It was horrific lol. But it passed. I'm still wearing a patch. I can sleep with them on as long as I put them on in the early afternoon instead of evening. It does help during the day though. Its just that mornings are my strongest craving. But I've been up for an hour and haven't seriously thought of smoking. Yay. I'm going to one of my recovery meetings at noon where many people smoke and its sort of "normalized" but I'll be with a nonsmoking family member so I won't be tempted to bum one. I'll do my best to remember why I'm quitting, look at smoking as something horrible and destructive that endangers my life instead of romancing it. Thats what it will take when I'm at a meeting. Its NOT okay, its NOT "normal", its NOT something that I do because everyone else is doing it, I will NOT push down the fear and knowledge that I'm endangering my life. I will remember why I'm doing this, and so will ya'll!

I had my never smoker husband go places with me the first few months because I didn't trust myself not to stop and buy a pack so good on you for taking a nonsmoking family member I also used my air cigarette when cravings got really bad. I simply pretended I was holding an actual cigarette and then went through the motions of "smoking it". I may have looked like an idiot but it sure worked to trick my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing  

Thats actually a big help...I used a medium sized straw for a while last time. Who cares if it looks silly...and it probably doesn't because I think most people know its a substitute for a cig. I'm a sneaky person...if I decide I want to smoke I will actually insist on going somewhere alone...sometimes when I make the decision to smoke, the barriers I put down for myself go out the window. Its like...I can put all these barriers up but I have the power to take them down if I want to smoke. Thats why its so critical to remember why I want to smoke and honor that commitment to myself. Must remember that.

You are going to have smokey thoughts, no doubt about it.

Push them out of your head, replace them with a thought or sight of beauty...

Look !  the light on that leaf, the shadow on that wall, the color of that edge of sky etc.

Think of a loved one's smile or laughter.  Think of anything/everything that brings beauty to your senses.

 

The sooner you identify smokey thoughts and replace them, the sooner your brain will reward you.

I changed my morning routine completely.  Not so much a choice as it was a necessity.

 

So much of my morning routine revolved around smoking it made change unavoidable.

 

Starting a quit is the perfect time to create new habits.  You're already out of your comfort zone and things don't quite feel normal.  Replace smoking time with something more healthy and productive.

 

Out with the old, in with the new.

"I can put all these barriers up but I have the power to take them down if I want to smoke."

 

You said this above @MichelleDoesntSmokeAnymore and it's true. You have the power over whether you smoke or don't smoke, just like we all do so use  ALL that power to not smoke this time. Change your old thinking and channel all that power to your quit  

Thank u all....very helpful