Tiny- 

Unfortunately, these thoughts happen to most of us in the beginning. We have spent so much time training our brain when to smoke, now we have to do those same activities without smoking. A month or so ago, there were a handful of us who did some gardening and that weekend we ALL had the urge to smoke! That is because previously, we would garden and then smoke - we had to create a new memory of us completing/doing an activity without smoking. It is not the easiest, but it can be done and I know you will be able to do it. That is combined with you nearing the 3 week mark which is notorious for cravings popping up. 

It sounds like you powered through and remembered why you quit and why smoking sucks- so, kudos to you! You are doing all of the right things, and because of that, there will be days that you forget about smoking all together! I promise :) 

Is your hubby still holding tight? 

He's still holding strong, although he's eating a little more crap than I'd like him to. I'm keeping that to myself and I keep buying fresh fruits and vegetables, which he does snack on, too. I did make it through, but man, the whole day was hard. I normally have 3 lozenges a day and yesterday I had 5! I kept busy, and did every trick listed here and it was still rough. My therapist says anything with a repetitive motion helps anxiety, so I did some coloring before bed and that seemed to help. I've been wearing the patch through the night to help with the mornings and wow, I have had some weird dreams! I know there are going to be some good times and bad times in quitting, and I am very aware that this won't be easy. I'm just so glad to have a place where I can whine and people get it! Today seems to be off to a good start so I'm hoping it will continue that way. What is your quit date? Do you have anyone in your life that smokes? What's your favorite trick to get through a crave? Do you have a hard time not smoking at work?

Hi Eliza.

Am finished with patches...a couple of days now.  I skipped a few days to ready myself.  Have had some lengthy urges but really no different than before.

The key is continue to practice the non smoker things on my list!!!!  This has been validated by posts I have been reading of folks many months ahead of me.  Be serious about gratitude......maybe get a gratitude buddy.  I know the desire will lessen but I am going to be realistic....it is not going away anytime soon.  Be serious about who you choose to be around!!

Thats my 2 cents for today.  Lol.  How is your quit going?

Peggy

5-8-20

I like that...a gratitude buddy!

You are doing so well Peggy! I’m proud of you girl friend!!!

I am afraid to come off the patch just yet. Looking at it as in the grand scheme of things....it is small stuff right now. 

What mg are you on?  You know what is best.  You are so right.....it is not important compared to your day to day challenges. Just stay on it if you still want to be clean.   This country’s circumstances may call for major adjustments with their recommended time at each mg.  I don’t miss it....but was skipping days toward the end.  Car is clean....wouldn’t want to smoke it up. Clear breathing is so fabulous.  When I have to go out at least I can kind of breathe in a mask now.  No doubt you can feel the same things!!

Hang in there my sweet

Peggy

5-8-20

Hi Tiny,

Please pardon my delayed response!

I am glad to hear your husband is still at it as well (even if he is munching too often! That will go away with time). I too, used to sleep with the patch on. Waking up without it was awful, I had NO motivation whatsoever! The one downfall to that.. is the dreams! I would have the craziest, most vivid dreams you could imagine! Not in a bad way, they weren't nightmares.. they were just odd. A handful of them revolved around me smoking - I woke up more than once so sad that I smoked! Only to realize.. it was just a dream!

I quit on April 10th. I quit a week before that but only made it 2 days before I smoked "just one" which led to a pack, which led to a week of smoking before I tried again. Luckily, my second quit stuck!! I do have a few friends who smoke. I didn't hang out with them for a couple weeks when I first quit. I have since hung out with them both and it was okay. What I find to be harder are new situations. For example, after planting my garden I wanted to smoke, the first time in the pool this year - I wanted to smoke. It is the "year of firsts" as the form will tell you, we have to do everything that we used to do as a smoker, as a nonsmoker to build up our muscle memory. (Don't you wish we could just fast forward a year?! lol)  To help me get through the moments I would otherwise smoke, I now practice mindfulness and use deep breathing techniques - it really is amazing how a few deep breaths can help when you feel unsettled! That, and I try to remind myself that I should only focus on the things that I can control, everything else I need to let go, and not worry about. It isn't an overnight fix by any means but as I continue to work on it, I get better each day at it. I am actually still working from home due to COVID and will probably do so until at least September.  I have wanted to quit for a while now and thought this was a good time to try since my routine was totally changed. I will be honest, our office closed March 16th due to COVID and for the first month of being at home I smoked, and man, did I smoke! Since I wasn't at work and could go outside whenever I wanted - I took advantage of that! It was bad - I was smoking ALL the time, more than usual!

I even wrote the times down one day to see - 

7:45 am

8:40 am

9:30 am

10:16 am

11:00 am

12:00 pm

2:12 pm 

3:01 pm

4:10 pm (smoked 2 here because I was on the phone)

6 pm

6:30 pm 

Went to a friends and had 3 more there and the list continues.. It was once I wrote it down and looked at how often I was smoking I new I had a problem! I guess I couldn't deny it when it was clearly written out on paper in front of me. Work aggravation is what made me have "just one" on my first quit attempt this year so I totally get how work can be a trigger. For me, that is where mindfulness and deep breathing really help, I have to learn to focus on what I can change and ignore the rest. Kind of like the serenity prayer, serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!

How about for you? What has worked and what hasn't?

Ciao Peggy!

Happy 4th! Sorry for my delayed response, Somehow I still lose track of posts on here.. 

Congratulations!! How are you feeling?!  I stopped using them on a Friday so I would have the weekend to get acclimated. I saved the last two for the start of the work week, just in case I panicked or something - but I didn't! I hope you have an easy time as well :) I will admit, I have a handful of 2mg gum that I take with me everywhere (just in case). I have yet to chew a piece, but I feel more confident knowing I have it if I need. That and I have started bringing lifesavers in the car and when I visit with my friends who still smoke. I hope to stop that, they are so tasty but have a good amount of unnecessary sugar in them.. and I eat a few when I do so.. lol :)  Do you have anything like that to keep "busy"? 

Love gratitude! I actually keep a gratitude journal where each day I jot down 3 things I am grateful for. I really enjoy it because after doing it for a while, I feel like you start to look for things throughout the day, which in turn, keeps you in what I would like to think is a perpetual state of appreciation. For example, I am forever be thankful for this forum and for the people like you who have made quitting smoking a much more pleasant time! :) 

I have more thoughts on this but need to get ready for a small, social distanced bbq!

Hope you have a great day, talk soon!

Hi Eliza,

How was your bbq?  I decided not to go to mine. It’s all good!

Really good ideas about bringing that stuff with you when visiting.  Duh.  Yes I have some sugar free cinnamon candies....I am a cinnamon freak...I put it in everything...every cup of coffee.  I like Mexican cinnamon the best.  In fact a cinnamon roll sounds wonderful right now!!  Lol...no.

I also am using Ricola Honey Lemon cough drops.  Like these a lot.  But I must say they are both great if you remember to use them!!!  That’s the catch!!

I have not told y’all yet that I have had headaches for several days since I stopped the patches.  My neighbor mentioned maybe it could be the no nicotine.  She might be right.  Took an allergy pill and no relief and they usually work fast. So?  So what I say.  I’ll get over it.

Thanks for the lozenge reminder.  I am trying right now to open one!!!  Lol

I love that you keep a gratitude journal!!  It sooooo works!

Have a beautiful smoke free day!!

Peggy

5-8-20