Watch any movie or TV show made before the mid-90’s, and it’s almost a guarantee that at least one character will have a cigarette in their hand. As common as holding a cell phone is now, cigarettes were everywhere. I can remember. even into my teen years, going into small restaurant lobbies with cigarette vending machines in them. It was fascinating — so much so that I started casually smoking at 15. I was not a troublemaker in school, so it was a shock to my classmates when I got suspended as a sophomore in high school, for smoking on school property.
People who haven’t known me long are often surprised to hear that I was a pretty heavy smoker, and for a very long time. There were people who worked with me in my late 20’s who didn’t know — I always went outside to smoke, and tried hard to make sure the smell wasn’t too strong on my clothing. When I think about my wedding reception, almost 16 years ago, I remember being outside for a lot of the day because I was smoking. What had started casually, and then turned into just social smoking out at a bar or club, had turned into a one or two pack a day habit. I planned my outings around where I would be able to go smoke, and calculated how long I would have to wait before I could slip away without seeming rude. I had pocket perfume spray to try to cover the smell, so no one would know or be bothered by the scent, and mints so my breath smelled okay. It ruled my life.
READ: Sleep Awareness Week: Catch Better ZZZZs with Some Easy Tips
People who didn’t smoke usually said well-meaning things like, “Just quit, you know it’s terrible for your lungs,” or “you just need a little more willpower”. If you’ve ever been a smoker, you know that it takes more than a pep talk to quit smoking. Research shows that the average smoker will try 30 times to quit smoking before they are successful. That number sounds pretty accurate to me! I had tried everything: the patch, the gum, supplements, cold turkey, prescription meds, e-cigarettes, subliminal messages from YouTube (yes, I’m serious). I signed up for a smoking cessation clinical trial at Hershey Medical Center, where I didn’t know if I had received a placebo or not. I can remember times where I would be so exhausted, but I would see I was down to two or three cigarettes, so I would hop into my car in the middle of the night and drive to a gas station, because I couldn’t stand the thought of not having access to the cigarettes in the morning.
I finally quit smoking for good on September 1, 2019, and haven’t smoked since. For Take Down Tobacco’s Day of Action, I thought I would share a few things that helped me.
- If you aren’t mentally ready to quit, then it is okay to give yourself more time. You have to genuinely be tired of being tied to this addiction to be successful.
- An app on your phone like Smoke Free is a huge help. Even if you are still smoking when you download it, it helps you see how it’s affecting your health AND your wallet. The biggest motivator was seeing how much money I was saving each week — when I quit, my Camel Crush Silvers were over $7.75 a pack and climbing!
- Have a support system. While your family and friends are certainly going to be happy for you, if you have any friends/family who are ex-smokers, they can be a great source of support. They understand how hard it is, especially in the beginning, and sometimes, you just need someone who’s been there to commiserate with!
- Figure out your triggers and have something ready to help keep you busy. I bought gum, lollipops and popsicles, but I also started doing needlepoint, crochet, and art activities that would keep my hands busy! The hardest times for me were driving and when I was on the phone, so I looked for things to keep me occupied.
- Be kind to yourself — it is really hard to quit smoking. If you try and you start again, don’t beat yourself up! Try again when YOU are ready!
Hopefully this will be the year that you kick butts for good!
