Spontaneously, I refused to buy another pack of cigs Saturday afternoon. The shock is wearing off....& cravings kicking in! I'm going cold turkey so any helpful hints would be great.
I for one read the book they offer here, butbthere is one thing that did happen to me on one of my major craving times, i had a 9 year old kid that already went through 13 surgerys at the time tell me to man up, it dont hurt that bad, he was right, put them things down, put your mind somewhere else besides dwelling on needing another smoke, work, run, scream, something to stop thinking on dwelling on smoking
Do anything you want as long as it isn't smoking. Really! Cry, scream, eat, paint.....and when you are done, know that you are going to be ok. You will be ok! Cravings are part of quitting. Get through them however you need to. Look forward to the days when they won't be a part of your life anymore.
How wonderfully marvelous that you spontaneously quit!! I love it 🙂
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! The nicotine will be out of your system in 72 hours.
I was happy to hear you are reading the book by Allen Carr. You might want to also do some reading on whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com.
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.
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. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone. 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!
You have come to the right place if you are making the decision to commit to quit smoking. At EX our resolve is to never smoke again. NOPE “Not one puff ever.” I suggest that you follow the steps on the web site pages along with reading, writing, studying, researching and blogging if you like.
This is all about youand what you are willing to do to be a nonsmoker. If you haven’t read it or have not been informed here is a link to Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Way to Quit Smoking”. It is an easy read suggested by the “elders” (those with 1+ yrs. quit).
Also check out www.whyquit.com. There is a lot of additional beneficial information to read and study. Look for Freedom From Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101.
Both were extremely helpful for me. Stay close to the site and learn, ask questions. Education is the key to success even in quitting smoking. Read the blogs and most of all enjoy your commitment to quit smoking.
I kept a bag of sugar free mints around and crunched on carrots and celery sticks, I also quit cold turkey I drank a lot of water and I still do. Keep your mind as well as your hands occupied and stay close to this site because we're all here for you and please do the recommended reading above me because there's a wealth of information here to help you quit and to remain quit, stay strong you can do this one day at a time or if need be one second at a time but quitting smoking is doable, difficult but very doable.
Congratulations on your awesome smokefree days!!! Keep making the decision to say no! If you haven't already you may want to follow the steps on this site...lots of education and helpful tips. Drinking bottled water, chewing on a straw, meditating or getting active (go for a walk, come on this site whatever works for you). YOU ARE DOING GREAT!!!
Welcome back! Rickie told me to look for you. What i did in the beginning was chew on straws, toothpicks, candies. My quit in the beginning wasn't easy, i found myself walking alot. It helped to relieve my frustration and anger. Also, coming here daily to read, blog your emotions, we can help you. Encouraging others, helps you in return. Just take it one day at a time or even one hour at a time but you can do this!!! Believe in yourself!
Wow! I am so overwhelmed with all your supportive posts! THANK YOU!! I am strong, winding down day three! I can feel the physical symptoms passing...yet mental ones creeping in. I am very spiritual & have received immediate answered prayers for help & strength today! I ran 4 miles & detailed my car. I will continue to read Allen Carr's book & loving whyquit.com THANK YOU all again for the support!!!
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