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Share your quitting journey

tough day fer shur

mdmd4448
Member
1 8 3

Woke up feeling bummed....another day to struggle. As morning wore on I was more able to "lean into it" as its said. My kids are thrilled I've gone six days and no smokes. I feel so different physically. Much better.

Meanwhile my mind, as expected, keeps asking me dark questions: How will I enjoy myself without cigarettes? How long til I can just answer the phone and not be looking around for cigarettes. We/you know the drill. 

Days like  this I find myself forgetting all the basics I've learned here and need to remind myself of....because they work. I have to be faster on the draw than my nicotine addled brain. Go to the site sooner, say the mantra sooner, close my eyes and breathe first, not later, push myself to get busy on my own, not merely as a reaction to a crave. While I smoked, I was constantly in motion most of the time unless I was reading, napping, meditating. I can't sit in front of my laptop for long periods, for example. Now that I don't smoke, I am tentative trying to avoid areas (they are everywhere), activities that I know will trigger cravings. I must be patient with this process. 

Perhaps some of you were lucky enough to stop and have things just kind of sail along. I'm guessing not many and not me either. But I'm going to do it.

Practice, practice practice!

mdmd

8 Comments
JonesCarpeDiem

I cut straws into thirds and chewed on them instead of holding a cigarette.

You can divert these memories by just changing something slightly.

It's about breaking the normal pattern. You don't need to dwell on the changes,.

making them will be your reminder.

I don't do that anymore is a great way to retrain your mind.

Ed55
Member

People here are pulling for you. Sounds to me like you have the attitude of a 6 percenter.

Something that has been a motivator for me is reading old blogs, success or failure, they all hold lessons.

KMC56
Member

In my 'tool box' are loads of fruit life savers and fruit gum.  I guess I stayed away from the minty stuff because that's what I would have to mask my smokers breath...my go to, never leave home without it is  a insulated tumbler with a straw, so when I leave the house I have to remeber keys, purse and tumbler...omitting the other 'item'.  

My craves are further apart during the day...and look forward to when the craves come like an occasional fly to swat.   For me 40 years...what DIDN'T I do without them. So there are many triggers that we are afraid to do, and must, then  thrilled to have successfully overcome!

You can do this my friend. . K

SimplySheri
Member

No one just sails along with a quit.  Because what you are truly doing is breaking an addiction...and that has it's struggles.  But you know what to do and that is half the battle!!  You are well equipped to keep this quit going 🙂 

If you need reminders on what to do, simply write them down.  Post them here and there.  Then you may not have to scramble.   Keep it going!!

YoungAtHeart
Member

Try changing up your routines so the associations are reduced.  Can you keep your phone in a place different from where you used to smoke while talking?  Move your computer to a room different from where you used to be on it?  The more routines and places you can change, the faster you will break those triggers.

This is what we mean when we suggest you relearn your life as an ex-smoker.  Change things up!

Hope doing this helps!

Nancy

shashort
Member

I have to say my #1 tool is my water bottle with a straw.  It is my saving grace for crave buster. I am with KMC my water bottle goes everywhere I go.  I forgot my water bottle one time and actually went back home to get it.  I like visualsl another thing that helps me is doing the pledge and when I have a crave I close my eyes, take deep breaths and visualize holding hands with the people on the pledge then tell myself I have no free hands to smoke and continue the deep breathing.  Stay strong!! we don't do this anymore and NOPE!! for me

mdmd4448
Member

More great stuff; or, same great stuff seen differently. Doesn't matter....going to work at it all. Thank you once again. kicking and/or screaming or not, it's going to happen.

Like you all are doing or have done, I will reinvent myself. Take what I need and leave the rest.

mdmd

ex-smokestack
Member

My worse time is first thing in the morning. I would reach for a smoke on the way to the bathroom and just hold it in my mouth until I could pour that 1st cup of coffee and head to the porch. It sounds backwards, but I kept my last empty box and filled it with fat straws cut to fit. Now when, half asleep, I reach for my pack I find my straws. I usually take one to suck on, but it reminds me again that I don't do that anymore. At first I would remind myself that I had chosen not to smoke that day. Now I am beginning to look forward.

The phone was another huge hurdle for me. I used to grab the smoke before the phone and head for the porch. Then I started keeping the pack of straws by the phone. Grab a straw and stay inside with the phone. I couldn't battle both the addiction and the habit at the same time. When, with the help of patches, I had eased the nicotine craving to a managable level I am now working hard on the habit.

The change  everything tip was one of the best for me. My old "smoking table" is gone, replaced by a pretty white bistro style that I got at a yard sale for $3, and there is a nice bouquet of daisies in the spittoon I used to use for an ashtray.