Anyone has any suggestions to get me moving?
Anyone has any suggestions to get me moving?
Welcome to the Ex. Unfortunately we all have too many smoking triggers. We smoked with everything we did--happy, sad, or in between. Aside from the physical addiction to nicotine, the psychological addiction takes hard work and determination. I hope you've been reading the information on this site. There is much to learn and much to help you with your quit. If you need help, reach out. In the meantime, read, read, and read some more.
104DOF
Life is a trigger
To enjoy it
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE.
So true. Today is my 6 the day n I have COPD and God has answered my prayer .I was able to go outside n the heat n breathe. Right now I'm sitting outside my camper at the campground enjoying the serenity I feel and the tree fogs singingsingi me a feeling of peace.
I understand your frustration. The idea is to have a plan for distractions because you are going to think about cigarettes for a while. It is okay to think about them as long as you do not smoke. The most important part of this journey is to educate yourself on the nicotine addiction. Find things that will occupy your time and mind. You will find that smoking took a lot of it. It is a joy to be able to be smoke-free. Embrace it. Don't fight it. Learn to breathe through the crisis. Quitting smoking is about deprogramming the brain that you do not have to smoke. Here is a simple one to start, when the urge hits tell yourself that you "don't do that anymore". Stay close, read study blog ask questions. Here is some reading to help you get started. Go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX click on the tabs and read and watch the videos. Also, check out www.whyquit.com and read Nicotine 101 and My Journey to Freedom Home. The best is yet to come. Hang tough, stay close. Enjoy your new life. 100+ Things to do instead of smoking
Welcome to our community!
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking and your launch! This isn't easy, but it IS doable!
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 it online 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, 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.
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 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!
Nancy
Whenever you have a craving come on here and tell us about it. It helps to talk about what's going on in your head. And yes that means you might be on here most of your day lol. But you are worth it. In 72 hours there will be no nicotine in your body which will greatly reduce this yucky feeling you have. You'll still have cravings but they will gradually become less intense. Try to focus on quitting minute by minute.
Thanks for the encouragement. I guess this community is going to be my support system.
if you need anything we can help each other, today is my 3 day we can do this.
That is so kind of you. How are you doing?
Please pay attention to the advice you have been given, Youngatheart.7.4.12 has outlined some things you can do. You have to remember that triggers are going to happen whether you smoke or not and you need to accept that smoking really never did anything FOR you, only TO you. That made it much easier for me...smoking does not reduce stress, it causes it, it does not relieve pain that is physical or emotional...all that it can do is to distract you...you can distract yourself by taking deep breaths. Breathe in, hold for a few seconds and breathe out SLOWLY. You can do this and those triggers and craves will get weaker and weaker. No crave ever killed anyone but no one can say that about smoking.
Welcome to EX.
Ellen
Hi, today is my 3 day, it is going to be hard just breath, and don't let your mind talk you into buying a pack, every morning I say to myself i will just run to the store and buy a pack, and smoke just one but their is no just one. Good luck Helen.
Welcome. You have been given such great advice. This advice is not from people just preaching it. It’s not from people who were never addicted. It’s people just like me and you. They have more smokefree days , so their advice is so valuable. It’s what got me to day 158 , when I felt exactly like you in the beginning. Please don’t let Anything give yourself an excuse to smoke. That’s the beginning of the end. Follow all the advice. Do the breathing , get moving and dont dwell on the crave. It will pass. As I learned from the Elders no one dies from quitting, only from smoking. I know you can do this One day at a time. The days turn into weeks and weeks into months. The Elders have their quits in the years. I can’t wait to get there. Be strong and know we are all here for you. Come to us day or night and we will be here for you. Remember Not One Puff Ever!
Barb
Welcome aakritii92!!! For my first few weeks, I spent most of my days on this site reading the literature and posting about how I was feeling. I found a lot of the people who've already posted a response to you (above) SUPER helpful! This site is my support community for continuing as an ex-smoker. It gets a lot easier BUT if you smoke it won't, it will just be the same daily struggle. I just procrastinated....I'm going to read one more thing and then if I want to smoke I'll consider it, then I'd think we'll I'm just going to watch this stupid/funny animal video and then if I still want to smoke I might consider it, and then I'd think we'll I have to do this work thing real quick and then if I want to I'll consider it and then I'd go get some cold water and drink that and talk with someone else and if I still wanted to smoke I'd consider it....anyway, I think you get the point. I'm a super good procrastinator so putting things off isn't really that hard. I would also literally yell NOPE out loud when by myself....Not one puff ever!!!! It's okay to feel uncomfortable, not smoking will NOT kill you. Just feel it, the discomfort is nicotine and other death chemicals leaving your body, so you'll definitely be okay. And every time I felt uncomfortable and sat through it I think I got a bit stronger!! Good luck!
Danielle
112 DOF! (Days of FREEDOM!)
And ALWAYS keep in mind that quitting never killed anyone; smoking not only DOES - but what leads up to it can be pretty terrible, too - with no good ending!
Quitting smoking has a WONDERFUL ending - FREEDOM!
