Today, I return to work as a non-smoker. Oh,, boy, I'm not looking forward to this. I expect to be confronting... the void.

 

Do you all know the void? That weird feeling where you just finished a task and so it's time to reward yourself, and you used to do that by smoking but now you don't want to smoke so you flail about wildly looking for something else to do?

 

I need something to read during those times. Not videos (cause I'll be at work) - I haven't quite mastered using this site. Can anyone point me to an article or five that might soothe and distract me today during my breaks?

Come and play the games sunny they are fantastic time killers and funny also. Or you could download a stop smoking app onto your phone they are great at helping you keep track of your quit. Or just google stop smoking benefits. Or maybe long quit lapsers, i fancy reading up on that myself to motivate me not to throw my quit away after years. 

Just now, WeegieWoman said:

Come and play the games sunny they are fantastic time killers and funny also. Or you could download a stop smoking app onto your phone they are great at helping you keep track of your quit. Or just google stop smoking benefits. Or maybe long quit lapsers, i fancy reading up on that myself to motivate me not to throw my quit away after years. 

OK, I will try out the games.  Thanks!

MQ posted this on the newbie thread... IT IS SOOOOOO TRUE!!

 

You are smart to prepare.

Here are two/three threads

HALT (Bab's thread on HALT is embedded there as well and it is excellent) 

and Your Quit & Your LIfe from our friend, Cristóbal

 

Have you read Allan Carr's, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking ? 

HERE is the pdf

47 minutes ago, Sazerac said:

You are smart to prepare.

Here are two/three threads

HALT (Bab's thread on HALT is embedded there as well and it is excellent) 

and Your Quit & Your LIfe from our friend, Cristóbal

 

Have you read Allan Carr's, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking ? 

HERE is the pdf

PERFECT!  Thank you!  This is exactly what I needed.

Downloaded the pdf to my phone so I can just pull it up whenever I'm on break. 

Concentration is at a low point... palms sweating... Twizzler stash unappetizing... deep breaths working for only as long as I hold them... come on, Sunny... you can get through this... Two hours of work under your belt... don't cave, don't cave... You need a walk.  Self:  go take a walk.  

Is today your third day without nicotine ? The important day that nicotine is physically leaving your body.  Let it go and good riddance too !

Deep breaths are about deep breathing IN and deep breathing OUT not about holding your breath until you are blue, tee hee hee.

Go take a walk.  Stomp and Shout.  Do anything but smoke.

Concentration may be a bit fuzzy this week, it is a sign that your body is adjusting and healing.

Reward yourself, I cannot stress this enough.  You need to get your brain receptors on your side again and rewarding yourself does this. 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Sazerac said:

Is today your third day without nicotine ? The important day that nicotine is physically leaving your body.  Let it go and good riddance too !

Deep breaths are about deep breathing IN and deep breathing OUT not about holding your breath until you are blue, tee hee hee.

Go take a walk.  Stomp and Shout.  Do anything but smoke.

Concentration may be a bit fuzzy this week, it is a sign that your body is adjusting and healing.

Reward yourself, I cannot stress this enough.  You need to get your brain receptors on your side again and rewarding yourself does this. 

 

 

Yes.  Third day.  Feeling particularly crummy today because I'm at work and can't seem to get anything done.  It doesn't help that I'm sorta glued to this board... but I keep reminding myself that this'll be the very last time that I have a first day back to work as a non-smoker.  I'll feel much better when this workday is finished.  I hope.

Edited April 23, 20188 yr by TravellingSunny

Stay glued to the board,  it is the perfect affirmation for you right now.

I'm glad you are reading Alan Carr.  His book has been an essential part of many quitter's quit.

You are right, this is the last time you ever have to go through this. 

Take some time to appreciate the day, apart from smokey thoughts and detox.

It is Shakespeare's birthday if you need more reasons to celebrate. 

Are your trees in flower ?  Flowers in flower ?

You don't smoke anymore.  Yay.

Ridiculous.  I feel like crying.  For no reason whatsoever, I feel the need to cry.  Not gonna, but for heaven's sake WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?

 

From Smokefree.org:

 

Oh.  Maybe that's why.

I know all about estrogen....Ask Sally.... lol ? 

 

as for the madness... just try to occupy your mind and take it minute by minute if you have to. There is no denying how brutal the early days can be, but SOOOO worth it!! 

You just have to remember that you want to quit smoking MORE than you want to continue to smoke! 

You are in the thick of it now Sunny! Don't worry though, it's doable and you can get through this just like we all have done. Focus on your quit as the number 1 priority for now. Take it a day or even an hour at a time. I remember that lack of concentration well in my own early quit. It's debilitating but it will get better and go away. It's just a reminder of how powerful this addiction really is. It has ruled your every move and now you're denying it .... ha, ha! Good for you! Your kicking it's a*s and it doesn't like it.

