I love the concept of the Working On It Plan! I just wish I could do it. I think it's the same idea is getting into a cold lake . . . you can gradually acclimatize yourself by getting in bit by bit or you can just dive in and get over the shock. Bottom line is, whatever works. As long as we all stay smoke free we've won.
Thank you both for your encouragement, good ideas and a few laughs along the way! I'm down to 12 mg. NRT and started this journey at 44 so I'm happy. My goal is to be at 0 in 6 more weeks. I've been told that by reducing 2 mg. per week your body barely notices the decrease. That I'm not so sure about because each time I reduce I'm a bit (well more than a bit) crabby for the first 3 days (but strangely only until about noon) and I want to eat everything that isn't moving! Ohwell, I'll get there I know it.
N.O.P.E. is such a great reinforcer! And publicly declaring it somehow gives it even more oomph.
Congrats for making the decision and setting a date. I don't know if you perused the program yet, but if you haven't, you'll want to. It gives you a lot of tips and helps you make a plan for your quit. I found it really helpful. The other big factor is support, both at home and elsewhere. My husband never smoked so even though he tries to be supportive he just doesn't get what's it like ridding yourself of an addiction. Everbody on this website absolutely gets it and you'll get lots of support. The other thing I found helpful about this site is being able to write out my thoughts and moods as I go through the quit journey. There's something really cathartic about doing this.
Keep to your plan and don't forget to reward yourself at various milestines. We're all rooting for you!
Didn't smoke this weekend and not going to smoke today . . . . 6 days until I hit the beach. Can't wait! I'll have to take some cash out of my tin and plan a nice reward for myself.
Thanks guys! It feels fantastic. I have had other quit attempts but this has been the longest. About 2 weeks ago I was so close to throwing in the towel but having that 100 days to look forward to kept me on the straight and narrow. As of tomorrow I'll aslo be into the single digits with the NRT gum (8 mg.) By taking away 2 mg. every 6 or 7 days it really makes the withdrawl less overwhelming but I can't wait until it's gone for good.
I smoked for 30 years and recently up to 2 packs per day so I know exactly what you mean. For me the hardest pasrt of the day is the morning until about noon. I find what really helps is keeping my mind occupied and excercise. If I'm at work I try to do the tasks that require my absolute focus in the morning and I leave the more straightforward things for after lunch. When I do excercise that doesn't require a great deal of concentration, like running, I always have music that I force myself to concentrate on. When I find my mind drifting to thoughts of smoking, I force myself to re-focus on the music and my cadence. I don't know if you like excercise, but yoga is wonderful becasue it helps you relax. It also makes you focus on your breathing which gets better and better as more time passes without smoking. This reinforces the gains of quitting too.
I also find changing the sequence or routine of how I do things helps. For example, believe it or not, I used to race from the gym straight to my car to have a smoke. To avoid the craving associated with that routine, I have changed the activity. I read some information bulletins at the gym or have something to drink before getting in my car to go home. By the time I get in the car the craving is gone or not so strong.
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