“Tell the story of the mountain you climbed.
Your words could be a page in someone else’s survival guide”
This is precisely what our friend Mukul Sharma believes. Hence he shares his own inspirational story of the mountain he climbed.
Mukul, 25, a resident of Bangalore, is employed with logistics startup, BlackBuck. In June 2019, he approached YourDOST to help him quit his smoking habit.
A business graduate, Mukul had started smoking about 3 years back.
I started out purely out of curiosity. Unfortunately, it turned into a habit that became difficult to give up
When Mukul connected with YourDOST Expert, Ms. Amulya DSL, he was smoking 10-12 cigarettes a day. So what made him decide to quit?
I realised that my physical fitness was getting affected. I play cricket regularly. Lately, I started experiencing low stamina while playing. Additionally, my face had started bloating. I read somewhere that smoking can cause that. So I decided that I had to quit this habit
Over the next few months, Mukul would regularly speak with Amulya, and soon started showing progress. He reduced his daily intake of cigarettes to almost none on most days of the week, from the very start.
I went cold turkey. It was difficult at first. For some reason, I would find myself constantly thinking about the fact that that I was trying to quit smoking
But the one thing that stood out about Mukul was his determination to quit. As Amulya puts it –
Mukul was highly motivated. He had perfect clarity in terms of what he wanted and why he wanted it. He was also tremendously determined. He was able to translate intention to action, accept setbacks and remind himself of his strengths
Additionally, Mukul also displayed a lot of trust in the therapy process and Amulya. He shared his experiences, struggles, and challenges with her very openly. Mukul credits much of this to Amulya’s own demeanour.
Amulya was so easy to talk to. She was a great listener and was like a friend. She wasn’t simply advising me. Rather, we would have a discussion and together we would try to understand the problem and come up with a solution
Together, they were able to prepare an organised plan which Mukul followed religiously. He was able to keep a note of his triggers and explored new ways to manage them. He set realistic expectations for himself about quitting, and worked towards meeting them. He also taught himself to resist some of the primary triggers and urges that were especially overpowering initially.
If I had a good game of cricket, which my team won, I would instantly crave a cigarette to celebrate the win. I would make sure not to give in
After 3 months of hard work, Mukul emerged victorious, having quit his smoking habit for good. He hasn’t looked back since.
So does he have any advice for others who wish to quit their smoking habit too but have been unsuccessful?
Your motivation to quit must come from within. You must be absolutely convinced that you want this. Post this, if you’re unable to kick the habit on your own, reach out to a counselor. It’s very helpful. You can’t always share everything with your family or friends. A counselor will help you prepare a plan to follow, keep tabs on you, and you can express yourself freely to them, without worrying about any judgement
It takes a lot of courage to openly share something so personal. We are really grateful to Mukul for not only trusting us, but also sharing his story to inspire a lot of others who’re still unsure if counseling can help them or not
Are you looking to quit your smoking habit too? Are you struggling to do it on your own. You don’t have to do it alone. We’re here for you. Talk to a YourDOST Expert today, for personalized guidance.
Many more such #YDWarriors decided to share their stories with us to inspire others. If you have also gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, share your contact details and we shall get in touch with you. Click here to share your details.
Mukul’s Warrior Tips:
1. If you’re looking to quit smoking, go cold turkey
2. Your motivation to quit smoking must come from within
3. Reach out to a counselor if you’re finding it difficult to quit smoking on your own
