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Give and get support around quitting

Lreddger88
Member

Keeping your mind off of using tobacco

Quitting for the first time, been chewing tobacco for about 7 years. Feeling the withdrawal symptoms pretty badly right now. How do others cope with the cravings and keep your mind off of it? 

5 Replies
Beck37
Member

Congrats on your quit!!! Stay out of your head... if you’re thinking about it you’re going to want to do it. The moment you start to think about it just literally shake it out of your head and move on to something else.  Your quit is all about your attitude, stubbornness and shear determination. You are going to experience both physical and mental withdrawals. It is important to read, read, read and read. Google was my friend. It was comforting to know that what I was experiencing was normal and survivable. 

I have been quit for over 6 months now after smoking 37 years.  Life is good and I do not regret for one moment my decision. If you can hang in there you will quickly realize that nicotine is not your friend and is not the magic potion we thought it was. 

You can so do this!

Beck

anaussiemom
Member

/blogs/aztec-blog/2015/01/27/things-to-do-instead-of-smoke 

1. Read a book.
2. Wash the car.
3. Wash the dog.
4. Go for a walk.
5. Knit a scarf.
6. Do a crossword puzzle.
7. Take a nap.
8. Call a friend.
9. Post a comment on my page
10. Play with the cat.
11. Turn the bathroom into a spa and do all those beauty treatments.
12. Listen to a relaxation tape or some favorite music.
13. Go to a store and get a free make-up session.
14.Give yourself a manicure and pedicure.
15. Try out a new hair-do
16. CHEW SOME CLOVES!
17. Go to the movies.
18. Hang out at a mall.
19. Do a jigsaw puzzle online at Jigzone.com
20. Breathe deeply!
21. Swig down some ice water.
22. Jump on a treadmill or go to a gym.
23. Give someone you love a huge hug.
24. Plant some flowers.
25. Do some exercise - swimming, aerobics, yoga, etc. Great for releasing endorphins (feel good factor) and relieving stress (physical and mental).
26. Work out how to post a picture in the forum!
27. Take up a new hobby/interest - channel your thoughts into something constructive and interesting.
28. Work in the garden.
29. Retail therapy with the cash you saved from not smoking.
30. Suck on a piece of TART candy (Jolly Rancher is my personal favorite).
31. Slather on a rich, creamy hand lotion and rub, rub, rub! It keeps fingers busy, and reminds you how nice it is not to have tobacco stink on them.
32. Eat a popscicle.
33. Floss and brush your teeth.
34. Make-out with your special someone! Hubby hated kissing me when I smoked, but now he LOVES it. Soooo, when the urge strikes and he's within kissing distance, I plant a big one on him!
35. Chew gum.
36. Chew a toothpick (shiny teeth).
37. Spend time with a kid.
38. Give yourself a treat every day of your quit - not matter how small.
39. Spend an hour filling the paddling pool in the garden on a gorgeous sunny day, only to find that the kids would rather play on the computer.
40. Play several games of Internet Scrabble, and hopefully win one!
41. Walk in an old graveyard with the man you love.
42. Get your jammies on early, and park yourself in front of your computer for the night.
43. Build a REAL closet
44. Hang the sheetrock on said closet.
45. Do the mudding, taping and sanding on that closet.
46. Paint the closet.
47. Add the doors to the closet.
48. And last...when the real closet is finished, create THE CHOCOLATE CLOSET on this site.
49. Hang on dearly to a caramel apple sucker.
50. Sing loudly.
51. Practice smiling in the mirror (releases endorphins)!
52. Make lists of pros and cons of smoking.
53. Find gross smoking disease pictures.
54. Play with Silly Putty.
55. Whistle "Don't Worry - Be Happy."
56. Get a camera, and take some pictures.
57. Write a letter (you know...on paper).
58. Clean OUT the closets.
59. Crank up the radio and sing at the top of your lungs (works great for driving craves).
60. Crank up the radio and dance like no one is watching. 61. Make a puzzle.
62. Organize your boxes of pictures.
63. Alphabetize your CD rack.
64. Come here and read and post.
65. Go to miniclip.com and PLAY GAMES.
66. Do your nails. Hard to smoke with wet nails. I've tried.
67. Take a shower.
68. Take a candle-lit bath.
69. Clean out a messy drawer.
70. Take a day trip.
71. Try making home-made candles or soap.
72. Run in place.
73. Do some jumping jacks.
74. Start a reward fund - put away the amount you spend on smokes every day and use it to treat yourself once in awhile.
75. Write a poem.
76. Go antique shopping.
77. Go plant a flower for every negative thought.
78. Go to church/talk to God.
79. Let your husband cook supper for you.
80. Call your Grandmother!
81. Paint a room.
82. Eat a hot fudge sundae.
83. Go play mini-golf.
84. Clean the basement or garage.
85. Wax the car.
86. Make love with your significant other.
87. Scrub the floor.
88. Treat yourself to a massage.
89. Chop up some veggies for a stir-fry - keep your hands busy!
90. Clean out the litter box.
91. Check your car's tire pressure.
92. Call a radio show and request a song.
93. Go ride a few rollercoasters.
94. Take a walk in nature.
95. Watch the sun set.
96. Write a goodbye letter to cigarettes
97. Donate blood.
98. Color your hair.
99. Make a greeting card.
100. Write a list of things you are grateful for


Blessings and Hugs
Kim

maryfreecig
Member

Staying busy works. Get exercise. Stick with Ex (read, blog, respond) because there are plenty of quitters here who get it the journey out of addiction. And it's a one day at a time process. If staying busy doesn't fill the void left by not taking dependency, stay busy all the same. As the days add up you forget to remember the call of nicotine--happens naturally. 

elvan
Member

Nicotine addiction is incredibly powerful and recovery is one day at a time, sometimes, one hour at a time.  It is a journey and you need to identify your triggers and plan for them to occur with even more strength than you remember. We did not learn to deal with out emotions while we smoke and we were emotionally stunted.  We all have to learn to feel without stuffing everything down.  Sooner or later, we all have to face our feelings.  Stuffing them resolves nothing, it just gives the addiction more control over us.

We are here to help you and we all want you to succeed.

Ellen

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