Right on the money Joe! Thanks so much for your insight :) Monica58 [IMG]http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o304/Monica58/Angel.gif[/IMG] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/5/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 54 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $18 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42

Thanks golfer I found that as my quit went on, my "stress" levels actually decreased. I stopped worrying about when I would get my next "fix". I could work later, get caught in a lineup, spend longer at the gym without stressing about smoking. On the other hand, I haven't had to deal with any major life stressors...so I will not become too complacent when protecting my quit. Good luck to all the new people here! Windy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/11/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 118 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,374 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $590 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 11 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 36 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5

Stress and emotions threaten our quits but as we progress, we learn new coping skills that get us through these times. We will always have stress. Learning to live a smoke free life means learning to deal with stressors without lighting up. It really can be done. Look at all of us around here that have done it! Great contribution Golferman. By the way, I am not an "elder" :p [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 556 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 11,127 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1946 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 50 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 12

Fellow Quitters, With the start of the new year, a lot of "newbies" are on the site. That is great!! It is cool to see all of your fresh, smiling faces out there bravely leaving your crutches behind for the unknown world of the exsmoker. A few of the elders here have put up new posts so I thought, what the hell! Here is my 2 cents on quitting and stress... The biggest, single, most defining factor in my successful break from nicotine addiction was my mindset. In other words, my mental approach to the job at hand. There is NO magic pill. No smoking cessation method will work if you don't have the right mental attitude. In order to find that mental starting point, you must educate yourself about this addiction. Knowing what to expect will go a long way in successfully clearing all the hurdles that you'll find that block your way. (note my signature about Knowledge) Those hurdles include work stress and family stress. How many of you have said in the past..."I have too much stress in my life to try and quit?" Stress will always be there, believe me. If you wait for the stress to go away before trying to quit, then you'll die a smoker. All of us have stress, it's just a matter of relearning how to deal with the stress without the smokes. Every time you make it through a stressful situation without reaching for the smokes, you strengthen your quit. You essentially retrain your brain to cope without a drug-altering "fix." Do you know why smokers automatically reach for the smokes during periods of high stress? It's because the stress makes our bodies metabolize the nicotine at a faster rate, thereby causing our nicotine levels to drop faster. Smoking a cigarette gives the nicotine receptors in our brains the "fix" that makes us feel we can successfully cope with the stress at hand. The cigarette is simply the means of keeping our nicotine levels stable and prevents the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Once you understand this, then you stop "buying" into the belief that you smoke because you enjoy it. So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll simply say...educate yourself. Read everything you can find on smoking, its effects and its addiction mechanism. Listen to the advice of others in this group who have some pretty awesome quits g

GREAT post, Joe! And, hey...who're you calling "elder"? :p Rusty :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/13/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 755 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 21,160 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2642.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 105 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 31 [B]Seconds:[/B] 48