Tips for day 1 please

[Shadow420nc69]

Any tips for day 1 ? I am currently using the nicotine patch I was a very heavy smoker up to 2 packs a day I am committed to quitting smoking 

[sweetplt]

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Shadow420nc69 

Glad you found our site...I recommend you read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX ... then read blogs/posts, etc., here at Ex’s,  also, keep close to the support site for help.  Keep busy, take a walk, clean the house, breathing exercises, etc.,)

The most important thing these early days is to take care of You and Your quit and not to feed your addiction.

~ Colleen 

[Cousin-Itt]

As Colleen mentioned staying busy is a major key Another things that helped change your routine a example  If you had your coffee and smoked  on the back deck  Drink you coffee out front

Here is a small list of what yo can expect  I hope it helps

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to the community!

Congratulations on our decision to quit smoking!  I hope this evening you will stop by to celebrate Day WON with us!

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 easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.

 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.

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.

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

[Barbscloud]

Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit.  Keeping busy worked for me, but other quitters need lots of sleep.  So listen to your body and do what's best for you.  Two things helped me the most.  Going for a walk.  When I had a craving I would just walk out the door and go for a few blocks.  And coming to the Ex to read/post--the craving passes in short period of time.

Stay close and reach out if you need support.  We're here for you.

Barb

[maryfreecig]

Because you are strong in your commitment to quitting, take this day one step at a time and reaffirm your commitment as many times as you need to. On the practical side, stay busy if that's what works for you. And Ex is here for you 24/7. Welcome to the community. We're already cheering you on.

[Strudel]

Welcome to the site and congrats on deciding to quit! Your attitude sounds perfect - having a great attitude leads to success! I like the list of “100 things to do” that Nancy posted - and the book she mentioned by Carr, really helped me after 40 years of smoking. But the biggest advice I would give - stick around here and take advantage of the great support! 

[RoseH]

It is good to make a plan to keep your quit.  I will follow you so you can go into my “Content" and find “The Quit Kit”  Shadow420nc69‌

[Gail561]

Welcome to Ex! I for one is not here every day but I do pop in on occassion to this site to see what's happening.  I haven't given up staying smoke free and the journey in the beginning wasn't easy. Looking at day 1 yes I was nervous and tried looking for that pack of smokes. Hey I was a 1.5 pack a day smoker before I stopped and I was forced to stop. I wouldn't want the alternative if I still was smoking. Yes, depression hit hard in the beginning as I had to make some life style changes in my life. Give yourself time to adjust and learn about what will help you stay smoke free. My reasons for staying smoke free can be totally different than yours. I found through time it was the right decision for me. It took several times to stop and the word that really helps is "NOPE" - not one puff ever. Take the here and now and don't look too far ahead Shadow420nc69‌ - you will discover you didn't need them afterall. 

[YoungAtHeart]

Gail561 Good to see you, and happier still that you continue to be smoke free.  Hang around - we can use your wise participation!

Nancy