Activities you can do to keep yourself busy instead of smoking

[Legend]

Activities you can do to keep yourself busy instead of smoking

1.     Make a list of all the things you want because now you have extra money from not smoking to spend.

2.     Go to the beach and relax.

3.     Sit outside and watch the birds, squirrels, deer whatever you have around your house and have a beverage while relaxing.

4.     Do an online puzzle. 

5.     Learn tai chi you can find dvd’s online at amazon.com to learn how to do this.

6.     Take your dog to dog training classes.

7.     Take a drive in the country you can take water, healthy, snacks, gum, and mints with you.

8.     Make some sugar free jello with fruit in it. (yum yum)

9.     Go to a lake and relax.

10.   Go for a bike ride around the neighborhood.

11.   Play tennis with someone.

12.   Take a sewing class if you don’t know how to sew.

13.   Look around online for new recipes you would like to make.

14.   Go over to youtube.com you can be entertained at that place a long time.

15.   Watch some TV ( I record shows I could always watch again if I get bored)

16.   Go fishing.

17.   Play with your dog in the yard throw a ball around and see if they want to play.

18.   Meditate if you don’t know how you can find guided meditation cd on amazon.com.

19.   Take a cruise ship vacation.

20.   Play pool.

21.   Horseback riding.

22.   Weight lifting.

23.   Play a board game with someone.

24.   Go out to eat at your favorite restaurant.

25.   Go to the rifle range and practice shooting.

26.   Go to sea world or Disney world if you are close to one.

27.   Play volleyball.

28.   Go to the park and have a picnic.

29.   Go jogging in a safe area.

30.   Scuba diving.

31.   Go to a concert.

32.   Go to a football, hockey, basketball, baseball game.

33.   Flea markets are fun. 

34.   Zip lining.

35.   Get into a paintball tournament.

36.   Learn to play a guitar and play for family and friends.

37.   Learn martial arts.

38.   Be a volunteer somewhere.

39.   Have a cookout with friends just tell them no smoking around you.

40.   Ice skating.

41.   Motor cycle racing.

42.   Get on Facebook and talk to friends, family and play games.

43.   Go water skiing.

44.   Learn some jokes to tell to your friends.

45.   Go to a place with your friends that have karaoke.

46.   Go hunting.

47.   Learn archery.

48.   Play hacky sack circle. You can learn how to play hacky sack circle on youtube.com.

49.   On the weekends drive around and go to garage sales sometimes you find something really cool to buy.

50.   Learn some magic tricks to amaze your family and friends. You can go to youtube.com and type in the search bar magic tricks you can learn and presto you can find a lot of video’s to teach you magic. 

[elvan]

WOW, if I did all of those things, I am not sure I would survive but they sure do look like you put a lot of effort into them!

[TerrieQuit]

Very good Legend! Thank You! I have found Karaoke on youtube, and have been singing my little heart out! It's a lot of fun!

Some of these things I have never tried and I am very adventurous! lol!

I Won't Quit on my Quit!

[nikki77]

love these ideas!!!

[nikki77]

love these ideas!!!

[joycequit022316]

Thank you. I sit around and say "what should I do today" and end up doing nothing. I appreciate someone elses imagination 🙂

Joyce

[NewMe]

That's a pretty  great list.  Looks like a supplement to the original 100 things to do instead of smoking. Wish I had more time for some of these.

[MarilynH]

Paint ball would be alot of fun with the grandchildren and hubby, thanks for sharing this awesome blog post. 

[Dotgirl_1-28-16]

Great ideas!

[andrew35]

Good ideas.

[dbkb31]

Excellent ideas. I was a nonsmokers for more than 5 years but I messed up. So now I'm back to the very begining.... so I will be reading a lot about how to relearn quitting smoking.... I lost my best friend on July 31 2017 and that was the trigger.... 

