Happy Friday, Wonderfully Witchy people!
On Wednesday, I got a lot off my chest about smoking – and what it finally took for me to quit! It was getting so long that I figured I’d separate the “how” into its own post. With that in mind, though, I won’t give too many tips, because there are so many tips and techniques out there, and everyone’s quitting journey is going to be different.
If you want to skip to the affirmations, feel free to just scroll on down – they’re near the end of the post!
Anyway, being clear on my motivation was 100% the most important part of my quit smoking journey. I did a lot of reflecting, before, during, and after the process of quitting and found that the other most important factors were:
1) truly wanting to quit and
2) being willing to forgive myself for starting, in order to
3) release the shame I felt for my addiction.
With all of that under my belt, there were a few other tips and techniques that got me through the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of withdrawal:
Some things that helped me:
- Speaking about quitting in an affirmative way. No “I’m quitting” or “I’m in the process of quitting” or “I hope it sticks”. It was “I have quit” and “I no longer smoke” and “I am so proud that I’ve quit smoking”. This was probably the biggest thing.
- Celebrating milestones until I stopped thinking about them. First it was 12 hours, 24 hours, 32 hours, 48 hours. Eventually it became normal to not smoke and I stopped counting.
- Gum. Lots and lots of gum. It’s a month and a half later and I am still constantly chewing gum. I’m chewing gum right now!
- Breathing exercises. If it’s safe for you to do: breathe in for six seconds, hold for three, release for six. It mimics the rhythm of smoking. Sometimes I’d put my hand to my mouth while doing it, as if smoking a phantom cigarette.
- Lower chakra balancing music/meditation/yoga. Smoking affects your whole body, but the root and sacral chakras in particular deal with our sense of security, rootedness, and our foundations. Quitting an addiction is switching out an unhealthy foundation for a healthy one, so attention to this energy is important!I also spent a lot of time on my self-talk, reciting affirmations that I felt would help.
Check them out below!
Affirmation: I joyfully create new and healthy habits.
Affirmation: It is safe for me to change.
Affirmation: I am drawn to all that is for my highest good.
Affirmation: I take pride in the progress that I make.
That’s all of them! If you’re like me, affirmations are a big help – I live inside my head so much that thinking about my thinking becomes vital to making changes.
I hope that, no matter what changes you’re making in life, you always have the support and resources you need. Good luck – you’ve got this!
That’s all for now – have a Wonderfully Witchy weekend!
The Butterfly Witch 