanted to breathe and calm down and then take a nap.
January 11, 20251 yr We used to smoke to relax ,but in fact it did the total opposite . Great positive post @Penguin 🐸
January 11, 20251 yr 16 hours ago, Penguin said: Just a tiny celebration today, but my dad and I were working on a project today. Normally, he frustrates me to no end because our work styles are so very different, and I used to always smoke a lot more whenever he and I had to work together. Today, it didn't even occur to me that I wanted to smoke; I just wanted to breathe and calm down and then take a nap. Naps are Good! I like naps ...
January 26, 20251 yr Author I've had several interactions lately with a rather frustrating (but well-intended) person. I used to always smoke whenever I finished talking with them, and while the thought of, "I would usually smoke right now" has recently passed through my mind, I didn't want to seek out a cigarette. I'm not a big fan of intentionally putting myself through stress just to get used to it, but every time I organically experience something where I used to normally smoke and I make the choice not to, I can celebrate that it's reinforcing my quit. Edited January 26, 20251 yr by Penguin
January 26, 20251 yr That's why it really takes a full year to solidify your quit 100% because we have to have time to face all situation where in the past we'd light up a smoke and we have to consciously decide NOT to light up now that we've quit. Every one of those situations you meet with and make the right choice NOT to light up, it makes your quit that much stronger. After your recent experience with this person; the next time you meet up with them, you won't automatically think of lighting up. That's progress! It's these small individual battles you win that will eventually get you to where you want to be ... Quit for life!!
January 27, 20251 yr 16 hours ago, Reciprocity said: That's why it really takes a full year to solidify your quit 100% because we have to have time to face all situation where in the past we'd light up a smoke and we have to consciously decide NOT to light up now that we've quit. Every one of those situations you meet with and make the right choice NOT to light up, it makes your quit that much stronger. After your recent experience with this person; the next time you meet up with them, you won't automatically think of lighting up. That's progress! It's these small individual battles you win that will eventually get you to where you want to be ... Quit for life!! @Penguin and @Reciprocity.... I believe that when those trigger events emerge and you successfully ride the crave wave and not feed your brain nicotine, you are actually re-wiring those nictone crave neuropathways and the memory of "I normally smoke when this happenes" really begins to fade away. Thats awesome that you hit another major milestone as a non smoker Penguin. Non-smokers don't automatically think about feeding their brains nicotine when they experience a stressful event or person. / Thanks for sharing.
January 27, 20251 yr You're right @Genecanuck! When you react as a non-smoker in those situations, you are in fact rewiring your brain and solidifying yourself as a non-smoker! My brain absolutely never automatically goes to "I should have a smoke", no matter what situation I'm in now!
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