Starting day 2
You've made if through the most significant day. The first day smoke free means you've begun your journey to be a successful non-smoker. One day at at time and reach out if you need support along the way.
Barb
Crossing your fingers is for good luck. Quitting smoking isn’t about luck, it’s a choice. If you truly intend to quit smoking it’s about attitude and shear determination. It’s making a conscious decision to never smoke again and is totally up to you. You and only you have the ability to do this.
My biggest piece of advice is to stay out of your head. Your physical cravings will end soon enough but the mental will test you on a daily basis.... Life can be rough and chances are you’ve never had to face anything without the comfort of a cigarette. But you are so ABLE to do this cause you are amazing. You will not die from a craving, but you might if you continue to smoke.
We are all here for you!!!! Congrats on Day 2
Beck
It's a tough choice... I didn't smoke cuz I craved it. I just liked the activity itself... But don't like being winded at times and don't like the smell and don't want the wrinkles around my lips!
Liar, Liar, pants on fire. You craved it. Do I hear an addict speaking? Yes I do. I am 327 days into my quit and one of the most important parts of the quit for me was aknowledging my addict. learning to recognize the voice of the addict. That addict is not you. Leave it behind. You craved it.
Quitting smoking is a journey of self discovery, and it is all good. All good. I look forward to meeting you again on this page, you and your addict. Karen and her addict (who is mostly silent these days)
Welcome to our community!
Welp - if you keep your fingers crossed, you can't actually light a cigarette - now can you? Luck, however, doesn't really do anything for you in quitting smoking. Education and commitment DOES. I can help with the first; you must provide the second.
The 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, 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!
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
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 please read the links suggested above me and keep reading everything you can about quitting smoking and remaining quit because there's a wealth of information right here on this site to strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb permanently it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination BUT it's absolutely Doable and totally worth it ,stay close because we're all here to help you in any way we can.
Hi there !
I agree with Beck37 ... quitting smoking isn't about wishing or hoping, it is all about your choices, and you can do this!!
BUT, I did want to say... keep those fingers well crossed while you make the right choice (not to smoke). It is very difficult to hold and smoke a cigarette with crossed fingers!! LOL!
Best wishes to you on this eventful journey you have begun
being winded, yucky smell, wrinkles......
All good reasons!!!
One day at a time..........
Smoking Is Not An Option
Congratulations on Day 2 and Welcome to Ex's...
If you haven't already done so, might I suggest you read
It will help you through many craves and triggers along this journey...And yes, I will keep my finger's crossed and even my toes...lol...Enjoy the Freedom...You are taking your Life back...~ Colleen
FANTASTIC! CONGRATS AND GOOD JOB!
Welcome to EX, please pay attention to what Youngatheart.7.4.12 has shared with you and know that we ALL want very much for you to succeed! This is a journey and it cannot be rushed but it CAN be taken one day at a time and each day makes you stronger.
Ellen
Day 3... having some temptation and “excuse making” going on in my head. Was hoping today would be easier than yesterday- starting out feeling harder!?!? Keep telling myself that I chose this and I’m glad I did. I know if I slip it’s not going to feel
good afterwards and I will be mad at myself. I’m off to a good start- why stop now? Can’t come
up with a good reason so I decided to post here and hope this urge passes quickly!!
Good to come to the site when having a craving. I would come and read/post and before I knew it the crave had passed. You're doing great. Just know that it will get easier. Day 3 will be another success--one day at a time.
Barb
335 DOF
What does DOF mean?
Sent from my iPhone
DOF - Days Of Freedom TBoyette another one that I like is S.I.N.A.O - Smoking Is Not An Option & this one too - N.M.W - No Matter What .....
and also N>O>P>E not one puff ever.
❤️ that one!
Sent from my iPhone
DOF means days of freedom. you are well on your way, day 2. Fantastic!!!! So much better than day ONE. Did you set up your stats on your profile page? I found and still find it very helpful... as of today I have avoided 9,733 cigarettes, imagine... my poor lungs.... I has some mercy on them. You are doing the best thing for youself that you have probably done for years. Years. And for people who love you.... you are saving your life....
I wish there were a magic pill or spell I could give you to make this easier, but, alas, there is not. This is difficult in the early going, and it won't get better for a bit now; the first two weeks are pretty bad. Then it's your body getting used to life without the drug which takes a week or two of physical withdrawals. Then it's relearning how to deal with the triggers and associations with smoking you have built up over the years. Changing up your routines will help with that.
Just take each day as it comes - this journey is likened to a roller coaster ride with ups and downs and twists and turns. You will have an easier day soon. Enjoy it and get ready for the next not-so-easy one.
I promise you this will all be worth it - just hang in there!
Nancy
I have a pack stashed in my car- PLEASE let me have the strength to throw them away when I get in there to go to work today. I didn’t drive anywhere all weekend and the car is a trigger for me... will be my first drive in years without smoking!!!
I would do it right away. Get them and run them under water. It's too much of a temptation so early your quit.
Yay. You're off to a great start.
