Thanks to crafting

Maybe you feel the same way. I’ve noticed that, thanks to crafts, I actually smoke a lot less than I used to. So crafts aren’t just good for the mind, relaxation, and creativity—they’re especially good for your health, too. Here’s to crafts!

I used to be a very heavy smoker. Toward the end of my smoking days, I managed to smoke 60 cigarettes in a single day on the weekend—during a party. My husband had to quit smoking back then for health reasons, but even that wasn’t enough to make me quit. It really was a serious addiction.
I’d quit sooo many times before—sometimes for 3 months, sometimes for 1 week, or just a few days. I often lied to myself.
But then, out of the blue, I told myself, “This can’t go on.” I don’t want to smoke anymore. At that time, I was still allowed to smoke at work. One evening, I smoked my whole pack of cigarettes down to just ONE and told myself, “I’ll smoke this ONE tomorrow at the office with my coffee.” Said and done!! I haven’t smoked one since, even though people in my circle of friends still smoke. But it’s becoming less common!!
Today I keep asking myself: Why did I ever do that in the first place? It’s unhealthy, it smells bad, and it costs a lot of money.

If I were still smoking today, I really wouldn’t be able to smoke as much as I used to before I took up crafts.
Bottom line: every crocheted or knitted stitch without a cigarette is a really great stitch!!!

It’s really great, Ursulapetra, that you’ve managed to stop smoking. I’ve never really, truly tried to quit yet. But the thought is always on my mind. My husband smokes, too, and every now and then we tell each other that we really should finally quit. Now my son is almost 9 and wants soooo badly for Mom to quit, because, as he says, you can die from it. If only it were that easy. Without parties or visits from friends (which happen pretty often), it would probably be easier. But both of these things are incredibly important to me—my friends and quitting.

I hope the moment comes soon when I can say, just like you, “This is my last cigarette,” and then it’s over for good.

But I’m already very happy that needlework is bringing me closer and closer to this important goal. With every stitch I make without thinking about smoking, I get closer to that goal.

I’ll make it happen. 

I’ve never been a heavy smoker, but I definitely used to smoke two or three cigarettes in the morning—sometimes even four or five. I’m—or rather, I was—more of an occasional smoker. But ever since my father was diagnosed with lung cancer, I’ve been trying to cut back.
Thanks to my trip to New Zealand—where I had neither the time for a leisurely “morning smoke” nor the desire to spend money on cigarettes (a pack costs around 20 New Zealand dollars there, which is about 12 euros!)—I haven’t touched a cigarette since February!
My husband is happy about this, since he’s always been a non-smoker and, for better or worse, had to put up with my “smoking.” Now the whole family is smoke-free, since my parents also quit smoking because of the lung cancer.
I’ve also come to realize how much it bothers me when someone smokes near me. I now find the smoke smelly and annoying, which was never the case before.
And I can invest the money I’ve saved in yarn, which is definitely much nicer. :-))))

I’ve never smoked,
but for me it helps keep me from reaching for the bag of chips and such in the evening.

@dadade...
Well... that’s my big vice. Not the chips, but unfortunately the chocolate. And unfortunately I still have one hand free for that... or every now and then *sigh* ;-)

@Wollness-Oase
Yeah, the thing about chips is that they immediately make your fingers greasy and dirty,
and that doesn’t work so well with your crochet or knitting project.
But what would we be without our vices-----
boring!!! right?

@dadade
Exactly! :-D

I’m just like Wollness-Oase. Chocolate is my weakness.
But I know that when I pick up my craft project, I’ll first treat myself to a nice, big piece of chocolate, enjoy it, and then wash my hands thoroughly.
And then I’m focused on my craft, and the temptation is tucked away in the kitchen cabinet. And there it stays—until the craft project ends up in my bag.

It also keeps me from playing on my tablet. Seriously, I’m a bit of an addict when it comes to games like Candy Crush Saga and the like.
But even then, I prefer my needlework. Only when it’s really late and I can’t see the stitches anymore do I reach for the tablet. My eye doctor says I don’t need glasses; I should just use more light when I’m doing needlework. But then my husband complains because he can’t see the movie on TV anymore (I think the light is actually bothering him while he’s dozing off).

So, my husband has come to terms with the fact that our place is lit up like a Christmas tree.
He can still fall asleep wonderfully during even the most exciting movie. ;-)))

Eating chips while doing needlework is really annoying. My husband likes to open a bag in the evening while watching TV, and then I can’t resist either… So I take a break from crocheting or knitting, eat a few, wash my hands, and then keep going.

We only smoke outside, and when he asks me in the evening if I’ll go out with him, he usually has to wait “just a minute” until I’ve
finished the row or round. That’s annoying, but what I find much worse is that I can’t read while I’m doing needlework.
Reading is my second hobby, and since I really only have time for one of the two in the evenings, the decision isn’t so easy.

I usually do my needlework when there’s something interesting on TV and read when my husband is watching something that doesn’t interest me much.

Oh, well, I, for one, can definitely control myself when it comes to chocolate and chips. 
But I’d much rather have those than cigarettes.
Although, in a way, it’s all pretty unhealthy. Right?