Tried to quit

Hey, I smoke about a pack a day, occasionally more. I am a hourly manager at a gas station and I've tried to quit several times but it is just too easy to buy another pack when I run out. I started when I was 16 at my first job. I was annoyed because the smokers always did less work and took many breaks so I started. I smoked off and on for awhile, only smoking at work and occasionally going days without a cigarette. When I first got hired at the gas station I worked third shift, so I needed an excuse occasionally to walk around the building outside and see who's hanging around or spot anybody suspicious. I used smoking as my excuse to go outside, and I smoked more often out of pure boredom.

I tried to quit twice here lately, and I went several days until one day I had to pull a overnight shift again and went back to the same old excuses. I've made a little progress. For instance, I gave a coworker's kid a ride to school the other day and he commented that my car smelled like smoke, so I cleaned it out really good, emptied the ashtray and got an air freshener and no longer smoke in my car. Also, since I moved back in with my mom I cannot smoke in the house so she makes me smoke in the garage. The colder it gets the less I'm willing to do that. Basically, I've almost got it down to where I only smoke at work or when I'm out with friends (bowling or shooting pool or something). I feel like I've made a lot of progress but can't get over that last step, as when I'm at work I want a cigarette at least every hour.

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Congragualtions on wanting to quit and trying to change your ways. It is hard to change your ways so don't be so hard on your self. I have been trying to quit on and off for about atleast 7 years! As I have only been smoking for 9 years you could say the majority of my smoking life I have been trying to change my ways. i have finally done it and all the little things I did along the way like not smoking in my car when I returned from England (I did before), changing drinking habits and finding different things to do with my spare time had helped. Other than that this website has been a true inspiration to me and a lot of my success lies in being able to talk to like minded people.
I will be praying that you are able to finally take that last step but for the moment try prolonging your next smoke by doing something you may need/want to do instead. God bless, evie

Hi WiredSpirit,

The fact that you went for several days proves that you can quit. After 4 days all the nicotine has left your system, so it's just the habit, not the addiction. I stopped in 13 days after using a stop smoking CD ( which I recommend), but I expected it to take a whole lot longer so you might surprise yourself when you quit next time.

What I did find was that there was no way you could just have one or two - it had to be all or nothing because as soon as you take the first puff it reminds your brain and it says 'oh yes...I'll have some more of that!'

You've made a lot of progress, you just need a final push - Good luck!

Dasho