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TradeMe and eBay helps me quit smoking
Online shopping and selling ,a little retail therapy helps keep my mind from smoking. You finally have time to get rid of the junk you have accumulated over the years...
Travelling can be pleasurable, exciting but also tempts you to smoke as the excitement accumulates and builds up the urge to have a puff. I've been waiting to travel to Malaysia for the past few months and the time is finally here. Yay!!!! I'm so happy and excited. Last night we landed in S'pore Changi Airport and had a 4 hour walk around in the airport terminals, going from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 looking for Genki Sushi but to my disappointment, its closed.
It has been a tiring 10 hour flight from Christchurch to Singapore but its worth it. I managed to watch 4 movies on the plane, my favourite was a Korean Comedy, Married to the Mafia 2. It's simply hillarious and the actress is gorgeous. Time on the plane just flies with inflight entertainment.
Well...finally, we arrive in Singapore and the humidity of the city welcomed us gracefully...hahaha....I miss the humidity. We finally managed to check into the Transit hotel in the airport and caught up with sleep....well, my husband did but not me as I'm already writing this post and its 4am in the empty and so so so quiet airport terminal. It seems unbelievably quiet but there are people still working here throughout the night. Its such a huge place and so silent.
I am meeting my sis in the city tomorrow, so I'm quiet excited to see her and my little niece for the first time. Can't wait till we check out from the hotel and head to the city.
Last day of work felt like eternity as everyone in the office are just waiting for the clock to strike at 4:30pm. We had a mini party at work to celebrate the last day of work and its a struggle to get through the day and prepare for 2011. It is times like this when I'll be smoking if I have not quit the habit but its important for me to stop forever. Here is an X'mas gift I received from my colleague, a HEllo Kitty mouse pad! Love it.
For this holiday, I am making a trip to Malaysia.....I'm all set and ready to go but there's always some last minute shopping to do....
I celebrated my birthday 2 days ago and its a birthday worth celebrating as I have also quit smoking! I love being smoke-free and I have forgotten how it feels to be a smoker. Life is worth celebrating when you've stopped smoking!
Reward yourself for not smoking!! Have a breakaway holiday in sunny Malaysia.
It's finally here!!! Low fares and a chance to get away for weekend shopping in Kuala Lumpur!! The Malaysian mega sales are usually held in Dec- Jan, July to Sept and Mar-Apr each year.
I can fly to Malaysia when I wish now....I used to spend more than NZD $2000 for a return ticket to Malaysia in December. What a difference, compared to the NZD $99 fares they are offering for a one way ticket!! That's 10% of what I've paid. And the best thing is, my family can fly to visit me too!
One of my favourite pass times is selling on online auctions. I am a believer of Feng shui and try to have a clutter-free environment. If old things do not go, I will not attract good and new things into my life. Same with smoking. It was a chapter of my life which I want to close and start with a new chapter. Selling the things I don't need on online auctions helps keep me busy and I can spend hours surfing the site, looking at things other sell and monitoring the items I am selling. Its a great past time and the income is not too bad either. Check out my listings on TradeMe under"Liquidrey".
ScienceDaily (2010-04-23) -- A new study links nicotine poisoning with weight gain, and concludes that active smokers, not only those who stop, put on more weight than non-smokers. After four years of analysis, those who put on least weight were those who had never smoked. Read more [ Click here ]
If you are craving that cigarette, you still need to convince yourself that you have made the right choice when you decided to quit. No matter how hard it is, don't give up. Think of all the benefits in future and how much money you save. You need to be strong and determined to reach your goal. One day, we will live in a smoke-free world and you want to get there before its too late.
To help you stop that craving, you need to change your habits. Smoking is a habit and similar to all habits, you become comfortable and get into a routine of doing the same activity each day. If you can break the habit, you can overcome and achieve a lot.
Try this:
Instead of having breakfast, reading the papers and have a smoke each morning, I have changed my routine. I take my shower as soon as I wake up and brush my teeth. By making small changes, I manage to change the way my body and mind programmes itself.
Try taking a different route to work, this could help to alter your habits.