Welcome. I don't really have anything to add. I did want to welcome you and reinforce what everyone else said...read, prepare, read, and read some more! If you have a question, ask. Never hesitate. We've all been where you are and maintain our smobriety by helping others along the path. It doesn't matter if you have 1 day or 100 years, everyone contributes. Some days are tough but the freedom and pride of making it thru a particularly difficult day compares to none!
Welcome to the EX!!
Congratulations on your journey!!! Today is 8 DOF for me! It has had its ups and downs but I just keep telling myself you don’t NEED this!!! Every time things get even a little rough I come here and read read read!!! I’ve never reached out like this before and I’m soooo grateful I did!!! Today was probably my roughest day and I got some of the most beautiful support imaginable!!! Understanding the addiction also has helped tremendously. Take pride in everyday of freedom!!!
How are you doing today?
Hi. It is getting difficult. I am trying to avoid anything and everything. Just being on my laptop and working continuously.
I spent a great deal of time on this site when I first quit...reading blogs and seeing how others managed, I knew that I could do it if all of those other people could. It really helped a LOT. We are here, let us know if there is anything we can do to help you.
Best,
Ellen
I'm going to be a broken record about this, but I believe very strongly that when we are in trouble about quitting, it could very well help to video yourself talking about how you feel. Wait an hour, then watch. By viewing ourselves we get a chance to get a little distance--a little perspective.
Many quitters will confirm...everything was a trigger, you are not alone.
Stay smober and go through the process of making a plan (on any Ex page upper right corner, click on my quit plan).
Ex is here everyday for you.
Is been 8 months since I quit smoking I smoke for 43 years. Is not easy but not imposible find help on the internet. At church a support group. There is a lot of help go to you tube and find testimonies of people that will help write to them ask for advise how they got there. I got some candy gum walking talking to people.
Most former nicotine users will say quitting this addiction was the most difficult challenge ever. All will say it was the most rewarding accomplishment. Beware of the powerful patient nature of addiction. The physical withdrawal of the first few days will come and go. Then begins the true battle of and with addiction. The underlying facets of the dis-ease of addiction will rise up to convince you that using will be the solution to the cravings, frustrations and feelings we have without our drug. The drug is not the solution, but the problem. We must now face the process of conquering the deep rooted addictive behaviors in a completely different frame of mind and find new solutions. Life will go on without nicotine. Our lives still have cravings, frustrations guilt remorse and many other feelings and emotions. We can live life without our drug and discover things about ourselves we never dreamed possible. Never, Quit Quitting! Not One Puff Ever! All Aboard the Train to FREEDOM! J.R.
Hi, I just want to stay this is great advice, and these are the best family ever for support.
Well, truth be told, the early days are very very tough. That nicotine is a hell of an addiction. I tried to sleep as much as I could the first 3 days. I am day 104 without smoking ciggarettes and what a wonderful freedom. Look at all that money I am saving, my health I am saving, my house does not stink and I have the good feeling of knowing that I am not wasting money ruining my health and I am not worrying about cigarette caused diseases, or worrying about having to quit smoking, and constantly being aware of how many cigarettes I have in case I need another pack. cigarettes come in packs. I don't have to think of all that stuff that nicotine addicts have to think of all the time. And I don't have to sit around for hours smoking cigarettes,now \i have time to do other things. Welcome to your new life. Fill in the stats for your quit on your profile. It is interesting to check out your stats from time to time. encouraging. This is a great thing you are doing for yourself.
I smoke for 43 years and today is 250 days since I quit. At first it was hard couldn't get my mind off cigarettes. But now is like any other day. I see cigarettes butts everywhere I see people smoking and it was really hard at the beginning. But once you get used to and get clean it gets easier. Find something to do that will help call a friend talk about your triggers .I quit Cold Turkey. I hope you get to quit my sister just die she had COPD she smoke for more then 6 decades and she could never stop now she did but I don't get to see her. Good luck.
It seems overwhelming at first but it's doable. when you do the suggested reading you'll gain confidence and believe you can stop.
You've got to know your enemy, know those triggers, so when you feel them approaching, you will know how to deal with them appropriately, and win another day smokefree!
Irish Rose
How are you doing? Are you feeling any more confidence or strength? We were not born smoking, there is not reason we should die that way.
Ellen
Ellen said it all!
At the beginning of my quit, I framed a picture of myself when I was two years old. I would look at my picture and say to myself. I did not smoke then. I smoked for 52 years. I could not remember myself not smoking. It has been almost 5 years since I quit with this wonderful site. You CAN do this and it is so worth it.
Welcome to EX. Have you been reading through the site? The first months of my quit I gobbled up as much info as I could. It kept my mind engaged at what I was choosing to do. Not smoke. I also cleaned every nook and cranny.
Please get familiar with this site and another site called WHYQUIT, is loaded with wonderful advice.
Knowledge is the first step, you need to understand the beast ( nicotine). You need to understand how the beast is keeping your brain cells in prison. Once you understand that then you get a toolbox together. In it you have numbers to call, things to do to replace the crave. Get Alan Carrs book, " The easy way to quit smoking" short read but LOADED with knowledge. It was what killed the beast for me. That and all the awesome people on EX , and the info of THIS SITE, is outstanding.
Anyway, welcome and hope to see you around a lot. Get involved here, as much as time allows, it will strengthen your resolve to stay quit