Any other idiots (like me) still smoking? This virus means time to stop & wld love mutual support.

[kabbes]

Yeah, I think that “don’t even think about it” is quite literally right.

About, ooh, 10-20 years ago (I can’t believe that means a period all in the 2000s!) there was great hope that if you could persuade people to change their beliefs (eg persuade them to believe that smoking is a bad thing), that would lead to behavioural change. But it turns out that beliefs are actually really quite poor predictors of behaviour. People just don’t really act in a way that is consistent with what they believe, oddly enough. Which is why merely being convinced that you should give up smoking or even really wanting to give up smoking isn’t generally enough.

Behaviour is much more predicted by the social categories you place yourself in and how you understand the norms associated with those social categories. If you define yourself as a smoker, that has all kinds of associations with it, the most important of which is, obviously, that you smoke. So even if you think smoking is really bad, if you see yourself as a smoker then you will follow through on the norm of smoking.

Now, all this is interesting and all but turning it into practical advice is much harder. How do you effect identity change? Let me know when you figure that one out.

 

[weltweit]

I no longer consider myself a smoker. I haven't smoked for perhaps 4 years and when I see other people smoking, or better when I smell them, I think - what a disgusting habit! I try to think of myself as a non smoker, but the truth is I am an ex smoker.

However, I am now a vaper, and that is also slightly tricky to give up. I have gone from 18mg nicotine to 3 and could attempt 0mg but so far I have been avoiding it .. While I am comfortable vaping is much less bad for me than smoking was, I am also sure vaping won't prove to be completely harmless when the results are in.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

I gave up back in the early 1980’s after smoking for 10+ years. I’d been on the dole for 2 years and couldn’t afford it, so I made myself not have my first fag till 12 midday. That wasn’t so bad, cos I knew I only had to wait a little while till I could have a ciggy. Then 6 months later I made myself wait until 6 in the evening. Again, by this time I was used to not smoking until 12 anyway, so didn’t find that too hard. All this was just financial pressure, not intending to give up. So by the time I did try and give up I only found it a problem for a wee while in the evening. None of that was planned. It just worked out that way. Whether this approach would work if started deliberately I’ve got no idea.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

One of the biggest predictors of whether somebody will succeed in giving to smoking is how they define themselves or think of themselves in terms of their identity after quitting. Those who say “I don’t smoke”, and “I’m not a smoker” tend to do better than those who say, “ I’m trying to give up” or “I’m a former smoker” or something along those lines.

It seems to be likely to do with how you default behaviourally under situations where previously you’d have reached for a fag. A smoker grabs that cigarette, a non-smoker doesn’t even think to do so. The former needs will-power to abstain, the later does not. Eventually, will-power alone often fails. If you can, you need to try to bake it into your identity.

yes, never say I'm giving up instead say I've stopped, it puts it in the past.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

I quit smoking, and started drinking more

yes but... I could do with drinking less :'(