[elvan]

dbkb31   I am so sorry about the loss of your friend, that's horrible.  Please do as much reading as you can about nicotine addiction because this IS an addiction.   I would suggest reading the following blogs if you have no already, JonesCarpeDiem‌ 

My Welcome To New Members (10 Years Of Watching)  and /blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months and then read these two blogs by JACKIE1-25-15‌ /blogs/JACKIE1-25-15-blog/2017/08/07/plan-prepare-practice-to-protect  and https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/newbie-quitters/blog/2017/07/20/are-you-new-here  That will get you started and I am sure that YoungAtHeart‌ will offer you her usual welcome which will give you all kinds of support.  Welcome to EX, you are in the right place to deal with this addiction.

Ellen

[bonniebee]

I am so very sorry about your friend . The death of someone close is a huge trigger even though know that smoking will not  bring them back ,my Dad had a 2 year quit after smoking for over 50 years and when my Mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer he started to smoke again but the good news is he managed to quit  again . I was trying to quit at one point when my closest friend was dying of cancer and I was staying with her and her husband to help her . I gave up trying to quit at that point but she said to me, "Don't worry you will do it when you are ready " She was right a year later I found Ex and here I am with 31 months an Ex -smoker ! I am sorry you lost your 5 years but hey that is five years your body had in recovery ! You can do it  again ! 

[YoungAtHeart]

My sympathy on the loss of your friend, and the loss of your quit!

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 a free PDF of it on the 'net, get a copy from your local library, or buy one on the 'net.

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. 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.  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:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

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

[dbkb31]

Thanks for the kind words. I have learned in my old age that we will experience stress lost of loved ones and we just need to deal with these issues in a more health way. One day at a time.Thanks againBelle

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[dbkb31]

Thanks 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

a

body {

font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;

-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;

}

/* Webkit */

h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, p, hr {

-webkit-margin-before: 0;

-webkit-margin-after: 0;

-webkit-margin-start: 0;

-webkit-margin-end: 0;

}

.button td {

background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #75B7E3 0%, #5498D6 50%, #408BD0 51%, #387AC8 100%) !important;

background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%,#75B7E3), color-stop(50%,#5498D6), color-stop(51%,#408BD0), color-stop(100%,#387AC8)) !important;

-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 #74b9de, 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3) !important;

-moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 #74b9de, 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3) !important;

}

[dbkb31]

Thank you Belle

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[dbkb31]

Thank you Belle

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Giulia]

Sorry for the loss of your friend AND your quit.  The latter you can get back.  The former will live in your heart forever.  And I'm sure they would want you to be free again.  Glad you've joined us.  This is a wonderful support community with a lot of wisdom to share.  Chin up.

[dbkb31]

Thanks for the kind words. One day at a time. Thanks againBelle

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Legend]

dbkb31 Sorry to hear about your friend that can be a big trigger for an addict. I do hope you are doing ok now. I can tell you that keeping busy can really help when you are triggered so I keep a big list around me all the time just in case I want to smoke again. I have not been around lately I have been going through a lot and needed a lot of space and still do. Keep telling yourself you can do this every day and never give up. Best wishes to ya.

[Kathryn67]

I had stroke and my left side doesn't work. Any ideas for a one handed one legged person?

[Legend]

Kathryn67  Yep you can do things still to keep you busy. You can go over to Youtube.com and surf around and watch anything you want. If you type in full concert and the band or singer you like you can find a full concert to watch. You could watch TV and find a funny movie to put you in a good mood or rent a movie. Laughing can change a bad mood quick and get you going in a better direction. This place is great to hang out at there is lots to read here. You could have someone drive you around in the country and enjoy the view and listen to music in the car I love to do that if I can. Going outside and taking in nature is a great way to pass time little animals are so funny to watch. I love to watch the squirrels play outside in the tree they are so cute.  You could do online puzzles that can pass time if you are triggered. I have some things you can do on my quit kit on my page you can also look at.  I am also handicapped so I do what I can now some days I can’t do much but youtube.com is a great place I love to hang out at that place.  

[Legend]

Kathryn67   Here are some free online puzzles you can do I can do them one handed.

