Unanticipated triggers

[Soberjulie]

My routine has gone back to what it looked like before I quit smoking.

(I lost my job in Dec, quit smoking in Jan, and now I'm finally back to work)

 

I noticed today during my 30min drive to work that I had a 'spot' where I always lit up. As soon as I reached the outskirts of town and turned on to the county road....my hand reached out to the place my cigarettes would normally be. (The cup holder. Because WHO puts cups there?!)

I was amused.....kind of detached and amused by the automatic reaction that my brain and body had without any real awareness on my part.

The next 'trigger' (not even sure if that's the right word since I had no desire to smoke, just had an automatic physical reaction) was at break time when I did what I always did at work.

Left my unit, took the elevator to the main floor, exited to the left to head towards the parking lot.

I was part way through this routine when I snickered at myself and said "silly! Where ya going? The break room is the other way."

 

I'm glad to be back at work but I totally didn't anticipate how strange it would be to notice old behaviours that appear without any reason.....other than addiction :p

[El Bandito]

The old executive assistant one! Amazing how the body does so much on autopilot!

[Still winning]

Crazy how we always respond the same. Did you at least remember food this time? I worried about you being hungry when I started reading this after last time lol.

[Soberjulie]

I did bring food! :)

But me thinks food is becoming an issue!

None of my favorite work clothes fit me yet I ate a huge lunch plus scarfed down 2 donuts because a family member brought them in, fresh and still warm!

And the whole time I'm swallowing them without hardly even chewing, I'm thinking "well at least I don't smoke!"

Lol

[Tink]

who in there right mind can resist a fresh warm doughnut - hows it feel to be back at work julie - I will still hep you take out the trash now you have less time :)

[JackiMac]

Its amazing how the sub-conscious mind works, and we do things without even thinking about them!  including stuffing donuts into our mouths, here on a Friday we have what we call Empire Biscuits for a treat, they just melt and like you Julie, all the time I'm saying don't smoke any more, 

[Still winning]

Fitting into your clothes I cannot help with, alas my bottom half hath expanded :(  Do you get fitness tv in canada, I'm doing chav workouts off that if it helps any in the vain hopes I will be skinny and waif like soon!

 

How does it feel to be back at work with all those triggers though. Hope all is well. 

[Soberjulie]

Fitting into your clothes I cannot help with, alas my bottom half hath expanded :( Do you get fitness tv in canada, I'm doing chav workouts off that if it helps any in the vain hopes I will be skinny and waif like soon!

 

How does it feel to be back at work with all those triggers though. Hope all is well.

I'm ecstatic to be back at work.

My whole life has been a quest for an escape from reality :p

Hence the booze, drugs, smoking, obsessive reading......anything to get an extended break from real life.

My job requires me to escape reality and step into the crazy world of dementia. And I get paid for it.

It's a win-win.

Bah....exersize tv.

I'd rather buy bigger pants :p

[Jenny]

Well done Julie!  Talk about triggers!  As you repeat that process your brain will slowly stop associating smoking with that activity.  It takes a while, but it does happen. 

[Soberjulie]

Well done Julie! Talk about triggers! As you repeat that process your brain will slowly stop associating smoking with that activity. It takes a while, but it does happen.

I can slowly see some of that happening already.

I sat on my front porch the other night, with a coffee. The only time I used to do that was to smoke. Now I do it to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring.

Dug out a beautiful spring coat that was always neglected. Why? Because the pockets were too small to hold my package of cigarettes. :p

I'm finding that the only dangerous 'trigger' for me is slipping into a case of the F-its. Where I simply don't care if what I do causes damage to my mind or body....if what I do will un-do the progress I've made... Not caring about my own well being is a dangerous place for this addict to be.

Thankfully, I have tools and people to help guard against that :)

[Still winning]

I love the fact your job can help you get to that place of escape, that sounds like a healthy win.  And wow at the sitting out with a coffee, that's a good one to get past at a nice time of year :)  

 

Lucky you that you don't mind buying the next size up, I'm over here in rainy england with my meh attitude to exercise trying to get motivated more than twice lol.

[MarylandQuitter]

Driving is such a common trigger for so many of us. 

 

Now, as far as "The cup holder. Because WHO puts cups there?!", I do!  Each cup holder in my truck always has a coffee cup in it.  I'm not very good at brining them in the house when I get home from work and so they just keep piling up until the passenger seat is full of empty coffee mugs from my perfectly brewed cups of coffee.  Usually at the end of a shift rotation I have enough empty coffee mugs to fill the dishwasher. :focus:

[Leanna]

Awesome job for kicking some serious trigger butt Julie! Our brains seem to be very good at storing information about our routines. Now that you're changing your routine though, your brain will retrain itself.

 

And I'm glad you brought food! I was worried too, lol.

[Soberjulie]

Driving is such a common trigger for so many of us.

 

Now, as far as "The cup holder. Because WHO puts cups there?!", I do! Each cup holder in my truck always has a coffee cup in it. I'm not very good at brining them in the house when I get home from work and so they just keep piling up until the passenger seat is full of empty coffee mugs from my perfectly brewed cups of coffee. Usually at the end of a shift rotation I have enough empty coffee mugs to fill the dishwasher. :focus:

Ok MQ, 2 things:

1) I bought a new travel coffee mug to put in my cup holder. :)

2) oh my god....that smiley you used! I just noticed and watched it all the way through!!

So funny!!