Did I lose my memory along with the habit?

One side effect of quitting smoking that I never considered is the constant state of disarray my world seems to be in. I can't remember a thing! As I've mentioned in previous blogs and columns, I am a full-time student/mom/wife in addition to being the health/environmental reporter for the Morning News. Not so long ago, when I was a smoker, I took the time while I was forced outdoors to smoke, to go over the things I had coming up, whether it be assignments for class, stories for work or family obligations. And it worked for me. Granted, I still wrote everything down, but I felt organized.

Now, I can't get on top of things no matter how hard I try. I have one professor in a public relations course who tells the entire class on a regular basis, "PR is a deadline business." I have heard that phrase more than my classmates lately, since I seem to keep forgetting the due dates for assignments. What's really so frustrating about it, is that in my personal life, I am a very unorganized person. I'm one of those people who knows what stack something is in - so don't move anything! But at work and school, I am hyper-organized. I keep a meticulous datebook and I'm very seldom late. I don't miss deadlines and I rarely miss class or work. But all that has changed since I quit smoking. I really didn't think quitting smoking was the cause of all this stress at first, but as time has gone on, I realized that I no longer take those few minutes throughout the day to stop and regroup. I did not realize just how much I depended on that time. Have any of you found there to be certain rituals that made you feel secure while you were a smoker, that you have to learn to cope without now?

Log In | Register as a new member