Free Online Jigsaw Puzzles 

Here is my quit kit blog

/blogs/Christine_Aka_Legend-blog/2014/08/22/quit-kit 

[Kathryn67]

Thx

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Mon, Sep 9, 2019 at 6:15 PM, Christine_Aka_Legend<communityadmin@becomeanex.org> wrote:

#yiv4868257855 * #yiv4868257855 a #yiv4868257855 body {font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;}#yiv4868257855 #yiv4868257855 h1, #yiv4868257855 h2, #yiv4868257855 h3, #yiv4868257855 h4, #yiv4868257855 h5, #yiv4868257855 h6, #yiv4868257855 p, #yiv4868257855 hr {}#yiv4868257855 .yiv4868257855button td {}

|

BecomeAnEX

|

Activities you can do to keep yourself busy instead of smoking

new comment by Christine_Aka_Legend - View all comments on this blog post

Kathryn67   Here are some free online puzzles you can do I can do them one handed.

Free Online Jigsaw Puzzles 

Here is my quit kit blog

Quit kit 

Reply to this email to respond to Christine_Aka_Legend's comment.

Following Activities you can do to keep yourself busy instead of smoking in these streams: Inbox

This email was sent by BecomeAnEX because you are a registered user.

You may unsubscribe instantly from BecomeAnEX, or adjust email frequency in your email preferences. Be sure to click Save. News Digest emails are sent on Thursdays by default.

[YoungAtHeart]

You might also look for computer games to play like Solitare, or.look for comedy sketches with Bob Newhart, or Robin Williams.or I Love Lucy on YouTube.

Staying busy is key when you quit smoking!

Nancy

[LandB64]

Paint by numbers,  Color by numbers,  put real puzzle together  , 

[Sis71]

This is a great list! Thank you 

[Barbscloud]

Here's another list someone compiled.

/blogs/Murali-blog/2014/01/15/101-things-to-do-besides-smoking?sr=search&searchId=f51f9bc1-d23e-461e... 

[Legend]

Sis71  I’m glad you like the list I hope you found something on it you would like to do. You know the singer from The Bee Gees Maurice Gibb (he passed away now) he loved to play paint ball so I put it on my list here I found on Youtube a video of Maurice talking about this. I was bored one night and got to wondering about what Maurice did for fun and I found this so I put this on my blog here as something to do instead of smoke. I miss all of the Gibb brothers singing together.

Maurice Gibb and Paintball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqKh18uFfCw

[Legend]

Barbscloud  Thanks for the link that is great love it. Thanks for taking the time to find it and post it here.

[Legend]

LandB64  I saw in my grocery store one of those color by numbers for adults not long ago that would be a good distraction from smoking as well as the paint by numbers and a real puzzle. Thanks for adding that to this post.

[indingrl]

 thank YOU Christine - works for ME

[Princedropoff]

Not much help cause can't do physical ideas. No money to go any where. Stuck in house 24/7. 

[Barbscloud]

@Princedropoff  Sorry you have physical limitations  I know how much walking helped me, but there are other things to do.   One that I did was video games (and still do)--I would be distracted for hours.  There are great meditations on YouTube, listening to music, is some craft possible, calling a friend, puzzles, spend time on the the computer (THE EX!) etc.  What do you like to do? 

 Have you quit smoking or are you in the planning stage.

Barb

[Legend]

@Princedropoff  If you really want to quit smoking you will find something to do instead of smoking. When we stop protecting our excuses to smoke and make a permanent commitment to ourselves to quit then a successful quit will happen. I have been disabled for a long time now and I can’t do much physically but there is always something to occupy my time so I am not dwelling on a smoke. You make your quit a successful quit by staying positive that you can do this no matter what is going on in your life. I was the queen of excuses but now I refuse to go down that path anymore. Make your quit happen no one can do it for you. Maybe this link to this blog will help you to understand about excuses we have all made. https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Best-of-EX/UNDERSTANDING-EXCUSES/m-p/1131308#M1272