Try taking a walk during lunch times and have a snack or light lunch during your breaks, instead of having a "lunch time". By eating lighter foods and healthier foods like fruits, etc, you feel more energetic and less full. You now have no excuse to smoke because you are "so full" from lunch.
Switch from drinking coffee to tea...this will help calm your mind.
There are many habits which you can change to keep you away from cigarettes...try it, you've got everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Taking up a hobby and doing something you love helps you to quit smoking. One of the things I enjoy is creating background patterns or skins for websites and blogger templates. I find that colours affect my mood and the right colours can aid my goal of kicking the smoking habit. Using colours to create website background skins or patterns is fun and enjoyable!! Instead of smoking, you are investing your time in something that you love. Here is a sample.
"A Parliamentary inquiry into the tobacco industry is calling for New Zealand to be smokefree by 2025."
This is significant and its not too far away. More reasons for you to try to quit now so you will be smoke free before this kicks in ( if it does...). This is one of the reasons why I wanted to stop smoking. Sometime in future, cigarettes will be banned and I don't want to be in a situation where I will struggle to cope. If only scientists will come up with a hypnosis plan that allows you to miraculously quit immediately, you have to overcome this yourself and you need the will to do it. If you don't try it today, you will find it harder tomorrow.
Its really simple. If you get enough sleep, you get more rest and your mind is more relaxed. Sleeping earlier and getting more sleep is highly recommended to combat stress and nicotine craving. I always find that I have more energy if I sleep between 7 to 8 hours and I can get through the day focusing on achieving what I need to do rather than seeking an energy booster from nicotine or caffeine.
Are you actually smoking or are you just sucking the poison? Is it so pleasurable? The cigarette does the smoking – you’re just the sucker.
Darker lips is one of the effects of smoking and that's when you know, you have to stop the habit. When you stop smoking, your lips will regain its natural look which is deprived when you were a smoker.
Quit smoking and watch your bank account grow ...Aaaahhh. Ain't that great? I used to smoke 1 to 2 packs of cigarettes a day, depending on my mood. I'd spend on average $10 per day on smokes and as the years go by, I begin to think I am burning my money away. Think of all the clothes I can buy with the money I just puffed away ==~~~
Puffing $$ away
But...please, try not to calculate how much you can save as it feels like you are counting your eggs before they hatch. Instead, try to think long-term as cigarette prices are the first to go up each time the government sets their budget. I just need to quit before I end up smoking up a $50 habit per day.
Its been 4 months since my last cigarette and do I miss it? NO...in fact, someone tried to offer me a puff today, but I turned it down. NO Thanks...I am not going down that path again. I am not looking back and am proud for being smoke-free.
My skin looks better, I am less prone to having a pimple breakout and my lips are less dry than when I was smoking.
Smoke free tip of the day:
# Watch a movie / have a movie marathon
I find that keeping myself busy and my mind occupied, like watching movies helps.....my attention is focused on something entertaining and its way more fun than smoking. Watched a few chic flicks today - Confessions of a Shopaholic. ( awesome chic flick - love the colours and reminds me of myself about 5 years ago ).
I was exactly like Rebecca Bloomwood ...until one day when I decided that I need to think before buying stuff just because they were on sale. Shopping is another addiction which I had to overcome at one stage of my life.Now, I am still trying to sell the stuff I bought from my shopaholic days on New Zealand's online auction site, Trademe under "Liquidrey". http://www.trademe.co.nz
As part of my movie marathon, I also watched Zac Efron's "17 again",Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner's movie "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past".... These movies are great =)
Share your smoke free tips with me..I'd love to hear them.
Quitting smoking, is it that hard? Does it have to be that hard? Its hard if you think it is. Girls, don't be afraid you will gain the extra pounds from stopping..you can even lose weight after you stop smoking.
The secret is to STOP. Just DO IT. After 12 years of smoking, I finally had enough. The revolting smell, the cold winter nights when I have to shiver outside just for a puff, the feeling of being excluded from the "non-smoking" club...it all builds up. I can't take it anymore, the smell of my fingertips after a cigarette. But why do I do this?
Cigarette - my old friend.....Goodbye.
