Wellness Wednesday – UNMC, Kristin Watkins celebrate a tobacco-free year

As the UNMC campus prepared to officially designate itself tobacco-free last August, Kristin Watkins decided it would be a good time for her to do the same thing personally.

This week, she and the medical center celebrate a year of being tobacco free. Below, Watkins — librarian and grants coordinator in the Center for Preparedness Education — comments on quitting and what the past 12 months were like for her.

How long did you smoke?

Kristin Watkins

I initially started smoking when I worked in the theater in college. I stopped after a few years and didn’t smoke for 10 years. I started again while dealing with the death of my step father and I smoked again for about six years.

How did you quit?

I used Chantix. It really helped a lot and I experienced none of the side effects that others have. I had very strong cravings in the first few months but I really think the Chantix made it a lot easier. I also found it to be very helpful to hear how others had had difficult times with quitting and that I wasn’t alone in my struggles.

How did you get through cravings?

One thing I found very helpful was to keep the phrase, “This too shall pass,” in mind.

A year later UNMC celebrated a year of being tobacco free on Tuesday. UNMC Today ran a series of stories in the weeks after the campus officially declared itself tobacco free. The stories, which were aimed at helping people on campus quit tobacco, can be accessed via the links below. Week 1 — Going tobacco free Week 2 — Quitting strategies Week 3 — Cravings and triggers Week 4 — Support systems and medicine Week 5 — Relapse Week 6 — Weight gain and the oral fixation Week 7 — The tobacco-free life

What’s been the best thing about not smoking?

I save $400 a month, which is really helpful in this economy. On the physical side, I like to walk and since I’ve stopped smoking, I don’t get winded near as easily. Also, I have dogs and they hated it when I smoked. They wouldn’t sit on the couch with me when I smoke. They come around a lot more these days.

Do you still get cravings?

Yes, but much less frequently. Now I’ve gotten to the point where smoke bothers me. I don’t like the way it smells and I shudder when I realize that’s how I smelled.

Did you to anything to celebrate a year without smoking?

I bought myself a Dell mini (laptop).