I noticed you had posted before in an area of the site I never visit - so you did not get my usual welcome. I will remedy that now. Seems as though you have already quit. Can you let us know your quit date? If you are far along, my advice will be something you probably will have figured out - but just in case................
The most important thing you can do 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 or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
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, quitsmoking.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
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!
Thank you for the warm welcome, and resources! I have 5 DOF, and fight for each one! A community and support group is what I have been missing all along, all the other times I've been down this road, it was virtually alone. I knew I needed to do something different this time. Thanks to Boston girl for referring me and thanks to all the Exes out there who chime in with daily support and affirmations, keep 'me coming!
Welcome to the community, you've made the best decision that you'll ever make in your lifetime and it's definetly the best gift that any of us will ever give ourselves which is the gift of LIFE ,stay close because we're all here to help you in any way we can.....
Today I say 'Yes I can'....make time to take care of myself, even if its a small window of opportunity because I have a lot to do today...I will not neglect taking care of me in the process. Neglecting to take care of me was when I smoked. I don't do that anymore.....With that said, I'm off to go walk Have a great Day everyone!
Welcome to the Ex. You're off to an excellent start with your 5 days won. The support on this site has made all the difference for me. Reach out if you need assistance. We're here for you.
If you have fought your way through other quits and you have lost...you are NOT alone. Fighting doesn't work, recognizing that this is a one day at a time journey and not an event...really does work. Look at you...FIVE DAYS and you are taking it one day at a time, take it one step at a time, one baby step if necessary. I refused to go outside and watch my friend smoke after I quit...for the first several weeks and then it didn't bother me, I just refused to sit on the smoking bench or stand downwind of her smoke. I know it annoyed her but that was too bad...I am SURE I drove her crazy anyways because all I talked about was EX and the people and the amazing feeling of finding this place. She is astounded that after more than 4 1/2 years, I stay connected here as much as possible. I used to come here every morning and every evening and I used to come as often as I could during the day. I read blogs, I commented, I asked for advice...and I LISTENED. These EXers clearly knew something I didn't. I got so sick before I quit that the first week, I could not sit up long enough to go on line...thanks to smoking. I kept telling myself I would quit whenever I got any upper respiratory infection or pneumonia...seriously, countless times over the years. As soon as I felt better, I would tell myself that smoking had nothing to do with my getting sick. I was SO WRONG. Quitting is a gift that you give yourself, no one can give it TO you, no one can do it FOR you, and no one can take it away...except you. What POWER you have...you CAN do this...remember that we all started where you are and we all want you to succeed. Yell if you need help, someone will answer, there is always someone who has just been where you are...the help you will get will overwhelm you.
Day 6 is upon you. And you are just zooming right along.
"I came clean to all my "bum buddies" and told them I've quit and in the off chance I come to them in a moment of weakness, tell me to hit the road Jack!" Now THAT's smart thinking. You're setting yourself up for success. I hope they do indeed tell you to hit the road if you hit them up in a moment of weakness. The one that enables your weakness is not a true friend.
But then, you won't be coming to them in a moment of weakness to bum one. Right? Because you're on you way to being free. And yes, you CAN. Hold it tight, hold it dear. Never let it go.
Good for you, enjoy that fresh smelling car, there will be all kinds of smells that you will enjoy MUCH more than you ever thought possible because you didn't smell them.
YES I can...celebrate today, SWEET 16 DOF!! Every small milestone counts!
YES I can.. pass my first true test to my sobriety, I was invited out by a smoking friend (who I have been pretty much avoiding in these early days).we went for a drive, in her new car, to the Beach. I was hoping being a new car she would not light up, but had to fully prepare myself mentally and physically for this encounter. I checked my emergency kit, I brought water to drink, snacks to crunch, lozenges to sick on, etc. She did smoke in the car, hey, her space, her choice. I Did FINE-NOPE!!!!! I wasn't even anxious while we hung out. Really enjoyed our time and she congratulated me on my quit! Preparation was the key, for me, to handle the day!
Yes, I can make today better than yesterday, yesterday was the pitts, for no apparent reason. Boy when your feeling blue, the struggle gets a bit more real. I just reminded myself NOPE and kinda ate my way through the day (not recommended ), One addiction at a time. Have a good day everyone.
The munchies got most of us in the early days. There will be plenty of time when your quit is well in hand to work on a healthier lifestyle. Do WHATEVER it takes not to smoke right now. It should remain your #1 priority.
Oh my...I munched on so many Sour Patch Kids that the inside of my mouth was intensely sore...seriously, it took me a while to figure out why my tongue and the roof of my mouth felt so horrible. It DID pass...oh, I still like them too but I try really hard to be more selective with my snacks. I am thinking of you, sending positive thoughts and prayers...hang on, it really DOES get easier, I would not lie to you.
YES I CAN...make it one month! Positive steps I have recently taken to celebrate my sobriety is to divert funds that used to pay for the habit into a travel fund so I can visit Boston girl and see the world!
