Stoptober - Diary of a Quitter: Day 26

Matthew Backhouse smokes his last cigarette before starting Stoptober. Photo / Nick Reed

Journalist Matthew Backhouse chronicles his efforts to quit smoking for Stoptober in a daily diary.

You know what? I'm going to come right out and say it - this is actually pretty easy.

I know I've moaned in the past about how hard quitting is. And yes, some of the side effects of nicotine withdrawal have been pretty cruddy. But all in all, when I take honest stock of the situation, it hasn't been too hard not to smoke.

The trick? The trick is to not smoke.

That may sound pretty stupid, but it's true. As soon as you smoke, you're back to square one. You've given in to the cravings. You've given your body the hit of nicotine it wants. And then you have to go through it all over again.

I was talking to a colleague yesterday who said he hadn't smoked a cigarette in about six months. He reckons he can have the odd one here and there, and then not pick up the habit again.

That's great. But I know it would never work for me. Just one, and I'd be straight back into it - probably worse than before. That's why, if I really want to quit, I have to not smoke. Ever. Not one.

I'l admit it isn't always easy. When I'm tired or stressed or anxious or I've been drinking, it's harder to fight back the urge. But when my day-today life is humming along as usual, guess how much I think about smoking? Not really at all.

And you know what? I'm going to take some credit for it. I've worked hard, mentally and emotionally, to get myself to this point. And it feels pretty good.

To take part in Stoptober, visit www.stoptober.nz

For help quitting, visit Quitline at www.quit.org.nz or phone 0800 778 778