Day One

[flaroyale]

OK,  I have not had a cigarette since 10:00 last night when I smoked my last one. I have been doing pretty well through the day, but here it is 5:00 and I am pretty stressed. I have walked 2 miles drank numerous glasses of water, eaten salad,and snacked on nuts. Running out of things to do. I would go out but it is really hot besides that is were I use to smoke and I am kind of afraid to go out there. 

I am also experiecing some anxiety which I hope will go away soon. Is this all normal?  I am not going back but I can see this is going to be a long hard battle.

[Michwoman]

It does not have to be a hard battle at all. Have you read the book that I'm sure you've seen the link to? In case you haven't here is the link:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

Also, whyquit.com has many short videos and things to read that will keep you busy for a long time and they are so interesting and motivating. Keep coming back here and blogging - we're here for you!!!!

You've done it! Congratulations! Now all you have to do is stick with it. You CAN do it!

[flaroyale]

This book is part of what I have been reading today. Can't concentrate on one thing or the other very long. Kind of bouncing around. Thanks for the response.

[nanawendy]

It dosen't need to be hard. Do the reading that Michwoman gave you. You can do this!! It does get easier. Keep your eyes on the prize !!

[YoungAtHeart]

The idea is to distract yourself through the cravings.  Don't let that thought rattle around in your head alone!  A crave will last about three minutes whether you smoke or not.  Go for a brisk walk, march in place, do a few jumping jacks, clean a drawer, do a crossword puzzle, play a computer game..........there are blogs with lists of 114 things to do instead of smoke on my page.  The conversation in your head CANNOT be:  "I want a cigarette.  No!  But - I WANT a cigarette.  NO!"  Instead, it needs to be "I want a cigarette.  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!  

Earlier today I posted a blog with early withdrawal symptoms - it might be good if you took a look so you understand what is normal and what it means!

Be sure to give yourself lots of TLC. Your body is working hard behind the scenes to heal itself - so take a nap if you feel you need one.  Be sure to eat smaller meals more often to keep your blood sugar more even throughout the day.

Keep your eye on the prize!  Freedom is SO worth this effort!

Nancy

Quit 7/4/12

[motherlovebone]

You are AMAZING!  And an EX-smoker!  Day one! 

I'm sorry, but I have had easy quits and hard ones...and sometimes it *IS* hard to quit.  But I hope you are looking towards the end of your first day and knowing that for most people it only gets easier.  For me, getting through the first three days is the hardest, and then after that it only gets easier.  Listen to your body, let it guide you.  Distraction, distraction, distraction! 

Keep focused on the fact that you are NOT going back, and make choices that support yourself through just the next few minutes.  Minutes add up to days, days add up to months, and before you know it, those cravings will take a back seat.  GOOD JOB!!!

[newlife5]

yeah sometimes it can be pretty rough... i have just went to bed and tried to sleep .. it helos if you have a tv in your room where you can watch then sleep then watch then sleep...you will feel better in the morning... just get through this day..

[joyeuxencore]

Hang in there friend and congratulations on the best decision you have ever made! This is a life or death proposition we are talking about...it is only as hard as you make it believe it or not...check out chapter one of www.quitsmokingonline.com xo

Craving Kickers

Did you know most cravings only last 3 to 5 minutes?

20 Craving Kickers

1. Take a deep breath and ask yourself, “What do I really want right now?” Keep asking yourself the question til you figure out what you really need right now (probably not really a smoke).

2. Drink a glass of water.

3. Call a friend.

4. Write down 3 things you are grateful for in your life.

5. Do 25 jumping jacks.

6. Take a 3-5 minute walk.

7. Go brush your teeth.

8. Paint your nails.

9. Get a jar of bubbles and go blow bubbles

10. Play your favorite music and dance for a bit.

11. Write down 3 reasons you want to be smoke free.

12. Chomp on some raw veggies or fruit. The crunchier the better!

13. Cut a straw into the length of a cigarette and chew on it. Or use a cinnamon stick.

14. Get out some paper and doodle.

15. Make sure you are using your nicotine replacement or medication properly

16. Take 5 minutes and write yourself a love note.

17. Do a crossword puzzle or Sudoku.

18. Imagine how you will feel tonight knowing you made it another day smoke-free!

19. Find a video on YouTube that makes you laugh. Congrats, you made it!

20. Look in the mirror and tell yourself “I love you and I will take care of you”.

[joyeuxencore]

From an on-line quit coach I had found:

When you were  stressed out , what did you do? You smoked. What can you think of that could act as a substitute to cigarettes when you are stressed? Perhaps your support system might come in handy here, and some of your more fearless friends would be willing for you to call them when you’re feeling particularly emotional. What else? Perhaps a mantra you can say that will help you calm down and defuse the situation. A warm bath. A walk around the block. A run around the block. Dancing to the loudest music you can stand.

The point about all this is that it’s okay to feel emotions. Emotions are a natural part of living. They inform us about how we feel about all kinds of situations. If you feel fear, then you know that you may be in danger. If you feel joy, then you can open up and be expansive, you can share the best parts of yourself. Sadness, jealousy, anger, resentment, all these emotions are normal behaviors. They inform us of a range of experiences we are having. If we feel jealous, what does that mean? It may mean that we really love the person we’re jealous about, and so we learn how strongly we feel about them. If we feel resentment it may mean that we need to stand up for ourselves even if we’re afraid, because we don’t feel good in all this resentment.

When you smoked, you basically blocked yourself from having a natural, normal experience of living. If you’ve been smoking for a long time, you may have to relearn how to live with your emotions, and that may take time.

I guess I’d better tell you the Big Secret now, huh? Quitting Smoking is about more than just cigarettes. It’s about reclaiming your life. It’s about becoming a fully functioning human being again. And having your emotions—the whole range of them—is part of being human.

Hey you wonderful human, you can do this.

[wishingstar]

1 mintur , 1hour and 1 day at time you can do this. the first 3 are the hardest, and at 3 weeks you will be like wow. Its a great feeling.

Grats on day 1 

[megmarie]

hello i know excactly how you feel and how you are feeling we have all been there i am on day 56 and how i have made it this far is simple i did the whole trying to keep myself busy but sooner then later you end up running out of things to do but i have found it easier to just not think about it for me it works but it doesn't work for everybody so just do the reading when you get a craving and remember this a craving only last for a few minutes and then it goes away so don't dwell on it realize it's there and then let it go i know easier said then done but it helps if going out side is a triger for you which it was for me try to keep yourself/ your mind busy with other things and blog blog blog blog blog that has totally helped me and now i don't even think about that much and now people ask me how many days are you on now and more times then not i said i don't really know because i have lost track and then i come back on here and i check to see so from experents it does get better much better