Day 20: May 3, 2007 and Today's TIP

Yesterday marks another nicotine free day. Yesterday also marks a day when I noticed things are tasting a little different. I went to a very popular Canadian coffee shop for my "usual" XL coffee. It tasted dramatically different, not what I was expecting at all. On one hand, they may not want to hear this, but, I have no desire to pay for their coffee any more. On the other hand, I hear that their product wasn't necessarily good for my health anyway.

Back to today. The morning cravings seem to have left me, at least for now. In fact, I went all morning without a craving. UNTIL - right around noon - I had a craving "flash back". I don't understand this yet but, every once in a while, an image of someone (no person in particular) lighting up a cigarette will flash into my mind. Then, somehow, I seem to be anticipating the "smell" of a freshly lit cigarette. Of course it doesn't happen, this is just an image in my mind.

These flashes are very short, almost like subliminal messages popping up every now and then. I continue to remind myself that I no longer smoke cigarettes. I am free from any dependency on nicotine. I am a recovering nicotine addict. Any cravings are only temporary.

For more information or products, you can visit AMAZON online or you can send me an e-mail at nicotinequench@inbox.com

The Psychological Symptoms

Think about it. Why would someone who has quit smoking for six months or even a year, all of a sudden light up a cigarette and continue smoking like they never quit.

Clearly, I have been Nicotine Free for over 19 days. I don't need nicotine to sustain myself physically. I couldn't survive this long without food or water.

I knew it was inevitable, My "WHY to QUIT" is merging with my "HOW to QUIT" process. It is a good idea to make a note of any changes or improvements that you have experienced so far during your QUIT and incorporate these positive experiences into your MIND quench.

Remember the nicotine QUENCH Plan is comprised of a BODY QUENCH and a MIND QUENCH. I anticipated the psychological cravings. In some respects, and in my opinion, these cravings are just as tough as the actual physical cravings.

Unfortunately, many QUIT SMOKING programs take you through the physical quit, but few prepare you for the psychological consequences of this decision. This is not the first time I tried to quit smoking. This is however, the first time I made it this far absolutely nicotine free.

One of my MIND Quenches is Sudoku puzzles. They don't take that long to solve (depending on the difficulty level) and serve as a great distraction from anything I was focusing on before. My brain literally takes a break. If you want to sharpen your reasoning skills, Sudoku is a good start.

Today's TIP

Document the positive changes you've been experiencing as you make it through each day Nicotine FREE and incorporate them into your MIND QUENCH:

I am sleeping better now
I feel refreshed, more relaxed
I am more focused on tasks at hand
I have more money in my pocket
I am making better use of my time (fewer breaks away from work)
I am experiencing new tastes and smells
I have fresh breath and whiter teeth
I am FREE to go where ever I want, when I want
I have more ENERGY
I am exercising regularly
I am improving my PHYSICAL Fitness
I am not dependent on NICOTINE
I am NICOTINE FREE

I am amazed at how much time and money I actually wasted MANAGING my NICOTINE ADDICTION. This may even surprise you - More on this tomorrow.