Sunny ...what your feeling is so normal..most of us can relate I promise you..

I had a punching pillow...I can laugh now...but that pillow came in very handy...

After today you are nicotine free...how many smokers would love to say that ...every one of them...

Try ordinary chewing gum...it does keep you busy...

Do a crossword....

There are a million things you can do...

Have you watched the Cats and Dogs thread...very funny...it passes some time too....

All this is temporary... Keep at it .xxxx

Sunny you can do this --- You have been doing the right thing the past 3 days by coming here, you know you need help and you are coming to the right place -- takes a lot of guts.  Try the deep breathing techniques and a glass of cold water can help.  And come here to NOPE all you want till you get through this.

I ate an entire one pound bag of strawberry Twizzlers on Saturday.

I ate ANOTHER entire one pound bag of strawberry Twizzlers yesterday.

Today, I brought a TWO pound canister of individually wrapped Twizzlers for my desk.  Five hours later... it's half empty.

 

If anyone's looking for a good stock investment... The Hershey Company in Pennsylvania.  LOL!

Moaning and Whining.  It was only 12 minutes ago?  Man, I just want to go home so I can go to sleep and be blissfully unaware of the constant smoking thoughts!

Get ferocious about banishing your smoking/not smoking thoughts.

Replace them with something that feels good, sounds good, looks good.

I know it is hard, and it nearly made me really crazy but, the earlier you take control of your brain, the easier it gets.

I wish I had been more aggressive sooner re-programming my brain.

But, trust us...all this cray is temporary.  You will feel better.

You'll be home pretty soon, right ?  It's 2pm for you.  Plan to pamper yourself at home, sleep, a rejuvenating bath...you know what you'd like.  Make it special.

Tomorrow  will be your first day pretty much completely nicotine free.  Congratulations !

 

It's harder here at work than I thought it would be.  At home, I can distract myself with music or television or books or crafts or housework or literally ANYTHING else.

 

In this Accounting office, all is super-quiet while everyone is busy calculating numbers and trends, and I can't concentrate with music playing anyway --- but now I can't concentrate at all.  GRRRR!!!!!

You are going to be so proud of yourself for powering through.

All of us are proud, too.

 

Replacing thoughts doesn't need to be a physical thing,  think of your favorite person, place or thing when a crave hits.

Start to associate good things with craves.  

Pardon me, if I sent this to you earlier. The Significance of Rewards

What you're doing now is putting time in between your last cigarette and the rest of your life.  As with most things, they get easier with time and living without smoking is no different.  In fact, each day you should treat as a milestone because it is!  Each and every day is a victory, especially at the beginning.  Reward yourself for making such great progress and sticking to your commitment to quit smoking.   

8 hours ago, TravellingSunny said:

Do you all know the void? That weird feeling where you just finished a task and so it's time to reward yourself, and you used to do that by smoking but now you don't want to smoke so you flail about wildly looking for something else to do?

 

Yep.  I remember the post-task cigarette "trigger" well.  It was the last hump I got over so far as triggers are concerned.

 

It was an issue.  Now it's not.

 

You can do deep breathing exercises anywhere.  Those helped.  Other times I would listen to one of my favorite songs.  Average song length is roughly equal to the average length of a craving episode.

 

It feels weird to you now, but it will become your new normal in time.

Sooooo close.  It's the final countdown!!  30 minutes until the end of this workday, and I am STILL NOT SMOKING.  You are all just so wonderful for allowing me to post willy-nilly!  Please let me know if I become a pest or if I post too much.  Seriously - typing is cathartic for me (keeps my hands busy) so I may overdo it for the next week or so...

You've got this, Sunny! Congratulations on making it through the workday. Just a little bit longer and then you can head out. It will get easier. 

 

P.S. I also cried on Day 3 or 4 for no explicable reason... :-)

 

 

Sunny have you tried Chantix? I have been using that.Was working pretty good until today. The cravings were not as intense I hope today is just aberration.

1 minute ago, rustycolts said:

Sunny have you tried Chantix? I have been using that.Was working pretty good until today. The cravings were not as intense I hope today is just aberration.

 

Yes, indeed.  It was how I was successful in 2012 (quit for 5 years) and I am currently taking it again.  This time, however, I'm only taking half doses because me and the side effects don't agree.  (It makes me emotionally unhealthy.)  Frankly, fear of the side-effects is part of why it took me 8 months before I got the courage to quit again.  I was terrified that I was going to go off the deep end.  But, thankfully, so far, all is well.

 

Every day will be different - and this quit has definitely been different from the last time I quit.  I expect you'll have your ups and downs, but you should trend towards having more ups than downs as time goes on.  You're here, I'm here, and a whole host of others are here, and I have faith in the ability of our combined strength to get through the tough ones.