Night Shift

Another quiet day for me thanks @Mazarita. Very glad to hear your session went well. Do you have any particular strategy planned to help you cut down on the smoking?

The cutting back is very gradual so I'm hoping it won't be a massive mountain struggle this first week. I'll be spacing them out over the hours so I won't have to wait too long for the next one. Also will be continuing with structured short sessions of mindfulness breathing daily to help with the anxiety. We're talking a lot about anxiety and addressing things in our sessions.

Sounds like what I've been doing. The breathing exercise I use most often is called '5x5x5' - you inhale to a count of 5, exhale to a count of 5, and repeat 5 times. Often I can make myself wait a bit longer by doing it. Sounds like you are developing a good rapport with the psychologist.

Another thing I do when at home is sometimes just have half a ciggie instead of the whole thing, then relight it after more time has passed.

The one I do is breath in for 4 hold for 2 breathe out for 5 hold for 2. Yes I am appreciating the psychologist and am feeling safe with him. The half ciggie idea is a good one too.

...and the breathing is for 5 minutes at a time.

Sorry, I mean the breathing I am doing is for five minutes at a time. But I think I could use your 5x5x5 just at the times I'm trying to resist. Yes, I will try that. Thanks.

Had to laugh - possible interpretation of '5 minutes at a time' - you don't have to breath at other times?!!! I like breathing exercises, sometimes start one intending a shorter period and a while later find I'm still doing it without thinking. Over time my anxiety has greatly reduced (it took me a long time to recognise this).

Haha, yeah, getting a bit tired and clumsy with the posts.

That's cool with forgetting you are doing them. You sound more chilled out than me. I seem to have this constant wired nervous system even when I seem calm on the outside (which I often do). Psych and I were talking about hypervigilance, which I relate to a lot.

I knew what you meant. I like it when I notice words or phrases that can have more than one interpretation.

I was hypervigilant all the time for years and it's only been less often over the last 3 months or so. It can still be easily triggered tho'. e.g. new neighbours swearing loudly, partying and fighting at times with people coming and going by jumping the back fence has been a recent trigger. So much so that I'm up and checking my locks and looking outside every time I hear anything. After the last time I was assaulted in 2009 I had panic attacks frequently but have just had 2 lots of psychology sessions last year and this year that have really helped that settle down. I so don't want to be that way again but it seems like it will always come back at times.