These are some practical strategies for your toolbox along your journey of change and recovery! Learning new coping skills is essential as you move forward from your unhealthy relationship with tobacco or other substances.
Thousands of brave folks trying to quit tobacco have certainly convinced me that there are many ways to succeed at quitting. What works for one person doesn’t always work for the next person.
That said, I would like to keep folks from facing avoidable frustrations. There are some basic truths which I think apply to every quitter’s journey, even while we are in some ways different. Over time, brave folks have cleared a few trails up the “mountain” we call quitting. Some of those paths are well-worn, tried, and true. So why not learn from the experience of those who have gone before us?
A Story of Numbers After my eighth serious quit attempt in three years, it finally took. Support from the QuittersWin group and mindful use of NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) helped me finally sever the chains from my 45-year, pack-per-day addiction. I noticed a difference right away! By the end of day two smoke-free, I was …
Maybe Miracles Do Happen? If people can maintain coherence and avoid terrible detox symptoms, they might be able to hold hope long enough for a miracle to occur. I’ve seen the bumper sticker that says “Expect a Miracle.” Some days I might scoff at such unreasonable hope. Some days I might wish that expecting a …
Part One – A Fierce Storm Today Rehab and Detox beds are nowhere to be found. Demand is higher than ever. Resources are more scarce. Staff are harder to hire and keep. Overdose deaths (CDC figures) rose 30% from 2019 to 2020 and another 15% from 2020 to 2021. The system has been broken for …
What to Expect and What to Do For folks addicted to nicotine in any of its forms, stopping means you will encounter some withdrawal symptoms. However, these symptoms can vary widely from person to person. The discomfort caused may not be directly related to the amount of nicotine you’ve been using or the length of …
I hear that fairly often. Typically it’s a health concern that brings a person to a place where they accept that they should quit smoking (vaping, drinking excessively, or using other substances.) But they really don’t want to quit because they “like it!” I’m not sure that anyone actually likes sucking toxic soot into their …
Emmet Fox told a story about a bear that might be worth our time: “There is an anecdote of the Far West which carries a wonderful lesson. It appears that a party of hunters, being called away from their camp, left the campfire unattended, with a kettle of water boiling on it. Presently an old …
NOTE: If you grasp the five distinct aspects of your complicated relationship with tobacco (or other substances) you are already way more likely to be successful at taking back your freedom. As you probably know, unless you’re very new here, we envision those five distinct aspects as the heads of a dragon. If you want …
9/11 is a day that we will never forget. Janice has a very special reason to remember that day and the truth that silenced the “little voice in my head.”
For over twenty years I have served brave addicted folks with the courage to fight to take back their freedom. Initially I helped smokers trying to quit and I later learned how some of the practices and processes that helped people get “smober” applied equally well to other addictions. I’ve tried to always approach each …
You’ve probably either read or heard me talk about the power of BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits approach to behavior change. I’m a big fan and more importantly a convinced believer. Tiny habits make a deceptively big impact when it comes to behavior change. BJ Fogg has researched extensively and developed a method that helps people …
Emotions are running high these days, and that can lead to all sorts of negative habits, especially around food. Are you eating more than usual? Or maybe so worried that you’re forgetting to eat? Stress affects our appetite in major ways, but there is a simple approach to identify and change these behaviors so you …
Five finger breathing: a simple way to reboot your brain, calm down and be in the moment. Worry takes up your brain’s “RAM” (working memory.) Paying attention to many senses (seeing, feeling) & body parts (hands, breath) at once crowds out worry. Dr. Jud has lots of resources that can help us understand habit formation …
This morning I came to the desk where I sit when working from home. As I internally expressed gratitude that my work is continuing, I looked at the small fleet of mobile phones plugged into their various charging cables and the “easy” button which I use to celebrate various tasks I accomplish. The subject of …
There’s plenty going on that can cause anxious thoughts. And to be fair, some of those thoughts can protect us from dangerous situations. But often those worrisome thoughts get amplified and we can obsess until we feel like a gerbil on a wheel. Sometimes even a small positive action can interrupt those obsessive thought loops …
Hey, we all know that doing good feels good. And in these uncertain times, doing ANYTHING can reduce some of our natural anxiety. So, let’s help out our local businesses right now (and maybe reduce some of our anxiety, too!) Today’s tip is can help out local restaurants feeling the pinch of COVID-19 crowd suppression. …
