Hi Barry and welcome! Someone will be along shortly to give you links to some great information. I highly recommend the Allen Carr book (link is on its way)!
You've given yourself a goodly amount of time to get your ducks in a row. Strong preparation makes for a strong quit. So do your homework. Reading helps to reinforce your commitment. You cannot learn too much about this addiction and your relationship with it. Knowledge is definitelly power when it comes to overcoming this.
Stay connected, steadfast in your resolve, and don't forget your sense of humor!
Hello, and Welcome to EX! You are "hoping this one sticks" NOPE You should be knowing this one will stick! Not One Puff Ever = NOPE! You can do this! Merry Christmas! Congratulations on making the choice to quit!
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. Read the blogs and most of all enjoy your commitment to quit smoking.
If you should need something to do here is a link that will help
Welcome Barry. You have definitely come to the right place to get the tools you need to quit smoking for good. First, do all the suggested reading. Educating yourself on the nature of the addiction will help you to get in the proper frame of mind to quit. Aside from Allen Carr, I don't think any of us are saying that quitting is easy. But with the proper information and support, it is most definitely doable. And you simply couldn't ask for better support than you will get here on this site. There's a great group of people here who have all been through the process, are going through the process, or like you-just beginning. We share advice, motivation, inspiration, a really good cheerleading squad, and so much more. So, stick around. We all learn from each other, and offer encouragement and support along the road. You can do it, too.
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 also highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” This is an easy and entertaining read. I think you will be amazed at what you don't know.
As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested on this site
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. 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.
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!
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
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