I posted here two weeks ago sharing that my quit date was November 27th. It’s now December 6th. I actually quit on the 27th.

I picked the 27th because I was having surgery on the 28th and they asked I not smoke 24 hours beforehand. I figured might as well just quit all together since I’d be doped up on pain meds and sleeping a lot for a couple days anyway. I thought the other pain I was experiencing might drown out the cravings. I was right.

I know a lot of people say “there’s no good time to quit” and I definitely agree with that to some extent (I.e. if you’re constantly finding excuses because, well, life doesn’t stop just because you want to quit smoking). But I do think there are more optimal times to quit. This surgery was one of them for me. I was literally unable to drive or walk far for a couple days to go get cigarettes and that got me over the hump.

I’ve also found the other times I’ve been most successful at quitting have been when I’m really sick and don’t even feel like smoking because my lungs are full of so much gunk.

So that’s what I have to say. Yes, there is no “good time” to quit, but I think there are windows of time that will make quitting easier. I know most people here probably don’t have a surgery coming up, but look for your opportunity. You can do this.

I feel amazing and I have so much more energy. I don’t carry the guilt of smoking. A cigarette still sounds great, but I know if I just keep pushing past those cravings and dismantling my habit, I will see the day where cigarettes no longer appeal to me.