Thought for the day - harm reduction

With everything that has gone on over the last month....and it's a lot....i have decided to make some changes for the better.  i am determined to conquer my smoking habit by the end of the year.  That gives me roughly a month.  Easier said than done, i know, but it's time and frankly, i have too much going for me to remain a slave to my addiction.

Yesterday, i completed my first day of harm reduction.  i have searched many methods to quit smoking and i think that this is going to be the one that works best for me.  i will eventually transition over to the patch as well but this is how i am starting.  i cannot quit cold turkey simply because i do not want my body to go into shock, which is a distinct possibility.  So, this is going to work for me come hell or high water!

With harm reduction, i have to let a certain amount of time pass in between cigarettes.  You'd be surprised how many i can go through without thinking about it, so this works for me.  And, i can keep track of the time with an alarm on my phone.  Mid day, i increase the amount of time between cigarettes.  Then, the next day i begin with the last amount of time from the previous day.  It may seem a little OCD, but i need that kind of structure if i am going to succeed at this.

The hardest part is going to be first thing in the morning.  i get up around 5:30, start the coffee going, feed the kitty and have a cigarette on the porch.  Every day.  i'm going to have to definitely change this routine so that smoking is not one of the first things that i do each day.  That is really going to be tough for me, but i can do it.  Who knows?  Maybe i'll start actually eating breakfast each day.  We shall see!

Anyway, this is one of my changes and i am happy about it.  i will be checking in here from time to time with updates.  Wish me luck!

Cheers!

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Boxing

2.  Coffee brewing

3.  Finches

4.  Kaleidoscopes

5.  Weeble Wobbles

6.  The smell of candles blown out

7.  Toccata and Fuge in D Minor

8.  I'm Still Here

9. Sacrifice

10. Garfield

Thought for the day

It has been a long time since I have blogged.  Mainly, it is because school, work and my internship are keeping me very busy this semester. But, it is also because I really don't know what to say these days. There is so much going on in the world, this country in particular, that it makes my head spin.  I have gotten very scared and depressed with our current political climate and have not really know how to express that.  It frustrates me that by the time that I have come to a point in my life where I have an interest in politics, due largely to studying social work, that this is the political climate we are in. It is very disheartening. I hate to be that person who creates his own bubble to exist in, but I have done that to a degree.  I avoid politics and the media whenever I can.  It's nothing more than some reality show circus mentality and I don't have the patience for that these days.

Anyway, school is going well, just very busy. It seems like every time I turn around, I have another paper to write.  Granted, none of them are extremely long papers, but never the less there they are. Currently working on 3 different ones.  Good times!  I am enjoying my internship, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is a learning process that sometimes moves slowly.  The residents where I work are wonderful and I am developing good relationships with them, which I enjoy.

And I have some personal things that I am working on and working through. When you're a student and constantly have stuff going on, there does not seem to be much time for anything else.  I have to work on that time management thing...as always, a never ending process.  There are things I need to do and people I care about that I need to make time for, simple as that.  It's just hard sometimes when you're trying to stay focused on one thing because that is your long term goal.  I will figure out a way to get it done, it's just a bumpy road at times. I keep thinking back to my parents and am trying to learn from their examples.  They both, when I was growing up, did so many things with their time that I often wonder how they did it.  Of course, they didn't have the internet and social media like we do today so that gave them a huge chunk of time LOL  But, I will get there one way or another.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and write a little something so that I can get myself back into this habit.  I enjoy the blog and need to keep it up more.  If I'm going to have a habit, it might as well be something constructive for me.  Enjoy your day!

Cheers