And how long have you been a non-smoker?
For me, at the time it was the realization that I cannot continue to smoke and continue to play the trumpet. My lung volume and strength really suffered. But instead of stopping to smoke, for many months I played less and less trumpet.
What put me through the phase of actually smoking the last cigarette and becoming a non-smoker again, was one of the books of Allen Carr, I don’t remember the exact title. Looking back, it was awfully written, and I had to will my way through believing the narrative, but it worked. That was 27 years ago, and I didn’t have one cigarette since, no cravings and no replacement either.
I smoked for 23 years- started when I was 11 and tried quitting several times. I legitimately thought I was never going to be able to quit and cigarettes were hitting $15 a pack and I was at a loss. I wasn’t ready to quit- I enjoy smoking- but I couldn’t keep up with the cost of living and the cost of smoking so I went on Champex (Chantix in the US).
I may not have been ready to quit, but it definitely made me ready. It started by making me nauseous and blocking my nicotine receptors before I even finished my first round of pills ( it is typically up to a year and it took 3 months for me) I was so done with cigarettes. I was super resistant to quitting too. That shit worked so well. 4 years later and I can’t even stand the smell of someone’s cigarette wafting across my nose.