As a smoker, my best friend, was my cigarette...she tags along and follows me everywhere I go, when I wake up, I'd see her, I'd meet her before work and lunch times...but this friend is vulgar, offensive and I feel "unwelcome" when I am with her. A lot of people tell me that my friend has a peculiar odor and it rubs off me when I'm with her. Everyone thinks both of us stink....and a lot of times, I feel embarrassed of this. Have you experienced talking to someone with bad breath? Yes? After spending time with my friend, I have to brush my teeth to get rid of that horrible breath smell ....what a drag...the list goes on......
My friend is a control freak - I'd do anything she says....she jump, I jump. She calls all the shots and I am just the follower. There are so many times when she wants me to come to supermarket to pick her up and even if it is snowing, in the middle of the night, she'd drag me out into the cold to accompany her. Sometimes when I am enjoying a movie or in the middle of a meeting, she wants me to accompany her for 10 minutes. She is also particular about which friends I choose....she loves to hang out with those that are like her....she complains and wants to leave parties early if there is no one there like her...Sometimes, I even have to hide her. She is not the "best-looking" friend to go out with. A lot of people try to stay away from her and gives us the "strange look" if they see us together. She is also high maintenance and expensive to support but I have to pay her to keep her with me....worse of all, she will never pay me a dime in return. That's just so unfair!
BUT...there's more. My friend does not believe in being healthy. She absolutely hates exercising and would make me run out of breath when I am exercising. She would try her best to keep me away from the gym or anything which requires physical activity. ..she loves chillin' out at home and love it when I tell her how lucky I am to have her as my friend.
One day, my friend will be tired of me and once she decides she no longer wish to have my company, will not let us part our separate ways but she will try to kill me.
I am now at a point that I have to tell my friend goodbye...I don't wish to continue our friendship and I have to do it now before it is too late.
This is the story of my friend and my journey to say goodbye.
I started smoking as a teenager. It soon became an addiction and before I know it, I couldn't live without it. I enjoyed it and there is no one stopping me. I had control and about 13 years later....I had lost control. Tobacco started taking over my life and it was dominating my life. I had never tried to stop smoking as I have no reason to. But what made me stop?
The first time I tried to quit about 2 years ago was a painful experience. Instead of smoking, I tried brushing my teeth each time I had a craving. I downloaded Allen Carr's QUIT Smoking onto my IPOD and listened to throughout the day, trying to hypnotize myself. I had my ipod at work, when driving, during lunch time, all the time...
Did it work?
Yes, kind of...but painfully....
I tried many thing and one of the things that helped was exercising. Instead of smoking, I would try to go for a walk, try working out at home when there's a craving...any sort of physical activity that keeps my mind of tobacco.
The first 5 days according to the programme would be the hardest and it once you get through, things were meant to get easier. REALLY???
Maybe. But cigarettes were expensive in NZ. Each packet costs about $11 and I was smoking about 1 packet per day. It was my comfort...and I can't believe I actually used to think it was my "best friend". What an idiot?
It was my best friend in social occasions and as I used to work as a flight attendant, I used to buy unbelievably cheap duty free cigarettes. 80% of my peers were smoking, so I had to be in the "in crowd". It was so natural....
Not today...not in my current world where HEALTH is always the emphasis and everyone is trying to be "smoke free". The world is changing and it seems to be "closing in" on smokers...arrrggghhhh. They were banning smoking in restaurants, in cafes, clubs, anywhere indoor. Its not fund anymore. In New Zealand where the average temperature is 5-10 degrees , its a torture. Why do I torture myself? I really don't know...
Well, now I know. If only I knew this years ago, I would never have picked up my first cigarette.
Back to whether listening to Allen Carr works? I wasn't smoking for about a few weeks and it seems to be working. I felt great and all my friends were impressed, so was my family. Well, its not easy when you live with people who smoke. They tend to wait until the day you trip.
Allen Carr's quit smoking plan - very helpful, but you need to be very very determined to quit. For me, personally, I didn't like to think so much to quit. I didn't want to depend on a 3rd party to tell me how to quit. I wanted to do it myself. Its a fragile process.
