My quit date was Jan 31, 2019. Its been 26 days smoke free for me but not easy.. I've been a pack a day smoker for 30 yrs or more and I had enough. I take chantics and nicotine gum. I'm off today and my craving are peaking, I want to get a pack to ease this feeling just one cigarette but I'm fighting hard. I call my wife at work and she encourage me, she's my rock. I won't give up I came to far to give up. But this **** is not easy. Thanks Stephen Boyce (exsmoker)
You can do this. Read through the site. Years of experience are everywhere. Some more experienced quitters will direct you to specific areas, but just by wandering you will find some gems. Hang in their, your support is here!
You've almost accomplished your first smoke-free month. Don't you dare (grin) give it all up today! You come so far. This craving will pass. Just breathe your way through it. Distract. Get up and out if you can. Walk it off. Look at the sky. Repeat after me...
Accept the journey, but fight for your freedom. You've earned it.
I used the mantra NOPE Not One Puff Ever when I came here, I got that from this site. I said it ALL the time those first few weeks. I smoked for 47 years and now it has been over 5 years of freedom...this is the longest I have been smoke free since I started smoking at age 17. I won't tell you that it is easy because that wasn't my experience but I will tell you that no crave ever killed anyone and no one can say that about smoking. I came to this site every day, first thing in the morning and again every evening and, when I could or when I needed to, I came more often and I read blogs, I commented, I listened to the advice I was given. Stay close to the site, read blogs, here are a couple of really helpful ones, the first is by Youngatheart.7.4.12 For Our New Years' Quitters (and community members, too) and this one by jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 What To Expect In The First Four Months There are lots of helpful things on the home page, My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and you can read many blogs here Best of EX This is a journey, it is not an event and believe me, there is no such thing as just one...this is an addiction and you have to recover one day at a time...sometimes, one hour at a time. I am glad your wife is supportive...now YOU need to be supportive of yourself. Read...do something other than smoking...exercise, dance, SING, take a shower, go for a run, snack on sour candy...I used Sour Patch Kids, some people used Fireballs. If worse comes to worse...bite into a lemon, rind and all. THAT will knock any crave out of the park. You CAN do this. Congratulations on your 26 days of freedom!
Welcome to EX,
Ellen
Welcome to the community!
WOW! 26 days is HUGE! No WAY are you going back to Day One - right? You made the decision and got this far, so don't allow a discussion about it to occur. You are at about the period of time in your quit that we have chosen to call No Mans Land. Here is some info on that: No Mans Land Days 30 to 130 (approximate)
This takes some effort in the beginning - it requires that you get and stay busy -and out of your head. 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.
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.
Attaboy Steve! You got this. Your wife will be home in a few to take care of you & kick your a$$ if ya try anything stupid. Anyone can do this. Myself & everyone above me are perfect examples of that little mantra. Stick around & let us help.
Times got tough, you spoke up. That's smobriety. Remember it's just one day at a time. Congratulations on all your smober days. Keep them coming.
Amen!!! GOOD JOB AND CONGRATS STAYING FOCUSED ON YOUR NON SMOKER LIFE STYLE!!! Welcome and just sharing the experience- there are videoes at whyquit.com and Dr Hays blogs here and the EX team blogs here!!! YAHOOOOOOOO for you and WAY TO GO!!!
Hi and Welcome Steven...keep busy, clean something, do a puzzle etc., 26 days quit is great and I find as fast as a crave comes if I keep busy they go away ... and tomorrow is another day. Hang in there, good vibes coming your way ~ Colleen
Hi Stephen and welcome to EX. You have come to the right place for support. You have came to far to think about going to buy a pack for 1 cigarette as there is no such thing as only having one. Think NOPE (not one puff ever) and I don't do that anymore got me through the rough waters. Also tell yourself NO MATTER WHAT I will not smoke and tell yourself YES YOU CAN do this quitting thing because you are that's how you got 26 days under your belt. Keep going forward and read the reading listed above. Knowledge is power!!!
You're doing great.....it ain't easy, we understand.
So glad you are a fighter - keep us posted...
KTQ
steveboyce6517 Congrats on being quit! That's great your spouse is supportive! You did the right thing by joining and reaching out. You've come to the right place!!!
I'm the community manager and can help you get the most of the site. The EXperienced quitters will likely be here any moment to give some support to you.
Mark
EX Community Manager