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Annette R Crave Management - 5 months 2018
Annette R Crave Management - 5 months 2018
5 months quit: “What physical or mental improvements have you noticed?”
5 months free! Yay! Whoo Hoo! This is great!!! Wonderful. Surprising. Hard. Perfect. Not so hard. All of that...
So the older I get, the more I reduce things to their most basic raw form. And what I've come to understand about quitting smoking is that it's ALL ABOUT CRAVE MANAGEMENT.
It's all about the craves.
People lose their quits cause they caved to the crave. We're all former slaves to the crave!
BUT - instead of fighting these craves off, I've gleaned advice from this site and learned to rather embrace the craves. Sit down with them, understand them - and then observe as they lift off and go away. It's kinda zen. :) And they always do ... go away.
Here's some great stuff others wrote on the subject. From @Sam Y.: "Being an ex-smoker means accepting desires to smoke. "Accepting" something is the opposite of trying to avoid it. When I get the desire to smoke, I just relax my body and let the desire wash over me like a wave. Or I embrace it as the only alternative to smoking. I let it stay as long as it wants, and go on about my business while it's there. It was somewhat distracting it first, but with practice I've learned to coexist with it peacefully. It's mildly uncomfortable, but it's not pain or suffering. It's just a fact of life."
Someone else had sent me this, and now I do not remember who. But please, if you recognize this, do let me know who wrote it, as I'm so grateful for this advice! I did edit a bit for clarity:
"Embrace your fear...accept your quit. Fighting craves will wear you out, so instead of fighting, perhaps you could try this: When a crave starts, find somewhere comfortable... try to relax...lay down, or just sit. Close your eyes... lower your shoulders... surrender... allow the crave completely into your mind... completely... start to finish... until it stops.
With this method your crave should last less than 2 minutes. The first time will be intense, like a vibration running through your mind. You will get through it, you'll be okay. Experience the craves, embrace them, learn from them and their intensity and duration will diminish over time... Do this with all your craves. Every time one starts, take time out, relax into it. Practicing this method help you learn the cause of your fear, anxiety and stress. The very essence of your addiction will manifest itself and your courage will grow. Embrace your fear ... accept your quit. And remember, walking will relieve anxiety... try to walk often."
This has all helped me a lot. Sitting with my craves and identifying the triggers all helps me keep hold of the reigns. This is MY life, MY body, MY QUIT! And my quit has become like this precious being - my state of grace - and I protect it with my life. (Even - and especially - when it feels like a mundane pain in the a$$!!) Yeah!!
Sending love, compassion, hope and understanding to you all, and my best wishes for your crave management programs! And if you have any good crave management tips, please share them here!