Robyn Scott, a Yellowknife teacher and artist, has been smoke-free for nearly five months. 

After a summer hiking trip where Scott found herself feeling SA国际影视传媒渆mbarrassedSA国际影视传媒� for needing to stop for a cigarette and SA国际影视传媒渟elf-consciousSA国际影视传媒� for smelling like smoke, she decided SA国际影视传媒渆nough is enough.SA国际影视传媒�

She took up smoking as a social habit at age 37 SA国际影视传媒� "old enough to know better," she said. After four years of telling herself she was in control of circumstances, Scott admitted she had become a full-time smoker.

She fought back: setting a quit date and telling everyone in her circles she was giving up smoking. Then she abandoned cigarettes overnight. 

Scott admits quitting has, at times, felt SA国际影视传媒渦ncomfortable,SA国际影视传媒� but that in speaking openly about her obstacles and successes she feels a strong sense of support and accountability with her network. 

Scott attributes her success, in part, to a book called The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by author Allen Carr. 

She calls CarrSA国际影视传媒檚 book SA国际影视传媒渆mpoweringSA国际影视传媒� and said that it informs readers about the biology of smoking and addiction and the SA国际影视传媒渕ental gamesSA国际影视传媒� at play.

SA国际影视传媒淚t keeps reminding me that this isnSA国际影视传媒檛 my fault SA国际影视传媒� that this is an addiction and that I can take that power back,SA国际影视传媒� Scott said.

When a craving hits, she said it has been helpful to pull out her Stop Smoking App to see a countdown of the days since her last cigarette.  

SA国际影视传媒淓very time I break open my app, I could be in the middle of conversation or in a meeting or anything, I take out my app, and say, SA国际影视传媒楬ey guys, can I just talk about this for a second, I quit smoking four months and 21 days ago, and I'm really proud of myself.

Everyone says theySA国际影视传媒檙e proud of me and I just sort of let it go after that," she said. SA国际影视传媒淏eing able to talk about it openly and admit to the craving seems to take some of the power away from it.SA国际影视传媒�

Before she resolved to quit, Scott said she kept her smoking a secret from her kids and from her students. 

SA国际影视传媒淚 found myself alone in snowbanks quite a bit, trying to have a cigarette by myself so no one could see me,SA国际影视传媒� she recalled. SA国际影视传媒淭hat was creating a lot of feelings of shame in me. I didn't like that very much.SA国际影视传媒�

As a teacher, SA国际影视传媒淚 taught lessons in not smoking,SA国际影视传媒� Scott said, SA国际影视传媒渁nd I felt like a terrible hypocrite. The whole, do as I say not as I do, that didnSA国际影视传媒檛 sit well with me. I consider myself to be a role model. I should be emulating behaviour that I want young people to follow.SA国际影视传媒�

Scott quit smoking cold turkey: no patches, no gum, no vaping. Instead, she has mantras. Post-it notes around her house proclaim: SA国际影视传媒淚 am a non-smoker.SA国际影视传媒� When she reads them, Scott is reminded that SA国际影视传媒淚 canSA国际影视传媒檛 want a cigarette because I am a non-smoker. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 do that anymore.SA国际影视传媒�

She said CarrSA国际影视传媒檚 book has also helped her realize SA国际影视传媒渢he only reason a cigarette would make me feel better, is because my addiction was making me feel terrible." 

SA国际影视传媒淎ll it would do is alleviate my feelings of withdrawal that the nicotine was creating. It wasn't actually going to make my problems any better, or my stress less intense or make me feel more awake, it was just going to alleviate the feelings of withdrawal,SA国际影视传媒� Scott said. SA国际影视传媒淭hat was a really powerful idea. I didn't like the idea of being manipulated by a substance.SA国际影视传媒� 

As a physically active person, Scott was frustrated at how quickly she was becoming physically fatigued. Five months since her August quit date, she said she has more energy and that food SA国际影视传媒渢astes brighter.SA国际影视传媒�

Scott has even taken up running SA国际影视传媒渢o prove to myself that my lungs are healing and that I can now push myself physically.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淓ven though nothing is chasing me,SA国际影视传媒� she jokes. 

For anyone striving to give up smoking, Scott admits the thought of quitting once seemed impossible to her too. Between the habits she had formed and the fact that many of the people around her are smokers, she felt SA国际影视传媒渢his is something thatSA国际影视传媒檚 just a part of my life now.SA国际影视传媒� 

With the help of friends and family, CarrSA国际影视传媒檚 book and a strong sense of willpower, Scott said SA国际影视传媒渋f I can do it, anybody can.SA国际影视传媒