Community
Hello,
Just finished my third day. The hardest time for me is leaving work and wanting to stop for a pack on the way home. I'm wondering if anyone felt this way? I've been trying to use the craving tools I've been reading on this site and just hoping it will get easier. (I'm using the patch not going cold turkey) thanks!
Oh, heck yeah, MorgaineW!!
Getting in the car was a trigger - no matter where I was going. Driving home from work was especially tough because I thought I needed and DESERVED that cigarette to wind down after my day. I kept a straw in the car that was cut to the length of a cigarette and "smoked" that a lot.
Stopping to get fuel was tough because that's usually when I bought smokes. The first time I got gas without smokes I about had a pnaic attack. I spent the rest of the day feeling like I had forgotten something, but it was just reprogramming my brain about what gas stations are for!
Every day ingrains the new new habits a little more deeply.
PT
Oh Yes...driving past every convience store can be a big trigger...sing your heart out to the radio and wave past them...
I must say for me the worst was the customer service desk at the grocery store...in the beginning I couldn’t even walk past it...it does get better...at 352 Days quit...I don’t even think about it anymore...hang tough ~ Happy Wednesday ~ Colleen 352 DOF
Absolutely! Driving was hard for me. I was a closet smoker so I would drive to sneak my cigs in. Who was I fooling?? Anyways, what really helped me was twizzlers. Keep them in your car and chomp on those until your home.....and then I ate them all day.... lol
Some great tips so far. Another is to find a new route home from work so the scenery is different. You might count the number of white (or red or silver) cars you see,or the number of tractor trailers, or pick-up trucks, or the lights you hit or miss. Or - look at the people in the car next to you. Make up a story about them (or him/her). Are they going home? Are there a dog or kids to greet them there? If so, describe them. Will they eat at home? Is someone else preparing dinner? What will they be having? More than one person in a car gives whole new avenues of invention!
Maybe keep something unique in the car for your commute to which you can look forward. Maybe Fireballs, or flavored toothpicks?
The better you get at changing up this routine, the easier it will become!
Nancy
That bit about finding a new route to and from work is good advice. I've come to realize that I used to smoke at certain specific points during my commute. I go a different way now because it means fewer triggers and cravings.
I can totally relate, MorgaineW. For the first week or so after I quit, I found myself reaching for where I used to keep my lighter in the car just as soon as I left work. My quit coach told me to put a different object there so that if I unconsciously reached for it, I'd be reminded that things were different now.
Excellent job on the first few days! That's definitely the hardest part... And please don't hesitate to reach out to someone on here if you need support.
And keep things in your car. I kept my Sour Patch Kids and straws with me. I could chew the heck out of those straws. Big congrats on day 4? now.
Barb
Thank you all so much! Great advice I will use.
MorgaineW Driving anywhere was a big trigger for me. When I smoked it was key in the ignition and the lung destroyer in my mouth. I cleaned my truck and I found that listening to my favorite CD and singing loud truly helped me. I also had my bag of dumdums next to me and I found having a apple to eat also helped I always left the house with one. Yet the music and singing helped the most. The other thing I would suggest is take different ways home if possible break up the routine of driving the same route. 3 days is a good start and I promise it will get better. You can do this
By the way frozen grapes are good anytime
Cousin-Itt 1200 DOF