I am doing great and i am proud of myself because last time i quit was so much harder (i feel my health scare has played a major role-almost like a second chance)I cannot lie it is really mind over matter, it has been 10 days and just yesterday the constant thoughts started, I HATE THAT! is there a way to erase this from my mind? LOL (wishful thinking, I know) But each time, I just think of my kids and how much they need me...HEALTHY.

Hi christa, I hated the constant thoughts too ? What helped me was keeping my mind busy with other things. If I was busy helping someone else by posting or celebrating milestones, playing games and socializing I found it took my mind off my misery. Some of the games are really good for that. Or check out the socializing sections, lots of good stuff there too. 

And some days if none of that worked said the hell with it and just went to bed hoping tomorrow would be just a little better.

You're doing great btw

Christa, I used to play a game called 'Kill the trigger' in my head.  Each smoking thought is triggered by a ... trigger.  You know, coffee, work parking lot, start of meeting, end of meeting, lunch, etc.  I'd imagine hitting the trigger with a hammer and going ... die, trigger, die.  Each time we don't smoke, we are effectively beating that trigger down and eventually it dies.

You should welcome these thoughts as it's your chance to prove who's boss.

10 minutes ago, d2e8b8 said:

Christa, I used to play a game called 'Kill the trigger' in my head.  Each smoking thought is triggered by a ... trigger.  You know, coffee, work parking lot, start of meeting, end of meeting, lunch, etc.  I'd imagine hitting the trigger with a hammer and going ... die, trigger, die.  Each time we don't smoke, we are effectively beating that trigger down and eventually it dies.

You should welcome these thoughts as it's your chance to prove who's boss.

Thank you for that! That is a great way of looking at it! 

So i played games or watched funny videos or comedians on you tube... my savior in the first month was a memory match game with cards on my phone... 5mins focusing on that I was good for a while... but games were good... minesweeper and freecell got a fair go too.

The thoughts and craves are probably not as frequent or long-lasting as they seem. They seem worse though because they stand out more than other thoughts.

 

Think though - you have been 10 days without a smoke. That is 10 full days worth of proof that you CAN make it without one.

 

Also think this - some people are of the mind-set "I will not smoke today" instead of the daunting thought of "I never get to smoke again". Like the quit one day at a time.

 

I played lots of Solitaire on my phone...keeps my hands/mind busy...along with lots of walking!

Christa, you have every reason to be proud of yourself right now, 10 days is a great start.

 

Any physical or mental exercise is great at this time to quieten those thoughts down. The more focus and attention you invest elsewhere, the less time you have to obsess. As JB mentioned they may not be as frequent or long lasting as you think. It could be worth making a note of the real frequency and duration as the improvement is hard to notice one day to the next, but it really does happen.

Distract yourself anyway you can and as soon as you can.

Breathe really deep and find some beauty to view or imagine.

Replace any smoky thought with something marvelous.

Soon, this will be automatic.  We can train our brain to return to working for us and not nicotine.

 

You won't be having smoky thoughts forever, Believe us !

It is just the early days ... it drove me crazy.

I would holler, FREE YOUR HEAD !!!

 

You know smoking was always in our thoughts.  Every 10-20 minutes or so we were crashing from the high and needed more Nicotine.

We never really comprehended this because we always fed the addiction.

Now, we need to replace that junkie signal with something nice, something sweet, something beautiful.

 

Hang in there....you have a great quit going.  Nurture yourself.  Reward yourself.

 

S

 

It really is mind over matter. The best piece of advice I got in my early quit was "The only way to quit smoking is to stop putting cigarettes in your mouth."

And, I was like, "Whaaaaa?? This guy is a genius!!"

That was my "duh" moment.

 

Quitting, in my opinion was alot easier than I expected...we are brainwashed as soon as we start smoking about how hard it is to quit, harder than heroin! they say.

But, in truth, it the user. How bad do you want it? Can you commit? You can white knucle hate quit because you feel like you have to, OR you can grow yourself with a life-changing educated quit. It's really IS what you make it! 

