Bordem is a big trigger for me
Think of things that make you happy and places you can go where smoking is not allowed...in addition to all of the great things on the list. I don't think I know HOW to get bored, there is always something that needs to be done so I might not be the best person to ask. The biggest thing is to take care of yourself...consider your quit to be what it is, a GIFT to you!
Welcome to EX,
Ellen
Welcome to our community!
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. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf
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! You have been provided a link of things to get you started thinking about what will work for you
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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. Boredom is to be avoided!!!!!
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
What craft, art or skill have you put off for Years? If you can become passionate about it such as the arts then it's never boring. You will have plenty of time on your hands now that you aren't smoking!
Welcome to Ex. You can stay busy learning about addiction as there are a lot of info pages on Ex and lots of blogs to read. Read, learn, participate. It takes a while to let go of the old smoking life...and sometimes the emptiness can feel like it is going to go on forever--that can feel tiring or boring for sure. Doing things other than smoking can feel second rate compared to the addiction being satisfied by another smoke. This takes time. So being with quitters such as the Ex community is a good way to face changing and relearning life without the smokes.
I've found there is no way to make myself stay busy other than to push myself to start...if I am that much in a boredom rut. Usually once I get going, once anybody gets going on something, then being interested kicks in.
I have been reading during my free time. I don't have stuff planned for the weekends so I have to make an effort to find stuff to do. I try to find stuff that takes me out of the house and gets me around other people. Isolation and boredom kill me.
Something else helped me. It was changing my mind frame. Reading Freedom from Nicotine: The Journey Home helped. Chapter 11 of that book talks about dealing with cravings. I have it saved on my phone so I can read it over and over. The book is free and available at whyquit.com.
I read when I get bored, or surf funny pictures on the internet. You can kill half an hour really quickly when you do that. I found when I was new to my quit, when the cravings got really bad, I would voraciously read anything I could get a hold of on the internet about the dangers of smoking. Other people's blogs, pictures of what can happen, statistics, etc. Cravings will usually pass rather quickly, and now you've spent that time educating yourself about why you're quitting. You will eventually learn how to live life without those smoke breaks. It happens more quickly for some than others. I also encourage you to make a list of why you're quitting. I posted mine on my desk at work, in the living room, in the kitchen, anywhere that there might be a trigger that would make me want to smoke. You can do this. You're worth a nicotine free life!
Click this link for ideas:
100 Things