"On Pain"

Being in the market means you have to be prepared to endure pain.

Managing pain well is an art.

Recently, I suddenly felt in an instant that smoking was pointless, so I started quitting. As someone with a 6-year smoking history, I used to smoke nearly a pack a day, especially during the morning market open and the afternoon market close. Cigarettes would follow one after another, and my hand would unconsciously light one for me.

Don't know why, but now on day 63 of quitting, my body and mind have completely lost interest in cigarettes. In the first week of quitting, physical and psychological cravings would still flare up subtly. I relapsed three times intermittently during that period, one cigarette each time.

Half a month after quitting, my body was already noticeably less dependent on cigarettes compared to the beginning. Occasionally, when I saw cigarettes lying on the coffee table, that minute was still tough. But by consciously controlling it, distracting myself by reading a book or doing something else, it would pass and I wouldn't feel bad anymore.

After a month, I basically don't think about smoking anymore, unlike before when I would still crave it multiple times a day. And the thought of smoking used to make me inexplicably excited and agitated, as if I couldn't wait to go on a date with someone I fancied.

Of course, during this time, I basically stuck to exercising. Sometimes I go to the gym for anaerobic training, or I go for a jog in an outdoor park.

By the way, I strongly recommend outdoor jogging here. It's really so stress-relieving and comfortable. Especially for people quitting smoking or those experiencing withdrawal symptoms after a recent breakup, or even for full-time traders like us who face significant emotional pressure from daily market fluctuations. Jogging can not only effectively alleviate physical discomfort during this period but is also very effective for mental regulation and balance.

I've gone from my usual 5 km to 11 km now, and I'm preparing to work towards a half marathon. I hope to be able to run a half marathon and push my limits. I feel that recently adding outdoor jogging has been a great help in my quitting smoking, making it easier for me to break free from nicotine dependence and strengthening my control over my emotions and willpower. I can clearly feel that my tolerance is stronger now, both physically and mentally.

I think for the recent not-so-friendly market conditions, regular exercise, especially jogging, has also given me great comfort. So for pain management, jogging is a method worth raving about.

To live, one must engage in various forms of self-management. Only under a certain degree of constraint can the preciousness of freedom be more clearly highlighted. Freedom without a frame of reference is likely to be out of control and nihilistic.