I spent a good deal of today outside. It is finally spring in New England. Never thought we would see the snow disappear. This morning was windy, but the sun is shinning brightly now.  It made me think of the change of seasons for us non-smokers. When seasons change, new triggers arise.  Last year at this time, I was on my first quit and trained myself how to start a garden without smoking, do yard work without smoking or just hang out on the deck without smoking. It is so much more enjoyable.  I am really looking forward to enjoying the spring smells of freshly cut grass, the rain and flowers again. I wanted to send this out for everyone to prepare for your season.  Who knows, maybe you will have the cleanest yard or biggest garden in the neighborhood with all the time you are saving not smoking.

LOL - you may be onto something there!

 

Saturday (after Golf obviously :) ) this Bandit is getting stuck into his garden in 'old' England

Nothing like a happy Northerner coming out of hibernation …  :)

Nothing like a happy Northerner coming out of hibernation …  :)

so true, I think we are so behind everybody else! ;)

Lynn, thank you :)

It really didnt occur to me that new triggers would arise for me, this, my first spring being a non-smoker :)

I spent most of the day outside today, spring has finally sprung here too (Yay).

I cleaned the yard and hubby and I took a truck full of yard waste to the compost center. 

I did feel as if I had more energy and I was more productive overall. As long as I kept moving. 

I think I need to learn to slow my pace a bit......

It used to be that I would tell myself "Finish this task, then you can have a cigarette" and I would rush through the task.

I still rush through tasks as if there is a finish line........and move on from task to task that way.

Slowing down would be good for me. :)

And Im going to start something that may resemble gardening this year :)

Good one Lynn. I think the change of season is a big deal and we need to be wary :)

I know it will be a trigger for me, so in the last week or so I have been mentally  preparing myself as I always like to have a plan when I think a big one is coming up - but i am coming around to the idea that if we make it worse by apprehension it will be worse so I think I am my own worse enemy, but better to be mentally prepared anyways

 

I want to concentrate on the positives, like enjoying a drink in the pub without people glaring at you, going for nice walks and not feeling guilty that you are polluting yourself and the environment you are admiring that kind of thing

 

for me the worse will be the drink as my consumption goes up when the sun comes out lol anyone for PIMMS??

Now you can stop to smell the roses instead of stoping to light up.  :)

Spring is the last new season for me..yippee!!!

Spring is the last new season for me..yippee!!!

 

What a great feeling that is Nancy!-  Woo-Hoo!!

Did someone say PIMMS ?!

I was thinking about it as well. The whole outside is a trigger for me. We never smoked in the house, so the outside is my former smoking room.

 

I was worried at first, but now I think I am going to be just fine. I reprogrammed my thinking and it does wonders for me. I don't think "oh my that's where I always smoked" instead I think "How cool ...let's see what I can do instead".

 

Might sound silly...but it works for me. I always look forward and my glass is always half full, so the negative thoughts about smoking just put me down and threw me back..I assume this makes only sense to me! :-)

In a strange way, the changes of seasons can affect the first year of a quit as much as holidays do... with Spring time here, the first thing many will think is: wow, this is the first Spring I'm not a smoker... how will I be able to keep myself from not smoking since it's so nice outside now... (Remember when you smoked outside in the Winter and how it sucked because it was so cold, how could you possibly enjoy a smoke?  The truth is: you didn't! lol)  The truth is still the same: it might be a change of season, but did you really enjoy that smoke or were you so addicted that you "thought" you enjoyed the smoke?

 

Do something new this season... I like what Lynn said: grow a garden, make a really nice lawn, etc :)

more like "YAY spring is here I can finally go on nice long runs outside without freezing my arse off!"

 

whats a cig? :)

This post made me realize that this Spring is my last "first" season.  Wow.  I quit just as we were headed into Summer.  Want to know something?  It was the best summer I can remember in a long time.  I kid you not.  I am not just talking about being able to breath better and the fact that I quit.  I simply enjoyed it more because I wasn't a slave to a cigarette, it was a summer of freedom for me.  For example, swimming in the pool....The summer before last, every so often I would get out of the pool, dry off, put something on my feet, go find a place I could be hidden from the kids view yet be able to see them in the pool.  Every 20 minutes, do it again.  I never have to do that again and that makes me really happy  :)