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!