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I found making notes also really helpful. In the beginning you do not notice the change from one day to another. All days seem to be a challenge. But looking back you can see the improvement and progress made. Yes, looking for the positive: saving money and no cold feet in winter! Boy have I suffered from cold, numb feet. No matter how many pair of socks, type of boots. Not anymore

Your doing great …I believe in you if I did it after 52 years , I know you can Keep focused and your eye on the prize

-13

This is another key to staying quit; looking for the positives from quitting rather than focusing on the challenges of the early days.

Thank you for this post @DenaliBlues, super helpful! The below sentence really stood out to me. Great idea naming the weeks! I may start doing this so I can compare them and see the improvements!

Yes 2 days now! Thank you! I have thought about smoking a few times but not wanting to do it. I brushed it off and got stuck into doing something else. Hopefully this will continue!

That's exactly it! I'm around 48 hours nicotine free now (on Day 7 no smoking) and if you told me at the beginning that I'd leave my patch off the first week I'd laugh saying no way! I'll see how it goes but will always be wary of any hiccups!

Thank you @DenaliBlues If a tiny octopus in a top hat believes in me, I certainly have to believe in myself too!

Hi SD2026, so you are now a couple of days without nicotine? Very good!! Now patience comes in play: it will gradually going better. Have faith in yourself: you can do this!!

Excellent post @DenaliBlues and spot on. The beginning can be a nightmare but it definitely gets better, so hang in there newbies, all will be fine!

NOPE!

That sounds very famliar to me, what you said about forgetting to replace your patch. I think I was on day 2 and took my patch off to have a shower. I forgot to put it back on and when I remembered, I thought ... hummm, maybe I'll just see if I can do this cold turkey now. Why not get the nicotine outta my system right now. It worked out fine for me in the end so yes, it's very doable. I also agree about staying connected to the forum. I was never a social media person but I was pleasantly surprised how much hanging with a bunch of quitters was in helping me though the tough days. Stay the course @SD2026 and you'll make it to freedom!!

Hello again to all our newcomers! We’re thrilled that you are here, and we are ready to stand by your side as you give nicotine the heave-ho! The first days and weeks of quitting might be rugged. Some folks breeze through this time, and maybe you’ll be one of those people. If so, hooray! But for others - especially those of us who were heavy smokers for decades - the first few weeks might be stressful. I ended up naming my weeks as I went along: Week # 1: Hell Week (White-hot, white-knuckled, relentless withdrawal.) Week # 2: Wailing Week (Shock wore off. A deep sense of loss and longing set in. I felt utterly bereft without my smokes.) Week # 3: WTF Week (Major brain fog. What now? Will this ever get easier? What has gone wrong with my head? Why has my IQ suddenly dribbled out the bottom of my shoes? How long have I been staring blankly into space? I’m so sleepy. Will I ever poop normally again?!) Week #4: So-Bored-With-My-Coping-Mechanisms Week (This could also have been named“Terribly Tired of Prunes Week.”) After that, though, the miracle began to happen for me. There were still cravings and triggers. But the times in between them got longer. They grew weaker as I grew stronger. It started to sink in that I could finally, truly be FREE. Actually, I was already free, the moment I took smoking off the table. I just didn’t trust it, but should have. Fears that the cravings would overwhelm me or that I’d be incomplete without smoking were addiction-fueled hogwash. I don’t need nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, ammonia and carcinogens to “fulfill” or complete me! I just needed to stay busy, stay committed to NOPE, and give myself time to adjust and recalibrate to a life without nicotine. Veterans on this forum told me this beautiful tipping point would happen. I secretly doubted - I thought I was a lost cause. But they were right. Freedom from nicotine is our birthright. It is there waiting for all of us to claim as our own. To those of you grappling with cravings in the early days of your quit, hold on! Stay strong! You are not alone. Some anxiety and discombobulation along the road is normal, but TEMPORARY. You can do this. Your quit matters, and life is really sweet on the other side. Let us know how you’re doing, where you’re feeling vulnerable, and what your coping tactics are.

NOPE!

Glad you are doing well! For me, I kept a mini NRT lozenge handy to protect my quit in “emergencies”… that way I had more control over the timing of having nicotine in/out of my system. But I was soon able to leave the lozenges behind, as well. The first days were the hardest, for sure. But after that, things turned a corner. The cravings dissipated. Each and every time you feel like smoking and do not, your quit is growing stronger. Stay determined and you’ll soon taste sweet freedom!