Cigarettes & I

[Susan]

Hard when your partner still smokes!
But be sure, even if you don't believe it at the moment, there will be a day in the near future when you will not even think about smoking. The beginning is hard because you still have the urge to smoke and think about it - this won't last. The longer you don't smoke, the less you will want to smoke, keep that in mind! Every cigarette would put you back on the start again - you don't want that.
Think about yourself as a nonsmoker from now on - not as a smoker who doesn't smoke "at the moment".
Try to do some sports everyday - it will make you feel better emotionally and you can really feel that you can breathe now
If you miss your smoking breaks, try to find a better habit to replace them if you have to - make yourself some tea or whatever you like.
Try to avoid triggering situations, like, when you are used to smoke when you have a drink or similar, try to avoid it until you feel more secure. Maybe you partner can support you by trying to not smoke in front of you.

As former smoker I can tell you that some day, you will be able to write all this without wanting to smoke even one bit That you will realize how disgusting smoke smells and how it hurts your lungs and eyes, even if you can not believe it now. And the only thing that you will wish is that you had stopped sooner or not even started in the first place.

You can do it!

[Kiwi Stoker]

Congratulations on making that step to be smokefree.

Something you may want to try (and they are starting this in NZ prisons as they will become smokefree later this year) is using carrot sticks as a replacement.

Healthly, cheap and it might just work!

[Catrin]

You can do this, and congratulations on taking the step! Yeah, another smoker in the house does make it difficult, but you CAN do this

I did this almost 20 years ago - it does get easier and eventually something changes and it no longer smells good...

[Dogmama]

Been about 25 years - before patches, gum, pills, etc. Here is what helped me:

Write down all the reasons you want to quit on a 3X5 card. Keep it in your pocket & pull it out when you get the urge.

Water & vitamin C - flushes the nicotine out of your system faster & you become healthier quicker. I don't know if there is scientific evidence, but that was the story back then & it helped.

As others said, when the urge hits, walking helps. Doing anything active - yoga stretches, deep breathing ("ah yes - I can breath deeper now that my lungs are healing!")

Do something aerobic every day. Even if it is just a walk around the block. Keep those endorphins up.

You CAN do it. The urges become less frequent & less forceful each time you move past one.

[withm]

I quit about 35 yrs ago. Every time I wanted one, I went and brushed my teeth instead. When your mouth tastes like toothpaste it wipes out the cravings.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

14 years for me now. i found that both sugarless mints and sugarless minty gum helped suppress the urge. Each week that passed, it got easier. Good going!!

[Norse]

Over 15 years for me now. Exercising, including just getting out for a walk, does help. Treating myself to my first post-college bike was a big inspiration and the start of where I am today. Also, when I was trying to quit, a neighbor who was a nurse said: "I have one word for you. Toothpicks." By golly, it did help. They help both with the fidgety fingers and the oral fixation issues. To this day, I still keep toothpicks around. Of course, the first month of my stop smoking effort the inside of my mouth was almost shredded from my fidgety, nervous chewing the toothpicks into tiny bits but that too passed. Also, don't beat yourself up if at first you do not totally succeed. It took three solid efforts on my part to finally quit. Having the desire and will to quit will get you there!

[ClockworkOrange]

R E S P E C T!

It's rarely easy but good luck to you, you can do it.

When you have a few minutes, type out what you are saving:

• Each day
• Each week
• Each month
• Each year

Then smile to yourself BUT also go out and buy yourself a nice treat.

Now smile again.

I gave up about 6 years ago, best thing I ever did......................ain't easy though!

[RadicalEdward]

Aww!! You guys are Awesome!

Not so easily irritable today, not feeling the cravings anything like I was yesterday
From now on in I guess it's more the habit breaking that needs to be done

("ah yes - I can breath deeper now that my lungs are healing!")

^ I'm holding onto this for dear life

Based on everyone's suggestions I
-Went out and bought my favourite block of chocolate (80%.. mmm...) as the 'smoke-break' alternative, which so far has done the trick
-Carrot & Celery have saved my sanity, and probably the lives of some the kids in my team -interesting about the NZ Jail system going smoke-free though, it'll make for some interesting situations, are they going to treat it like contraband?
-Also, Tea - Grabbed some Lemon/Ceylon blend, and sip that throughout the day - still rewards the hand-mouth fixation, and it's warm (and while I Love coffee.. if I drank that much coffee in a day I'd be driving everyone up the walls)
-and each crazy-urge I grab a some gum and go for a wander around our building

-I Will definitely ask the Big Mister to stop smoking around me, he's been acting odd about the whole thing anyway, I think some additional conversation would be beneficial