Barb
Here is a blog I wrote with tips for getting over driving in your car without smoking: Driving Quitting Tips. Get rid of that pack of cigarettes NOW - keeping them around is giving yourself permission to smoke them. Run them under water and put them in the trash - NOW!
Stashed pack is wet and in trash; fresh apple slices under seat; bottle of water in cup holder; audio book in que... I will do this - just 15 minutes to work and I’ll be out of the car!
SO PROUD OF YOU, what a big step in the right direction. Remember we are here if you need support during the day...you are doing a really great job!
Ellen
I chewed gum a lot while driving early in my quit in 2009.
So jealous that you are nine years into your quit!
Sent from my iPhone
Ha... Actually, I HAD a 9-year quit and then started smoking again last April or May. Long story, never in a million years thought I would smoke again, I had even becme a marathon runner and NEVER thought about smoking! But I decided to start again after several years of being in a severely stressful abusive relationship that had me in a really bad spot mentally. Of course, smoking did not help anything long-term, but it is what it is. I now only have 22 hours under my belt, and I am jealous of you! You are doing great. It does get a lot easier.
So glad to hear you are back at it. Let me know if reading materials might help or if I can be helpful!
Nancy
Thank you, Nancy!
Oh, no! I'm so sorry to hear that you went through that... at least you got yourself out of it and are now working on you! I actually started smoking after my divorce (2015) - at first was just socially and then, daily. Like you said - didn't help anything and now here I am facing a different self-imposed struggle. We can do this. Together. RESOLVED.
Thank you. Yes! We've got this!
Welcome back Sara. Missed you.
Barb
Thank you.
CONGRATULATIONS to you TBoyette and to YOU SaraPeach, learning from our mistakes is part of the journey and now you both know that smoking did not help anything. Once I completely accepted that, there was no reason to smoke. Seriously...be honest with yourself and know that smoking does not help anything but it sure can do damage while you are in denial.
Ellen
#TRUTH
Me Too! Good Luck!
DAY 4: Yeaterday was tough and I did it!
You've got this now. You're on a roll.
TBoyette day 4 is a bloody miracle! I am on day 21 and I can tell you the time will go by whether you smoke or not. So why not just NOT! It truly is all about your attitude about being an ExSmoker! Want it, need it, cherish it, celebrate it, be in awe of it, treat it like a new born child and most of all, love yourself for giving yourself this most awesome gift!
Peace to you today!
Melissa DOF 21
What a great way to look at it...
Must admit, I was throwing a bit of a pity party for myself yesterday... and made it much harder than it probably has to be. Will try to “re-frame” it today! Thanks!!!
Sent from my iPhone
BTW, once you get those little lines around your lips you can't successfully get rid of them! I know and I regret my 41 years of smoking and what it's done to my face... But I still love my face! It's the only one I got!
Self-pity can be a real killer. Been there, done that.
OMG. Smoker's wrinkles aren't going anywhere.
I have only smoked for 4 years so I don't have them yet but I know i will if i continue... cuz I'm at the age where every week I seem to see a new wrinkle - -BOTOX is gonna be my new addiction and where I spend my cigarette funds- LOL
4 years! Quit now before it turns into 40!!!
THAT'S THE PLAN!!!!!!!!! #IMAQUITTER
I’m not that far behind you. I’m on day 5 and it’s getting easier everyday. You can do it.
DAY 5!!! Breathing easier, craving less BUT still just miss smoking - I liked it. I need to find something I like better...
TBoyette DAY 5 IS AWESOME!!! Very, very soon you will realize how much you really don't like it! Have you read, Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking"? This book totally opened my eyes to this addiction, this disease, because that is what it is. It is a big, fat liar and you deserve not to be lied to anymore. It is a quick and easy read and I really like his honest writing approach. It is definitely worth the little money you will spend for it.
Congratulations on your success today!
Peace!
Melissa 22 DOF
I have NOT read that.. but I will get it! Anything that will help me, I'm
willing to try. I just stopped cold turkey - no meds, patch, etc. So, I'm
leaning on this community and whatever literature I can get my hands on
that will help! Thanks so much for sharing! I appreciate you and wish you
the best in your quest to quit, too!!!
-T
On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 11:13 AM elvan <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>
BEST book EVER on this subject. Will help you understand that all you think smoking did for you is a lie. Wonderful information to understand. It made a world of difference in my ability to quit on my first and only attempt at it.
Nancy
Congratulations on five days....you are almost through "Hell" Week. It will get easier, do read Allen Carr's book and think about why you liked smoking...did you like the smell, yuck, did you like the isolation? It is getting harder and harder to find places to smoke. Did you feel like it did something FOR you instead of TO you? As someone who has a great deal of damage from smoking, I can tell you that it really does NOT do anything for you...it just feeds an addiction. Do some exercising, it releases dopamine and you will feel better, it doesn't even have to be much. Maybe start a gratitude journal and write down things you are grateful for...put away the money you are saving and make a plan for what you will do with it.
This is a journey and there are no short cuts but it really gets much easier as you put more time between you and cigarettes. You are doing great.
Ellen
I can't WAIT to hear of your AHA moment!
Five days is a great start T. You're gonna love this new freedom.
