Author Archives: admin

A Journey to Quit Smoking

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Beginnings

The following posts are from the beginning week of my journey. The Talking Stick posts didn’t evolve until later but I thought I would share my struggles at the beginning of my quit. I quit cold turkey. That means little except that’s just how *I* chose to do my quit. If I had it to do over again, I would probably take advantage of the quit aids that are available. I did start St. John’s Wort on the third day of my quit on the advice of another longer-term quitter because of all of the tears I was experiencing and because of my family history of depression. I strongly urge quitters to see their doctor if they should have any question about what they are experiencing due to quitting smoking. It can’t hurt but can only help you understand what is going on with your body. Continue reading →

Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

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Sometimes, people who are in the process of quitting smoking bite of more than they can chew. The classic example is not only deciding to quit smoking, but also to begin a vigorous exercise program and to go on a diet at the same time. Continue reading →

What Are Your Triggers?

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Do you sometimes smoke because something triggers you to want a cigarette? Triggers to smoke can be emotional or situational.

Emotional Triggers:

  • feeling irritable or grouchy
  • feeling anxious or nervous
  • having anger or rage
  • being bored or having idle time
  • suffering from depression
  • feeling sad
  • feeling guilty Continue reading →

Transforming Your Stress

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I have practiced and taught stress management for more than 25 years. You know how the old saying goes: “You teach that which you most need to know.” I admit that I needed to hear the messages of managing stress over and over again; and I believe that I am healthier and happier because of it.

By tackling my personal stress, I have learned some interesting things about myself, and gained important insights about what stress management strategies work best for me. The truth is that each of us has to find what stress management strategies work best because only you can manage your own stress. Continue reading →

Relieve Stress at Your Desk

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Make movement a priority in your life, any kind of movement! Although you may feel trapped at your desk, encased in your car, or caged in an airplane, there are a lot of opportunities to move and get your circulation going while you are waiting in line, talking on the phone, sitting at a desk, taking a break or filing papers. The fact that you are in a small area or sitting down much of the time does not mean that you cannot stay limber and healthy. Recent brain research has shown a strong connection between the level of our physical activity and our mental abilities and attention.
Continue reading →

The Health-Concerned Smoker

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When I first started smoking, in my first semester at college in 1968, I could light up a cigarette anywhere — in a restaurant, on a bus, during my college classes and in my dorm room. At that time, we believed that smokers had the “right” (guaranteed in the United States Constitution) to pursue our pleasure whenever and wherever we wanted. Nonsmokers who broke the rules and objected to someone’s smoking were seen as being rude and out-of-line. After all, we smokers had our rights. Continue reading →

4 points– keep in mind when you leave smoke

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So you wanna quit smokking

Okay, friend, the fun’s over. No more hacking coughs, no more shelling out money to Big Tobacco day after day, no more shortness of breath, and no more social alienation. How do you give all this up? That’s what we’re here to tell you. Continue reading →

A different approach of quit smoking

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Smoking kills, try to quit. Even if you don’t look at smoking from a health perspective, look at it from an economical point-of-view. Smoking costs lots of money, if you stop smoking, you will find that you have a lot more money to spend on the things you want. And what company (besides the tobacco industry) would dare to charge outrageous prices in return for poor health.
Smoking is the largest cause of preventable deaths in the United States; 420,000 people die every year in this country from smoking. These 420,000 people filled the pockets of the welathy tobacco industries throughout their whole lives and in return the were given death. Smokers are paying these corporations to kill them. Continue reading →

Keys to Managing Stress

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You can choose to let stress overwhelm you, or you can choose to take charge and learn to manage it — your way. The key to any successful stress-management program is to identify a variety of stress-management strategies that work effectively for the many different types of stress you experience.

Having six to eight different strategies will help ensure that you will be able to manage your stress in most situations. However, no one completely can prepare for the unexpected. In times of unusual or unexpected high stress, remember to be gentle and nurturing with yourself and to be humane in your personal expectations. Continue reading →

How to Handle a Relapse

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Slipping up is a natural part of quitting smoking. In fact, most people relapse five or six times before they are finally able to quit smoking for good. Following a relapse, it’s normal to feel as though you have failed at quitting smoking or to doubt that you will ever be able to kick the habit. You might even find yourself saying, “The heck with quitting. It’s just too hard.” Continue reading →