As Faith selected Apply from the menu display, she half expected to feel instantly different. Faith took a tentative drag on her smouldering cigarette, fearing the reaction. An inhale later, and whilst the body didn't reject the smoke, she didn't feel the pleasure that usually came with the nicotine. Faith tried a few more puffs, expecting a response to the changes on the app. Unsatisfied, Faith ground the cigarette out beneath her sneakers, and returned back to her desk.
"What a load of crap." Faith thought, as she opened up the morning mail to the office. The morning passed fairly quickly, and whilst Faith would feel cravings to smoke by her first break, she was surprised to feel no such urges as the kettle bubbled away. As opposed to walking back outside to light up, Faith wanted to test her new 'freedom' from her habit. Faith sat in the office, sipping her latte, as her colleagues chatted amongst themselves. Throughout the twenty minutes' downtime, no-one spoke to Faith, leaving her as a spectator, sipping her coffee. Faith considered the cigarettes filled that void where conversation was a struggle. She was uncertain whether the lack of communication was down to a lack of respect for her role, or her status as a smoker. Now she'd 'given up' the habit, Faith hoped this would spark a new chance to engage with the team.
As Faith listened intently to the office gossip, she found their conversations boring and predictable. Faith struggled to relate to their topics of reality TV shows, and soon found herself longing for the bike shed outside again.
"Give it another go." Faith thought, as she opted to join her colleagues for lunch at the meeting table. With no nicotine cravings, Faith ate her sandwich, as Karen queried "You not desperate for a smoke?"
Faith shook her head, and hoped to join in conversing with the others, but struggled to find similar topics she could relate to.
By the mid afternoon, their final coffee break, Faith needed fresh air.
Lost in her own thoughts, Faith found herself back to the bike sheds, and lighting up a cigarette without thinking. As she exhaled, Faith realised what she was doing. Faith frowned at her actions, and took no enjoyment from each puff. Whilst she was free from nicotine addiction, she realised that she was addicted to the routine. The cigarettes compensated her lack of social skills at home and in the workplace. Faith also realised that smoking gave her something to do when she was bored.
Digging out her mobile phone and loading up the app, Faith dangled the cigarette, looking at her profile once more.
"If I'm gonna smoke, I may as well enjoy it again." Faith thought, as she reset her nicotine addiction. Apply
On her next inhale, Faith could feel the nicotine surging through her veins once more. The warmth and reassurance washed over her body again, as she had a new appreciation for the role smoking played in her life.
Faith concluded it wasn't herself that needed to change.