I was doing great, actually...weeks without smoking and I felt great. I was happy but inside me, the little devil is telling me to "Come on...why do you have to torture yourself? You know you want to smoke.....its going to help you relax, release the stress....nobody is going to find out, even if they did, what's the worst that's going to happen? You simply just fail to quit....that's all". Each day I had to fight with this little devil in me....and it gets worse each day. It is just a constant struggle. I tried so many things to nicorrete gum, eating bags of lollies to stop my craving but I am still thinking of when I'm going to give up.
It gets worse at social gatherings, when all your friends smoke EXCEPT YOU. The temptation is so great but yet, I was able to persevere.
I've been doing so well without the horrible cigarette...everyone was admiring my ability to quit and I was proud of myself, but this went down the drain.
I was making tonnes of excuses to get more than a puff. I was asking for a stick or two and after a few months, before I realized, I was smoking again. I denied that I am a smoker, and claim to be a "social smoker" but this is just a lie I created to hide my failure.
Oh well...my first attempt to give up smoking failed, but so what? I have nothing to lose.
Time goes by and knowing what I know now, I know I need to give up smoking...how and when is still uncertain. I have learnt a few tips from my first attempt and I try to reduce my smoking habit. The times I have a cigarette is a routine.
1. Wake up in the morning - Coffee & cigarettes
2. Before I start work - Ciggie 2
3. Work breaks & lunch - Ciggie 3 /4/5 depending on the company
4. Finish work - another ciggie ( to celebrate the official "off work " WOOHOO!!! )
5. When I reach home - Evening ciggie sessions resume
6. After dinner - the "must have" ciggie ( I had the impression this one will help me burn fat LOL )
7. Evening winding down ciggie
and finally one before I hit the sack
Yup...this is my schedule.
Equipped with new knowledge, I try to break this pattern. Try this:
LEAVE YOUR CIGARETTES AT HOME
If you don't have them, you can't smoke...soon, you will not feel the need or craving when you don't have it with you. I know its hard, but go for walks during lunch hours and even window shopping helps.....think of that one thing you want to buy on window display and how reducing your smoking habit will get you there.
HANG OUT WITH THE NON-SMOKERS
When you are around non-smokers, you do not feel the need to smoke. Enjoying the company around you helps keep your mind off your so-called "friend", the cigarette...
KEEP SUGAR FREE GUM & LOLLIES HANDY
One of my must-haves is sugar free gum & lollies in my handbag......I have them ready and nearby so if I have a craving, I can reach out to them. The great taste of sugar free lollies keeps me away from nicotine. Try not to eat too many other sweet stuff such as chocolates or other sugared lollies or you will turn your nicotine addiction to lolly addiction.
DRINK WATER and GREEN TEA
H2o it is vital!!! Try to get into the habit of drinking lots of water & if you wish to have a bit of flavour in your drinks, try Green tea. I keep a bottle of green tea and love it! Its great for your health , helps you relax your mind and tastes great. Try it wish a dash of honey, drink it cold or hot. Yummy.....Try exploring different types of tea. Berry teas are also nice. Since you do not have to worry about spending money on cigarettes, you can now have the money to buy various teas to try.
MUSIC
The right type of music takes your mind off smoking....try this!
Find your tune and let it ease your mind. You can even dance to it and before you know it, you will be exercising without any effort.
EXERCISE This is the key element to cease smoking. I often substitute exercise for cigarettes and it feels great.
Sad to say I took up smoking because I strongly believe that it will help me to maintain my weight:
Smoking burns up to 100 to 200 calories per day and it helps boost your metabolism
Nicotine is an appetite suppressant and helps you curb your hunger
I always thought that if I'd quit, I'd gain 10kgs immediately. This is not true. It is a myth and it takes a lot to get away from that mindset. You will need to be determined and strong. Don't waste time. Put on your favourite tunes and dance in your room. Its easy and free and you don't have to pay any instructors to do this. 15 TO 20 Minutes of mini workout is all it takes. I love step aerobics, so I keep a step aerobics platform in my room and drag it out and start working out for at least 15 minutes. It only takes 10 minutes for me to feel the workout, but its a great feeling and I encourage all of you ( especially if you don't have time ) to try incorporating mini workouts each day. I usually exercise at night....as I am too busy during the day.