The weather is perfect for sitting poolside with a beer, some music and a cigarette. I'm fiending a bit... ate some chocolatel; walked to get the mail; not helping.......!!!!!!! UGHHHH . this stinks!
Jumping Jacks
Watch some videos on the site here. I've put up a number of them. They are distractions. Have nothing to do with smoking or quitting smoking.
Drinks lots of water. And do like 5 mins of jumping jacks. You will be to tired to drink of smoke. It worked for me. This is my day 6
It worked. Freakin jumping jacks worked! LOL
I’m gonna make it through today, y’all. Thank you.
A Lot.
-T
HaHaHaHaHa
No smoking! No beer! How about a YouTube exercise video, or some yoga, or some chair yoga, or a meditation session, or a LONGER walk? Or a set of stairs? Or a closet or drawer clean out? Or a computer game? Just stay busy - this quit thing takes some effort in the early days, but it DOES get easier as time passes.
Get busy!
Don't smoke!
You could babysit newborns !! hugs
You got this don't drink!
laughing and crying at same time - and I don't even like cats! Thank you. STAYING BUSY - opted for a bubble bath and facial - music cranked up. No alcohol. NO FREAKING LUNG DART!
What the HELL is that cat doing? That is seriously weird.
Relax where are your bubbles breathe Ellen!
LOL
Got my Allen Carr book today - Day 7 - and am about to get in to it!!! Hoping this will keep me going for WEEK TWO minus the lung darts!
-Tammy
You are doing GREAT and it is going to get easier...I remember wanting to scream... WHEN? Unfortunately, there is no number of days carved in stone, we are all a little different but if we hold onto our quits and stay close to the site, we are "golden."
Ellen
Thank you Ellen. It is soooo helpful to know others are pulling for me! I truly appreciate the support and encouragement and am going to do the same for others... I wanna be an EX for good
That's how this works...we hold each other up from the newbies to the elders and everyone in between. I am really happy for you.
Ellen
I'm in WEEK TWO!!!! I really am. I cant believe it.
WOO HOO!
Congratulations!
Fantastic! WTG girl and keep up the great work!!!
It’s Monday... I am thankful for the Bronchitis I have because I really don’t think I could smoke-even if I wanted to- which I don’t! I’m amazed that I don’t. I haven’t been to any of my favorite places or drank or hung out with any of my smoker friends and I’m missing all that. I’m missing all of it... the places, people, fun- but don’t trust myself to go and not have a cigarette. Tips anyone??? I want to be able to do din stuff and just not smoke... but how??
-Tammy
10 DOF
I wouldn't be around smokers and alcohol for awhile. If you must be around smokers, put some vicks under your nostrils. The smell and the slight burn is a reminder.
You WILL be able to get back to your normal life - but not a great idea to try that just yet. Maybe a couple more weeks. When you do go back, you might want to avoid alcohol for awhile. Maybe put some Vicks under your nose to negate the cigarette smells and to remind you of your quit if you are around smokers. Don't go outside with them. Find someone to talk with while your friends are there. Have an exit plan if you start to be tempted (a feigned headache works!). Always keep in mind that there is never such a thing as "just one" to an addict. It will absolutely send you back to being a full-time smoker. A lot of quits were lost because of a lack of this bit of information.
Hope you feel better soon Tammy. Have suffered from bronchitis for years. In answer to your question regarding having fun, I guess it just depends on just how committed you are to never smoking again. If you have truly quit smoking and no one or nothing can get you to smoke again then go hang out with your friends. If on the other hand you could easily be persuaded otherwise, give it more time. Maybe you and your friends can think up new activities that would be difficult to smoke while doing...
Beck
56 DOF
Makes me sad... I am committed to not smoking but am also committed to my
friends. Good news is... yesterday, my best friend said that since I was
quitting - she is going to also!! She started her quit today...
-T
On Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 9:29 AM Beck37 <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>
You are already paying it forward! Good job!!! You don’t have to give up your friends.... hang in, everything will work out for the best.
Congrats on being that SHINING EXAMPLE for your friend They all might join you, eventually! I don't think anybody WANTS to smoke anymore but they have to.
Perhaps suggest a get together in a smoke free, alcohol free environment. Maybe lunch and shopping at a mall? Or a movie in a theater? Or an indoor pool? Or a trip to a zoo? Just don't join them when they head out to smoke - maybe just head home?
This isn't forever - but your quit needs to be your #1 priority for awhile.
Hang in there! Freedom IS worth the effort.
Nancy
Sorry you're not feeling well, but congrats on your quit and taking your friend on the journey.
Barb
TBoyette I am so proud of you for being free for 10 days. Congratulations! You are early in your quit for alcohol and being around smokers. Eventually, you can go back and you will be able to have fun smoke ~ free. If you truly must go, prepare...perhaps drink non alcoholic for example I ordered tonic and lime. If you drink the alcohol make sure you order a side of water. Also, know your limit where you will either need to stop drinking or leave the situation. Make sure all know, not to give you a smoke.
Right now take care of You and the bronchitis and feel better soon. Colleen
Day 2, here you go!
Donna
101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke
Quit Kit aka Tool Box
TBoyette Hugs
Kim