Hi Jane and welcome to Daily Strength. You know, smokers tend to cover over issues by smoking instead of facing what's going on. It's part of the insanity involved with nicotine addiction. It sound like now you are making some good decisions for you and your daughter. You made a wise choice to not smoke when you were pregnant and once again you are making a wise decision to not smoke...not just not smoke around your daughter but to NOT SMOKE. That's fantastic! The mantra you are repeating in your brain is not wierd. I joined another smoking cessation group that promotes NOPE which is an acronym for Not One Puff Ever and repeating that over and over when I had craves really really helped me. Here are a few other things that helped get me through the early (and toughest) part of my quit. Drink ice water, it's a great crave chaser and helps flush the toxins out of your body. Get up and move around, go into another room, go for a walk, do some light exercise but move. Allow extra time for sleep. YOur brain is going to get more oxygen than it's used to getting and that can make you tired. Eat healthy snacks. Personally I froze lots and lots of green grapes and got hooked on them...still am hooked on them! LOL Stay away from junk foods high in sugar/carbs/fat since they will intensify cravings. I sucked on whole cloves, made my breath smell wonderful and they numbed my tongue so I did not want to smoke. I smoked for a really long time (38 years) and quit 9 months ago. Now looking back, there are wonderful things that happen as a direct result from quitting. I won't lie to you. The first part of the quit is the toughest but it does not last long. Within a very short amount of time you will notice some real improvements in the way you look and feel. Already you don't smell or taste like a dirty ashtray so how cool is that? Start adding friends to your list and read the posts, create your own journal and read ours. We are here to help each other and we all started out at day one. You can do this Jane and we can help.

Thanks so much Lanky! It is really odd because I expected to be insanely emotional and evil, but I am not. I feel panic every once in a while but I just tell it to shut up! This morning I dropped my daughter off at school and realized that we had forgotten her back pack. I had to go back and get it which meant I was going to be late for work. Now usually I would be swearing and completely stressed but I wasn't. Strange, I thought. My daughter immediately started apologizing, she was scared I was going to yell at her. I just gave her a smile, a kiss and sent her on her way. She is only 5 and she is stressed. She has learned it from me. I am so sad by that. But it is time to change. I have changed everything, now at lunch I walk instead of smoke. I drink water instead of coffee and I eat fruit and veggies instead of cookies and chips! And most of all, I can't wait until the day my daughter notices that Mamma hasn't gone outside to smoke! How it broke my heart when she would say to me "Mamma, you are always outside smoking. You never play with me." I will never hear that again! Yeah! Thank you for the advice, frozen grapes ARE delicious! And cloves, I love them too. I will try that one!

...how lucky your daughter is that you're quitting now, it took until my son was 14 for me to quit...he still can't believe I'm really doing it at times and his pride's over the top!!! You're doing great, keep it up and keep coming back for support, quit keepers are cool too, you can download one for free at whyquit.com! Best wishes.

Thank you Shell!! I know, I have always worried about the effects my smoking may have on her. My heart would break if she ever started.

The others just about said it all. Only I am really proud of you for making the choice for yourself and daughter to give up that addiction, Your a winner. Good luck.

Thank you and good luck to all of you too!

A number of things factor into the ease of a quit. Some are genetic, some are emotional, some are chemical, and some are outside influences. But the thing I've noticed over and over that has the greatest bearing on the ease of quitting is the quitter's attitude.

Regardless of the method you use or the reasons driving your quit, if you don't have the right attitude then you will have problems. I'm not saying you won't stay quit. I'm just saying it will be a greater/longer challenge. The ease and grace with which you accepted the situation when you realized the backpack had been forgotten is strongly indicative of the correctness of this path for you right now. Further testimony is that when you did smoke, you would have stressed, not only by your own testimony but by your daughters reaction when the realization of forgetting was made.

It is truly amazing how far reaching one persons quit can be. You are giving yourself and those who love you beautiful gifts that are so much more than just not smoking anymore. Keep up the great quit. :)

Peace and blessings,
Shevie
Quit May, 2005

Thank you so much! You made me cry. I truly appreciate your words, Shevie.