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Give and get support around quitting

MEL00
Member

Throwing out everything

I was so inspired by everything that I have read on this community page. I have never felt so much support. In fact I was so inspired that I threw out everything that has to do with smoking. Thanks to you guys I feel really prepared to quit for good and make the best decision for myself!

Tags (1)
12 Replies
Legend
Member

Welcome to Ex I am glad you found us.  If you need any help finding something let me know or you can make a blog and help will come. Best wishes to you.

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Glad to meet you.@Mell00  Stay close, study, ask questions. Never give in never give up. Have you set a date?  Do you have a plan? (NRT/Cold Turkey)  This is a good place to start. My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX 

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MEL00
Member

Hi Jackie nice to meet you! I have been preparing for about 3 weeks now and have my plan. Have a nice quit all set up with me. Honestly just being on here and reading everything I can find is a great distraction and helps me feel prepared. Thank you!

Barbscloud
Member

That's great.  I'm glad the site helped you to finalize your decision to quit.  Even though  I used aids for my final quit, the support on this site has made all the difference.   Have you picked a date?  We're ready to celebrate that day with you.

Barb

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sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s MEL00 

Glad you found our site...yes these people here are so inspiring...keep close, it will make such a difference in your quit...Be sure to read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and work the program...also drink lots of water and keep busy...here is a good list /blogs/Maggie_quit_8-1-2010-blog/2012/03/19/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoking?sr=search&searchId=1... We are here for you, because we are all in this journey together...I am excited for you and your freedom...Make Day 1, Day won...~ Colleen 252 DOF 

MEL00
Member

Thank you so much! 

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YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking, and trashing all smoking materials.  GREAT start!  I am not sure what you have read and what you haven't, so I will just give you the reading I usually recommend and tips - you can ignore any you have already found!

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:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...
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.

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. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.


 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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

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

AnnetteMM
Member

THAT'S how you do it!

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Giulia
Member

Preparation is the name of the game.  Glad you're inspired!  Stay close and keep reading.  It so helps to reinforce a quit.  Glad you've joined us.