January - how was it for you?
We are into February at last, and for those of you who made a New Year’s Resolution to give up smoking, now is a good time to take stock of the situation.
Christmas and New Year probably now seem like dim and distant memories. Many of us are living in the cold latitudes, and with the grey skies, snow and darkness, spring seems like a long way off. New Year’s Resolutions are starting to feel a bit forgotten.
If you made a New Year’s resolution to quit at New Year, there are three possible scenarios: either you managed to stay off the cigarettes and have just reached that significant milestone of one full month smoke free, or you “quit” at New Year but have been sneaking a few cigarettes here and there, or you have lapsed back into smoking at your usual rate.
If you fall into the first category, I have nothing but admiration for you. I congratulate you, and wish you all the best for February, hoping that it will be another smoke free month for you.
If you fall into the second, I still say well done. You may have had a few cigarettes, but on the whole you have managed to stay off them, and your smoking level is significantly down compared to your previous habits. Even though you have lapsed once in a while, you have still managed to get yourself back to the almost smoke free route.
And how about the third category? Well, a lot of people end up in this situation, and don’t let the fact that you have gone back to smoking put you off trying again. For most people it takes a few false starts before they manage to start seriously giving up. If you seriously want to quit, then plan again, make that appointment for the smoking cessation clinic, contact Quit, join a support group and give it another go. Remember – the important thing is to not give up giving up.
