Old habits die hard....

[SanDar]

I have found so many benefits to giving up cigarettes. Just one of those is drinking just a portion of the diet soda that I drank as a smoker. And that's a good thing! Apparently the soda was almost entirely a smoking thing. 

But today I did something that just blew my mind!

I grabbed a fresh bottle of diet pepsi, headed to the car and got in. 

Then, opened my purse and was rummaging around - for what?

Then I realized I was looking for cigarettes and lighter! OMG! This was done TOTALLY without thought, just pure habit. Of course there were no cigs or lighter in my bag.

I laughed out loud and my husband was pretty sure I had lost my mind. 

Wow, just wow. I had no idea how ingrained those old habits became.

So glad I don't have that nasty habit any longer :)

 

 

[Dentalfloss]

They are hard to break. If it makes you feel any better, I still occasionally reach in my pocket for a lighter when I am sitting down for breaktime at work. I laugh and move on. Its not just cigarette habits that cause absent minded reactions either. We recently, like 2 months ago, got a new entry method at work and i still find myself trying to use the old method even though its not there anymore. I was laughing about it and a coworker admitted to doing the same thing. 

[beacon]

I know the rummage around in my purse habit. One good thing is that I don't need a purse as much now or I can have a tiny one that fits just keys, money , lipstick

[Still winning]

It's strange isn't it. For years the worst thing would be to forget them, it would require an immediate detour home or to a shop for a purchase. Pleased you laughed, freedom always sounds happier. x

[joe]

I know where you are coming from...

 

Like many (or most) of us on here, I never smoked in my own house..I always went outside.

 

Well, a great opportunity to light up was when I would take the dogs out for a walk...

 

That was the biggest trigger to suppress...As soon as I would hit the door with the dogs leash in one hand, my other hand would immediately go to  the inside pocket on my jacket where I kept my cigarettes...

 

and...Thankfully, there wasnt any there..

 

I bet I went through that scenario at least a dozen times before it was no longer an automatic reflex..

 

It made me realize how "automatic" smoking had become for me..

[beacon]

It's strange isn't it. For years the worst thing would be to forget them, it would require an immediate detour home or to a shop for a purchase. Pleased you laughed, freedom always sounds happier. x

This is soo true. God forbid I would not have cigarettes in my possession. I would even count how many I had left and calculate if I needed to go buy some even though I was in my pjs or it was raining. Or how about smoking a butt from the ashtray, or several butts , eeeuuu. The ashes would get on my lips

[El Bandito]

I know where you are coming from...

 

Like many (or most) of us on here, I never smoked in my own house..I always went outside.

 

Well, a great opportunity to light up was when I would take the dogs out for a walk...

 

That was the biggest trigger to suppress...As soon as I would hit the door with the dogs leash in one hand, my other hand would immediately go to  the inside pocket on my jacket where I kept my cigarettes...

 

and...Thankfully, there wasnt any there..

 

I bet I went through that scenario at least a dozen times before it was no longer an automatic reflex..

 

It made me realize how "automatic" smoking had become for me..

I still tap my pocket every time I have the leash in hand.....

[sharonsiff]

I still say I'm going to the garage for a vape!

 

I mean I'm going for a bottle of milk out the fridge, or an ice lolly for someone. My mouth just operates before I give it time to express my intentions, as you all say, old habits ;) everyone in the house laughs.

 

Thankfully it's no skin off my nose now and I laugh at it myself.

[SanDar]

I still say I'm going to the garage for a vape!

 

I mean I'm going for a bottle of milk out the fridge, or an ice lolly for someone. My mouth just operates before I give it time to express my intentions, as you all say, old habits ;) everyone in the house laughs.

 

Thankfully it's no skin off my nose now and I laugh at it myself.

That's funny Sharon. We  are de-programming our brains as non smokers now. So I'm sure things are going to be a little weird for a bit. 

[REZ]

This is so true,

 

So many times as i'm leaving the house,

 

Wallet check,

 

Keys check,

 

Keep thinking i'm forgetting something,  

 

O ya, the stupid smokes and lighter, lol

 

Out the door i go!  :)