EX Community

cwood9999 · ‎07-01-2013

The anxiety has settled down a little. I didn't sleep well, but now that I made it through my morning without my usual cigs, I feel a little better. I didn't curl up in the fetal position and cry. Have a purring cat on my lap who has no intention of letting me get up, I have a list of indoor chores to do that will make me happier about my surroundings (never did smoke inside), and I have no plans to drive anywhere the next few days.

Mandolinrain · ‎07-01-2013

Your off to a terrific start. I did the same things, kept busy inside. I went and changed the shelf paper in every kitchen cupboard and all the bathrooms, pantry...etc... I think I arrnaged and re-arranged every closet, cupboard so many times i lost count, but I felt great, they were and still are spotless:)

Keep a list of things handy that you can attack when urges come:) Best to you!

SkyGirl · ‎07-01-2013

You can do this, c.

Remember to keep telling yourself that you are not "giving up" anything good. You are GAINING freedom. Remind yourself, each time you feel an urge to smoke, that smoking is not an option and so I wil do ______________ instead right now.

An urge to smoke usually lasts only about three minutes. It may seem a lot longer, but whyquit.com recommends that you actually time your urges a few times to prove to yourself that they do rise up and then ebb away in about three minutes.

Personally, I wouldn't advise you to time your urges more than once or twice because that exercise would seem to encourage you to concentrate on the urges.

And we encourage you NOT to dwell on them at all, but rather, just acknowledge it and then kick it straight to the curb by turning your brain, your hands and your sense of taste to something else entirely.

Also, the tasks you choose to divert your attention don't need to be big household improvement tasks. You can do simple, short term tasks just to last through the urges. Scrub a sink. Sift the kitty litter. Re-do your makeup. Make a grocery list. Sweep the kitchen floor.

Hah! I just saw that most of my suggestions are WORK! You can pick some fun things, too, of course: Play Solitaire. Paint your toenails, Walk around your backyard. Write a haiku. Use a long-handled backscratcher on yourself. Make fresh lemonade.

Be proud of yourself, c. Getting through these next few days may not be easy, but it IS simple and doable if you have the right attitude and have educated yourself. And I believe you will make it!

cat39 · ‎07-01-2013

c~~

it is my first day too. (again) I think I have done more today than in the last two months. LOL. we are SO off to a great start and feeling better all the time! Feel free to join the 7/1/ QUITTERS group if you like, we are going to start our own little network if we can so that we can celebrate together.

i believe in you! and i believe in me too.

cat

anniexhx · ‎07-01-2013

here are a few reading materials to help you along the way here is a copy of allen carrs book http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

http://quitsmokingonline.com/
www.whyquit.com
http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html

stay strong and don't forget to blog if you feel yourself slipping so we can give you some encouragement 🙂

joyeuxencore · ‎07-01-2013

Hi there!!!! So nice to be free! I found the following from a quit coach early in my quit...xo

Craving Kickers

Did you know most cravings only last 3 to 5 minutes?

20 Craving Kickers

1. Take a deep breath and ask yourself, “What do I really want right now?” Keep asking yourself the question til you figure out what you really need right now (probably not really a smoke).

2. Drink a glass of water.

3. Call a friend.

4. Write down 3 things you are grateful for in your life.

5. Do 25 jumping jacks.

6. Take a 3-5 minute walk.

7. Go brush your teeth.

8. Paint your nails.

9. Get a jar of bubbles and go blow bubbles

10. Play your favorite music and dance for a bit.

11. Write down 3 reasons you want to be smoke free.

12. Chomp on some raw veggies or fruit. The crunchier the better!

13. Cut a straw into the length of a cigarette and chew on it. Or use a cinnamon stick.

14. Get out some paper and doodle.

15. Make sure you are using your nicotine replacement or medication properly

16. Take 5 minutes and write yourself a love note.

17. Do a crossword puzzle or Sudoku.

18. Imagine how you will feel tonight knowing you made it another day smoke-free!

19. Find a video on YouTube that makes you laugh. Congrats, you made it!

20. Look in the mirror and tell yourself “I love you and I will take care of you”.

When you were stressed out , what did you do? You smoked. What can you think of that could act as a substitute to cigarettes when you are stressed? Perhaps your support system might come in handy here, and some of your more fearless friends would be willing for you to call them when you’re feeling particularly emotional. What else? Perhaps a mantra you can say that will help you calm down and defuse the situation. A warm bath. A walk around the block. A run around the block. Dancing to the loudest music you can stand.

The point about all this is that it’s okay to feel emotions. Emotions are a natural part of living. They inform us about how we feel about all kinds of situations. If you feel fear, then you know that you may be in danger. If you feel joy, then you can open up and be expansive, you can share the best parts of yourself. Sadness, jealousy, anger, resentment, all these emotions are normal behaviors. They inform us of a range of experiences we are having. If we feel jealous, what does that mean? It may mean that we really love the person we’re jealous about, and so we learn how strongly we feel about them. If we feel resentment it may mean that we need to stand up for ourselves even if we’re afraid, because we don’t feel good in all this resentment.

When you smoked, you basically blocked yourself from having a natural, normal experience of living. If you’ve been smoking for a long time, you may have to relearn how to live with your emotions, and that may take time.

I guess I’d better tell you the Big Secret now, huh? Quitting Smoking is about more than just cigarettes. It’s about reclaiming your life. It’s about becoming a fully functioning human being again. And having your emotions—the whole range of them—is part of being human.

Hey you wonderful human, you can do this.

kathy_ryz · ‎07-01-2013

Way to go! It is also my quit day. Hope you're feeling a sense of freedom! Cheers!

jennsides · ‎07-01-2013

Hey I just made it through my first morning without as well!! And I didn't sleep either because I have a super sick kiddo to add to my stress!! We can do this!!

wishingstar · ‎07-01-2013

Gald to hear, I am day 1 again.

Renee

cwood9999 · ‎07-01-2013

Thanks for all the supporters! I made it through the morning (rough, but kept busy), then my afternoon (cleaned like heck), and now it's my usual time to start sucking in those cancer sticks, between 6 and midnight). I slept after each of my binge cleanings, but this evening, I plan on going for a walk with non-smoking friends, watching funny cat youtube videos, and having a fun time watching old movies with some popcorn and celery sticks and carrots.

cwood9999 · ‎07-02-2013

The funny youtube videos really did the trick! I didn't even want to go refill my water in between videos! I laughed so hard, that I'm sure I had plenty of feel good juice pulsing through my system. I had no urge to smoke last night at all!

smcmurdo · ‎07-03-2013

The first step is the most important. Focus on your journey one day at a time. Reach out to those farther along on their's and they will give you more hope and encouragement than you can believe. This program is great...welcome! YOU CAN DO IT!

janie29 · ‎07-14-2013

Thanks for these post. This is morning two. WhooHoo...I made one entire 24 hours. I slept a lot yesterday. Hope to be more active today. It helps so much to connect with others who understand.

lynne-welke · ‎07-16-2013

Hi. I am new to this site. I had gone 10 days without a cig and then had one today so I thought I obviously needed more support.

Here are some resources I found that helped me-

http://www.stopsmokingonline.com

and a chat room on facebook called Not One More Puff Ever (N.O.P.E.)

This coming Saturday is my new quit day. I plan to read, read, read, pray, pray, pray and know my triggers better so that I don't backslide.

lynne-welke · ‎07-16-2013