10 days without a puff....feeling physically so much better already. Emotionally/mentally still have some rough moments, but I'm reminding myself that I'm not "giving up" anything, there is ZERO benefit from smoking, and I'm actually taking my life back. It really helps me to reframe that thinking, I'm not feeling deprived, I'm feeling empowered. Unfortunately, I'm getting very little support from my family, especially my daughter. She has been mocking me this week when I've asked for some extra patience and understanding, "Oh, you're quitting again? Big deal, why should I have to baby you?" Sigh Made me sad that she feels that way, but I can't change her thoughts or actions, I can only control mine. So, I put on my headphones and went for a long walk, avoided getting angry with her attitude, and more importantly, avoided giving in and buying smokes!! Yay! I know stress will always be there, and I have to find new and better ways to deal with it, and walking and listening to music is working well for me right now. So, one day at a time, one situation at a time, one thought at a time, one craving at a time I will remain smoke free!
Welcome to our community!
Congratulations on your decision to quit and your first 10 days! You probably know some of the information I will provide, so take what you need and leave the rest. I hope some of it might make the coming days easier to navigate.
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.
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! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke
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