I’m getting ready for my quit day. I’m scared and nervous but excited
I’m getting ready for my quit day. I’m scared and nervous but excited
Welcome to our community!
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking. It is one you will never regret! I hope you've given yourself some time before your quit date to plan and prepare. If not - the following reading recommendations make GREAT crave busters.
The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it online or at your local library.
You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php
After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort. I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
You need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time. You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits. Get busy! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.
Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!
Nancy
CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to quit and welcome to EX, please read everything recommended by Youngatheart.7.4.12 and also read this blog by jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 What To Expect In The First Four Months You CANNOT be too educated or too prepared for your quit.
Stay close to the site, that's why we are here.
Ellen
That's great. From a fellow newbie (30 days) reach out for help when you need it. It's made all the difference for me. If you haven't done so already, sign up for the daily pledge not to smoke. It's a great motivator to start your day.
When is your quit day? I know it cn be scary...but also, try to think of it as the start of an exciting adventure.....the beginning of the rest of your life. And it's going to be SMOKE FREE!! Do all the reading suggested and come here often....this site will be LIFELINE in the upcoming tough days. Oh yes...no sense sugar coating it....quitting can be tough...but it is doable. Look at all of us....we did it. And we are no different from you.
Stay Strong.
WELCOME TO EX! We are all here for each other.
I'm getting ready too and I am all of those things but, also, determined.
Connie