I’ve smoked for a long time and I hate it. I have no illusions left about it. I generally look after my health pretty well, eat healthy, work out etc, and every time I have a cigarette I feel disgusted and like I’m slowly killing myself. It’s not so much the physical difficulties of withdrawal that I can’t handle - it’s more like smoking is ingrained in my identity, like I can’t conceive of myself as a non-smoker or going through life without having it as a crutch. I’m wondering if anyone has any advice on re-orienting psychologically towards being a non-smoker? I’ve managed to cut down a lot but I can’t seem to let myself give it up completely no matter how much I want to.
I quit cigarettes and currently moving away from smoking weed. A lot of it is the habit rather than the substance. I went cold turkey with cigs and struggled for two weeks before the habit went away. Weed is a different case because I still like the stuff but I want to move away from smoking specifically. I have taken to making my own infused butter and baking my own edibles. That lets me enjoy without killing my lungs. This also countered my habit of smoking as a crutch for dealing with stress; the delay from eating to effect killed that behavior. I’m also not a fan of the smell since I’m around kids more often, which is also driving my change.
On a psychological level, the reason I do this is to regain my sense of control. I’m not a fan of letting habits in the driver’s seat. I partake because I want to, not because I need to. I apply this with other aspects of my life as well.