Get Your Mind off It - Crochet

In this series, I’ll cover ways to get your mind off smoking. Since the entire premise of stopping smoking is based on “not” doing something, it’s important to replace that with a positive action. When you approach the situation by replacing a destructive habit or thought with a productive one, your chance of success is greatly improved. Frankly, when I write for this website I have thoughts of taking up the habit again. This might be because I’m trying to relate to current smokers dilemmas, or because read so much about smoking it becomes foremost in my mind. The purpose of this series is to give you ideas about what to “do” instead of what “not” to do.

Crochet is a basic craft you can do almost anywhere. Simply grab a bag, a ball of yarn, a crochet hook and an instruction book. You can also view instruction videos online at http://www.hassdesign.com/StitchLegend/ that show the basic stitches which include the chain stitch, the single and double crochet and the slip stitch. Crochet gives the advantage of having something in your hands, which benefits those smokers who miss holding a cigarette, and it naturally relaxes some people, which can help with the withdrawal symptoms. It also gives you a goal to work toward and some really nifty home décor and wardrobe pieces that you can brag about.

If you do slip and smoke, don’t associate your new activity with smoking. Keep the ashtray far away from your yarn bag because the smell, tar and chemicals of the cigarette smoke will get into your work. If you try crochet and find that it is not a good fit, you’re only out a few bucks.

Next week we’ll cover another way to “Get Your Mind off It,” and how your new habit can make your stop smoking plan work. Let’s start quitting!