(One other thing, mom to mom, is you do everything for everyone else all day everyday...this quit is one thing that can selfishly be only for you. Have your chocolate stash places that no one knows about, hide in the room and paint your toenails, take over the family tv for a quick workout video...take time to celebrate you just because you're awesome!)

Now, mago margaritas to celebrate!!

23 minutes ago, c9jane29 said:

It really is mind over matter. The best piece of advice I got in my early quit was "The only way to quit smoking is to stop putting cigarettes in your mouth."

And, I was like, "Whaaaaa?? This guy is a genius!!"

That was my "duh" moment.

 

Quitting, in my opinion was alot easier than I expected...we are brainwashed as soon as we start smoking about how hard it is to quit, harder than heroin! they say.

But, in truth, it the user. How bad do you want it? Can you commit? You can white knucle hate quit because you feel like you have to, OR you can grow yourself with a life-changing educated quit. It's really IS what you make it! 

(One other thing, mom to mom, is you do everything for everyone else all day everyday...this quit is one thing that can selfishly be only for you. Have your chocolate stash places that no one knows about, hide in the room and paint your toenails, take over the family tv for a quick workout video...take time to celebrate you just because you're awesome!)

Now, mago margaritas to celebrate!!

hi c9jane29!!

It is nice to hear that quitting was easier than expected for once haha! I do feel like this time is quite easy as well. And i LOVE the "take over the family tv for a quick workout video" because I have been doing this a lot more lately! Thank you for your kind words

c

you guys rock! thank youuuuuu

Our minds ,can sure be our worst enemies..

Keeping it busy....so it doesn't send the wrong signals. Is the answer...

We have lots of games here..check out the sticks and chick game...this is one way to pass the time...and could always use the help...

Do anything  to pass the time...

I had my trusty I pod !!!...pranced around the house for weeks...

Maybe find a new hobby ????

I became a candy crush champion ? I had so many smoking thoughts and theories that I was close to creating my own philosophy. No wonder, smoking was accompanying us everywhere. Believe me, time will come when non-smoking is obvious ?

I had a very stressful day and the urge was there but I made it through..... again, I wish I could just erase smoking from my mind completely.... like it doesn’t exist ? I know I’m stronger than it and I have to keep putting that thought in my mind 

4 minutes ago, Christa326 said:

I had a very stressful day and the urge was there but I made it through..... again, I wish I could just erase smoking from my mind completely.... like it doesn’t exist ? I know I’m stronger than it and I have to keep putting that thought in my mind 

 

I am delighted you made it through Christa.  Do not worry, smoking WILL leave your thoughts. 

Soon it will turn into an annoying gnat,  then a fly in the next room and then it will just be a vague thought...'oh yeah...I used to smoke'.

Stay focused, hold tight to your resolve and Protect Your Quit as you would something infinitely precious.

YOU are doing GREAT !

Just checking in on you Christa! I hope you smoking thoughts have quietened down today! Sometimes, I would just yell out "Im so glad I quit smoking!" when in a situation I would have normally chose to smoke instead of deal with. I'm all for positive reinforcement! 

Take some time for you today, give your baby quit some love and attention. (It's now as much of a

part of your life as smoking was.)

I hope you have a good smoke free day today!!

3 hours ago, c9jane29 said:

Just checking in on you Christa! I hope you smoking thoughts have quietened down today! Sometimes, I would just yell out "Im so glad I quit smoking!" when in a situation I would have normally chose to smoke instead of deal with. I'm all for positive reinforcement! 

Take some time for you today, give your baby quit some love and attention. (It's now as much of a

part of your life as smoking was.)

I hope you have a good smoke free day today!!

Hi c9jane29! 

Thank you so much for checking in!! Stressful day was huge argument with the mother in law... SIGH!!!!!!!!! My husband said he was so proud bc i didn't smoke! LOL! I told him she could never drive me to smoke...which is a fact... I know that...but i cannot lie as we argued I had an urge! It passed!! Like it always will. 

x

Oh well done !!!....having a smoke would have only made you more angry.....angry at your mum in law and angry at your self...