Dear Members:
It looks like my quit date is tomorrow, January 24, 2020. I am still not sure why I chose this date (I think it had something to do with the numbers 1, 2, and 4, which are my Enneagram spiritual numbers. Anyway, I want to say that I'm not ready to quit tomorrow. I'm sure no one has encountered this issue before, right? Any suggestions about my plan to stop smoking tomorrow would be welcome. I need the confidence of others, especially those who had faced the day before the quit date and had serious reservations. Help?!?!?
NOTE: The attached picture truly disheartens me yet prayerfully can motivate me. I cannot even begin to imagine animals being forced to inhale smoke so that I can smoke. That really hurts my heart. I pray that God will allow my compassion for animals in research to be a huge push in the direction of living a smoke-free life!!!!
Hello!
Read everything that you can about this terrible addiction. We are big on education here at EX-----knowing your enemy will help you survive. Seriously, it is very important no matter how much you think you may know about it.....I still read about addiction all the time. And we are addicts.....addicted to the drug of nicotine.
I loved reading the articles on whyquit.com. They are short and more like stories and they are very interesting. There are many, many other places online to find information on addiction, quitting and what to expect.
Here are some tips of my "own".....
>I will bet you did not smoke for only a week or a month or even 6 months. So don't expect to be completely over smoking in a week or a month or six months. It takes a good year to start to learn your "new normal" again. Even after a year, there will be tests to your new found freedom....so stay alert!
>Tell yourself it will be difficult. Don't try to fool yourself by thinking there is actually an easy way through this....there is not. HOWEVER----do NOT tell your self it is impossible. It's NOT! We all did it and we are no different from you.
>Think about the times when you might be really tempted to smoke and decide ahead of time what you will do instead.
You can do anything......cry, scream, eat, dance, run, walk, sleep, hit something (don't hurt yourself or others!) sing, jump rope, do yoga.......anything, anything anything......just DO NOT SMOKE!
>You sound like an animal lover......this is a great thing to do for love of your pet if you have one.
>Most of all know that this is one of the BEST THINGS you will ever do.....so see it through. It is a fantastic life on the other side.
Welcome to EX we are all here for each other!
Stay Strong