I'm back at work today. I do love my job but the routine of it can make not smoking difficult. I work as a communities officer for a housing association so spend my time trying to help people to find work and improve their prospects. I work on employment projects, planning and delivering them but my team also does a lot of health and wellbeing projects and some of our work this week has been gearing up  for stop smoking day next week. We have a stand at a local shopping centre, working with some NHS staff to promote quitting smoking. I feel very enthused to help as I'm quickly becoming an anti smoking campaigner - I hope that wears off, I don't want to be one of those pios ex smokers!!

Although the routine of work can be tough for quitting, I also work in a team of health fanatics and this helps to focus me on getting better and feeling healthy. They are generally quite supportive but I have a difficult relationship with one of my team and she grumbles about how much I go on about my quit. It does feel frustrating sometimes and occasionally upsetting, probably when I'm really feeling a craving or my moods have gone array. 

I have a long day ahead of me today but a lot of it will be on meetings and projects so not as bad as a day at the desk so hopefully it won't be too difficult. I'm going to be explaining what our team does to a panel of our residents and asking them what they think. I hope they approve of the kind of projects we run as I think we are doing some really interesting things and we really do want to make our residents lives better and their communities good places to live. I've been reading a lot about tackling poverty recently and I have a real passion for it... I know I sound a bit like a know it all do Gooder. .. and I'm not all "holier than thou"... I came from a disadvantaged background and have come out OK but I had good support and parents with an interest in my education, not all kids have that.

Anyway... lecture over!! Lol. I still have to face a dull day of work and fight the urge to pop out for a cigarette at the usual times. My lozenges are really helping, ad is writing all of this everyday.  Be back soon.  Good luck to you all