Happy to say I have made it to 100 days without smoking cigarettes. I’m getting to the point where sometimes it truly feels like freedom, but there are still times when it feels like a fight. The times when it feels really hard have gotten fewer and farther between, but this is definitely more like a roller coaster ride than a linear journey.
Some things that have really helped me are distracting myself through cravings—I discovered Duo Lingo early on in my quit (a language learning app that feels like a game) and it became a new hobby that was completely engrossing and kept my hands and mind busy. I also set a really firm boundary that I could not be around anyone who was smoking a cigarette. Sometimes I have been able to smell cigarette smoke in passing, but I never chose to put myself around smokers if it was at all in my control. I’ve experienced some unexpected stress since I quit—my dad having health problems and my mother in law suddenly passing away—but I’ve learned that I can breathe deeply, remind myself to stay in the present moment, where most of the time things are ok, and focus on only the next right step. There are also other ways to relieve stress like a bath, prayer and meditation, and talking with others about it.
I’ve made exercise a priority and ran a 5K trail race about 2 months into my quit, as well as lifting weights and sometimes walking. It really helps with better mood, energy, and stress relief! And I can feel improvements in my lung capacity and stamina. I kicked off my quit with a polar plunge swim on New Years Day and it helped set the tone.
I was encouraged on here to reward myself for hitting milestones and I have done it! I rewarded myself with a bath bomb for 1 week, a French press coffee maker for week 2, a massage for 1 month, and for 100 days it will be a trip to the sauna and pool.
Another thing that’s really helped is coming here to read and post each day. I read a couple of the Mayo Clinic blogs, take the daily pledge, and try to read and respond to at least 1 other post. It’s really what’s helped me the most.
I’ve also used NRT, nicotine lozenges, and have cut back slowly from 4-5 a day to 1 a day. Soon I will be free of nicotine completely. I feel this was helpful as I’ve tried to quit cold turkey before and couldn’t sustain it.
It hasn’t always been easy, I had some serious cravings around 90 days. But I remind myself to take it 1 day at a time, that all I ever really have to do is not smoke until I go to sleep tonight and reach out for help when I need it and the rest will take care of itself.
