I'm creating this discussion in the hope it will be helpful to all the New Years' Resolution Quitters, and to solicit comments from current community members, as well. If you are new here, let us help! If you have quit or are in the process, please give the newbies your best advice!
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. You can search for a free pdf of it on the net (copyright enforcement won't allow me to post the link here), buy it online, or find it at your local library
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. 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 My Quit Plan
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. E-cigarettes are proving not to be as safe as originally thought, continue the hand-to-mouth motion and nicotine addiction, - so I would stay away from them, as well.
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:
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
Nancy this is a wonderful idea!
You have included most of the best ideas already.
I would add this while you are still smoking -
Pay attention to yourself drawing the Sickerette out of it's pack. Did you bang on the bottom of the pack like I did? Did you count how many you have left calculating when to buy more? Why did you choose this moment? Are you hungry, angry,lonely, tired? Are you on break and have been anticipating this for minutes or even hours?
Don't judge! Just watch!
Did you fumble for the matches or lighter? Are you standing out in the cold, snow or rain? Are you shivering? Are you with other smokers or alone? Pay attention to the time - 6 minutes, 8 minutes? When you put it out what do you do with the butt? Do you immediately light another one? Watch yourself pack away your pack and lighter.
So what changed in how you feel? Did you feel that nervous energy immediately relieved? Do you feel satiated? What about the taste? Did it taste good? Did you like the smell or did you maybe not even notice it?
If you want to stop smoking there are dozens of clues right here! Pay attention! You can learn a lot about your Addiction! Then you can make a more determined decision about Quitting Smoking and becoming FREE!
Set your Quit Date and no matter what - stick to it! Don't listen to thoughts like, "I'm not ready! I
m scared! If I keep this date I will certainly fail!" We Addicts often have these thoughts! It's normal! But you do not have to obey your thoughts! You can decide to keep your Date! So do it! This isn't rocket science! Read about Fear of Quitting - it's pervasive! But it doesn't have to stop you from getting started!
tell your Family, friends, just everybody! Not only will it help you to establish much needed barriers - such as eliminating second hand smoke - but you begin the process of sorting the supporters and the folks who might sabotage you. Also, it holds you honest and accountable. Addiction is based on lies - "I quit" but still smoking - this is your first of many steps of facing the truth of Addiction and stepping into Recovery! Don't worry about Fear of Failure! True supporters will be there to help you Succeed. Silence helps you fail! FACT!
Be here! Your Addictive Mind will be full of Addictive Thoughts - you need Freedom Thoughts - this is the place!
Change your mind - change your life!
If you feel weak and tempted come here first! Tell us what you're thinking. We have experience talking folks off the ledge so to speak!
Quitting never killed anybody! Tobacco kills more than 480,000 people annually - more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. I will most likely be one of them soon. Don't you be - you're smarter than that!