I am writing this for people considering quitting smoking cigarettes but feel anxious, overwhelmed or frustrated by the fact that they do not know how and there are a lot of gimmicks. Nobody wants to fail at something this important.I started smoking when I was 14 and I quit when I was 50. Had I kno wn how easy it actually was (at least for me), I would have quit decades ago. For whatever reason, society taught me that quitting smoking was the hardest thing in the world and was equated to quitting heroin. “Studies showed” that it was such a severe addiction and quitting would involve great suffering and feeling deprived. The studies were and are wrong. As I sit here writing this, eating some rice and steak strips, I have no anxiety about how I’ll feel when I’m finished eating. I’ll simply take a nice deep breath and I’ll feel satisfied. I no longer need nicotine simply because I finished some food, which is great. Many times, as a smoker, I ate food simply to have a cigarette and I can think of hundreds of times that I did that or I would get a drink so that my cigarette would taste better. Driving my car required at least two cigarettes — one on the way into town and one after I finished all my errands, because after all I deserve a reward. Nicotine is not a reward; breathing oxygen is.A couple of years ago I noticed I was having trouble breathing when I would go up and down the stairs. As a skinny lady who’s relatively healthy, I didn’t think I should be out of breath from going up the stairs. As a kid I was a fast runner, and as someone with severe ADHD, running outside was one of the best things I could do. To realize that I had ruined my body and my lungs and my ability to run or at least breathe while running, I knew it was time to quit. But how do I go about doing that without failing? How do I quit without being one of those people who constantly try to quit and fail, starting up again? How do I quit and not fail or feel deprived?I urge you to do what I did, which was to find the things that I thought would help me and use those. What works for you or me may not work for another person. I encourage you to find your perfect quit plan, document it, and stick to it.WHAT WORKED FOR ME“The easy way to quit smoking,” by Alan Carr (book and audio), which helped with un- brainwashing myself.Hypnosis: Look, I know a lot of people are afraid of hypnosis. They think they’re going to be acting like a chicken. That’s not the hypnosis I’m talking about. I have found sleep hypnosis as well as “quitting smoking” hypnosis and you just listen as you go to sleep. They help you unwind and calm into a nice sleep and then they give messages to your subconscious about quitting smoking. I did this for about two years, and it really helped when I finally quit and left it all behind me.Honesty: Start referring to smoking or stepping out as going to get a hit of nicotine, my drug. Because that’s what it is and you are addicted to a drug called nicotine. It’s time to stop pretending and face this monster head on.Prepare for the quit: stock up on puzzles, games, fidget toys and those books you’ve been planning to read, coloring stuff, word searches etc. You need to provide yourself with enough activities for your hands and your mind for a couple of days and if helpful, weeks. As you gather these things, find a box or a basket and make it into a gift, make it really pretty and desirable, and don’t open any of it. This is your quit basket, and you are not allowed to open any of them until you’ve smoked your last cigarette.To replace or not to replace: When you quit, you will not replace with vaping, food or other for cigarettes or other substances, with one exception for cannabis. Some people who smoke cannabis are able to use that to get over the initial triggers to smoke for the first couple of weeks, such as the after-dinner cigarette. I do recommend this for current weed smokers, as it seems helpful and calming for people going through an anxious, tricky time. However, we will not alter our usual food and meal routines nor switch to vaping or other drugs. Sticking to mealtime routines will aid your body as it goes through withdrawal, cleansing and adjusting. Hydrate frequently and more often than usual.Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It seems like we spend our lives trying to make ourselves comfortable and to avoid being uncomfortable at all costs, which of course makes sense. However, in the context of quitting smoking, make peace withyour discomfort. That discomfort is part of this process, so you can fight it or you can welcome it — because it is coming.Start a journal: You don’t have to share this with anybody. In fact, you can throw it out when you’re done if you want. A journal can be a computer document, a phone app, e-mail, a physical notebook or whatever you’re comfortable with. Start tracking your thoughts about your desire to quit and why you’d like to quit. What is the end goal for you? If the end goal is that you want to be able to run through the woods again and breathe like you used to, that’s a wonderful goal! In fact, any reason you have that you want to quit is a wonderful reason to quit. I suggest these reasons are for you, not your kids, husband, etc., because that can cause damage if you do slip. Instead, focus this as your desire and your choice. Do this one thing just for you. Trust me, everyone who loves you will be so happy.Telling everybody the news: Can I recommend that you keep it quiet and this is why: the minute I told my mom years ago that I was going to quit smoking, she started hounding me, nagging me and sending “helpful” articles, which only caused me anxiety and led to me not wanting to quit anymore. I have a rebellious personality, especially when it comes to my mom. I suggest you avoid this to avoid stressing yourself out and delaying your own freedom. I waited about two weeks to a month to tell people. It doesn’t have to be a big deal and it’s totally up to you.Do not be a quitting Karen: Not one smoker wants to be lectured, judged or nagged about how they should quit smoking. But when we do finally, successfully quit and we did it in such a way that we didn’t suffer, it is really hard not to tell people. Resist the urge to tell every smoker you see and instead let your people know that you did quit and if anyone ever wants to, you’d be happy to share some tips. Just leave them alone. Nobody has ever successfully quit because someone nagged them.Be kind to yourself: Intentionally talk to yourself with only positive and loving phrases and this is why: The body believes what it is told. Read that a few times and think it through for a minute. If I keep whining and saying, “I don’t feel well, I think I’m getting sick” and I repeat that all day for a few days, guess what’ll happen? If I tell myself that “I feel great and I can feel the energy radiating out of me like sunshine!” Guess what? It’sgoing to be a good day and the only way that person’s getting sick is if someoneelse got a germ on them. If you hear yourself say, “I’m so stupid,” go to a mirror and say three kind things to yourself, looking into your eyes. It is incredibly awkward at first and you will hate it. Keep doing it until you break the habit of being a meaner to yourself! Love yourself instead, growing forward.Slips, falls and getting up again: It can happen and it may happen, but don’t give yourself permission to break down and smoke. Fight through it because you are strong enough to do this. If you fall walking home, you don’t lay there and sulk forever. You get up, brush yourself off and go home. You may be upset, hurt, embarrassed and pissed off, but you would go home. If you quit and slip and smoke, simply get back up, brush off the dirt and keep quitting. Do not let the monster win. You are stronger than it.Solutions: For me to drive without feeling triggered (because people test my patience and I have ADHD), I found that a certain type of pretzel eases my anxiety and it’s about the width/size of a cigarette, so if you have the hand-to-mouth problem. Find your version of the pretzel solution. I don’t eat a lot of them, just munch a few when I would have smoked before, or hold one between my fingers. At first, I suggest one or two quick errands and straight home. Ease into it. Lean on your people for support and emotional back-up. If you don’t have people, maybe you can chat with AI or with yourself. Find your best support system and lean on them when you need to.Triggers: If you can, avoid the people, places and things you associate with smoking cigarettes. Over time, test yourself by going outside when coworkers or a friend are smoking. Does the smell invite or offend? In my case, it was both, but 70% offended and 30% sniff deeply at a familiar smell. It’s OK if you choose not to be near the smoke at all.Support: If you are on social media, Facebook has numerous groups for support for this. You’ll find quitting smoking groups and you’ll also find “Alan Carrs — The Easy Way To Quit Smoking” groups that you can join. All of the members just support each other on their quitting journeys. I highly recommend that you join a group! If you look around on YouTube, Google, and search “sleep hypnosis to quit smoking,” you will find many options and can find your perfect match.Dear reader, I hope something here can help you to get the courage and will to finally quit, but if it doesn’t — keep searching and keep trying until you find the way that works for you. I believe in you and I believe in me! You are so amazing!Holly B. Hansen is a Midway resident.The post How I quit smoking without suffering appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less