Another tip is to start walking....I walk during my lunch time. Bring your walking shoes to work and start walking. You will feel great and it makes you feel even better when you celebrate being "smoke-free" =) Do this everyday and make it a habit....you can do it. Its free & easy. No gyms to join and nobody to stop you. You are your own time keeper and the world is all yours. Put on your IPOD and just walk.
Each weekend....I'd make sure I go for a really long walk. This is my weekend reward. If it rains, try walking in shopping malls. You don't have to pay to walk there.
Its all free & really easy.
TELL YOURSELF THIS....."I AM A NON-SMOKER" If you think you are a non-smoker, you will be one soon. If you keep telling yourself this, you will slowly change your mind and thinking. You will soon be smoke-free. Think back to the days before you started smoking....those glory, joyous days....after a while you will begin to remember how happy you were before you became a smoker. Life is sweet and it is great when you don't have to depend on cigarettes to control your mood.
LEARN TO RELAX Relaxing and ease your mind...do not stress out when you are not smoking. A lot of times, we try to sneak out for a smoke thinking it will help us relax or just because its a stressful day. Stop making excuses as cigarrettes is not the answer to relaxation or stress relief. Its just a belief and you need to find other ways to relax ....surrounding your environment with things which smells nice often helps to stimulate relaxation and calms you down. Find a nice scent and keep it near you. I keep a roll-on perfume of my favourite scent in my purse and have a diffuser in my room where I spend a lot of time in....it always smells great and keeps me relaxed.
Try yoga or pilates or simply stretching to soothing music.....you will feel great!
DON'T KEEP A NON-SMOKING DIARY, BLOG OR JOURNAL
Ironically, I do not recommend anyone to keep a "non-smoking" or "Quit smoking" blog, journal or diary about what you do everyday....the more you think of it, the more it makes you crave for a smoke. So, stay away from reflecting your everyday activity as it will only turn the other way round. You will know its the right time to reflect once you are totally smoke free. Before you reach this stage, try to keep your mind away from cigarettes....as you stay away from the deadly sticks, you will slowly forget all about it.
EAT & DRINK WHEN YOUR BODY IS HUNGRY
One of the reasons why I took up smoking in the first place is my fear of gaining weight. I have this mindset that smokers are slim and if I smoke, it will help me to stay slim. I used to glamorize this idea and it became a belief which I could not deny. I used cigarettes as my substitute for food and drinks....I would smoke when I had hunger pangs.
A few days after you stop smoking, you will taste food for what it tastes like. When you are a smoker, food tastes the same...once you stop smoking, food tastes and smells different. It is great. When you are hungry, try to opt for fruits or something low fat until your meal times. You will begin to realize that your body is actually craving for food and a lot of times, you misinterpret this message and feed it with deadly chemicals from cigarettes instead, therefore killing any thoughts or craving for real food.
TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME
After several attempts to quit smoking, I found one of the pitfalls of my past failure...I told too many people too soon that I have quit. This is a big mistake as you now have the pressure to stop. As more people have expectations and expect to see positive results and achievements, you will feel like a failure if you do not quit. At the end, you will let the pressure overcome you and turn to your "best friend", the cigarette to overcome this pressure.
One of the secrets I of my success is to not tell anyone...maybe you can tell one or two people that you are "trying" to quit so they'd stop asking you to "join" them and keep it simple. Do not try to preach them into quitting as well. Initially you will find it hard to resist joining your "smoke buddies" for a smoke, but this will soon pay off as you are now trying to break free from the habit.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY....
One of my main quit smoking motivators is money. As cigarette prices keep increasing and never fall, I must quit. I have had enough of burning hard earned money.....its time to spend it on something useful. When I think of the money I would save by quitting the habit, I smile to myself and think...YES! I can do it.
KEEP AWAY FROM TEMPTATION....
I recommend that you keep cigarettes away from your sight...if you don't see it, you don't smoke it. Throw that last pack of cigarettes, get rid of the lighters, ashtrays ...try to keep these things away so you will not see it again. It will also keep you from "comfort smoking" ( in case you are having a bad day and turn to smoking again ). Now you can declare yourself and your environment "Smoke-free". It is hard to stop smoking if you still keep your spare cigarettes & accessories.
Share your success and quit smoking tips with me =)
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LiQuiDRey
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