About Smoking Cessation Forum
Hosted by Denim50
This community is open to all who are recovering from nicotine addiction.
- 5773
MEMBERS - 290636
MESSAGES - 7
POSTS TODAY
Discussions
February 2021 Ex-Smokers - Start Here! Quit Buddies Unite
From: Terry (abquitsmking)
1/31/21
How to Bookmark a Thread
To to bookmark a message:
- Go to the bottom of the post you want to bookmark.
- At the bottom right find the "Reply" button.
- Hover your cursor to the left of the "Reply" button
- Find the "Bookmark this message" symbol
just to the left of the "Reply" button. - Click on the bookmark this message button.
- You will receive a pop-up message that will say
To find your bookmarked messages
- Look to the left at the DISCUSSIONS section.
- Click on the drop down menu in grayed area immediately beneath the word DISCUSSIONS.
- You will see a menu that contains items like, "7 Days back", "2 Days back", "Unread Msgs", "Unread to Me" etc. Look all the way to the bottom, the last item has the book mark symbol and the words "Bookmarked Msgs" your saved bookmark messages will appear here ...........just click on the one you want to view and it opens with your post. When finished reviewing, click on your browser back arrow key to go back to where you were. See example graphics below.
From: Terry (abquitsmking)
1/31/21
How to Follow a Discussion
Want to know if someone posted in your buddy group? Get email notifications on any specific discussion you wish to follow.
- Click on your profile pic in the upper right hand corner.
- From the drop-down menu select “My Preferences”
- Scroll down to “View Zeta as Classic”
- Check the box before “View all Zeta forums in Classic”
- Select “Update”
- A box will appear “Success”. Click “OK”.
- Return to About Smoking Cessation Forum. Note: It will look vastly different.
- Select the “Messages” tab to show the folders.
- Go to the Discussion you want to follow.
- Select “Subscribe” in the upper right directly across from the Discussion name.
- Select how often you want to subscribe. Then click “Subscribe”.
- A Subscribe box will appear. Click “OK”.
- If you have other Discussions you wish to follow, repeat Steps 9 thru 11.
- Select “My Preferences” at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down to “View Zeta as Classic”
- Check the box so it is now empty
- Select “Update”
- “Success” box. Click “OK”.
From: Terry (abquitsmking)
1/31/21
Here's a wonderful list of tips for the first weeks of cessation that one of our mods, ModJenn put together. Print it out for handy reference!
Quit Toolbox
- Drink ice water through a straw. Repeat. Drink ice water through a straw. Repeat...
- Knowledge is power. Read everything you can get your hands on about this addiction. The more you understand about your own addiction to nicotine, the better equipped you become to get through the cessation process.
- Post on the Forum until your fingers are sore. Post, post, post.
- Closely related: Go to the NOPE pledge daily and hold yourself accountable.
- When you come across posts that inspire and/or strengthen you ~ copy and paste them into a Word document. In this way, you can reread them when you feel wibbly wobbly and are climbing the walls.
- Distract, distract, distract. (Shhhh.....I would do jumping jacks and by the time I got to about 10-12 I was distracted -- that's for sure. Try puzzles, reading a book, anything that shifts the focus of your thoughts.) More generally, stop whatever you are doing, move, and do something else. The craving will pass.
- Remind yourself this is a journey and the more time you put between now and that last cigarette, the stronger your quit muscles become and the more you have in your quit toolbox. Take it one minute and hour at at time, if necessary, and the days will keep adding up.
- Every day you go to bed smoke-free is a good day. Be kind to yourself along the way.
- What you are experiencing is normal - "this too shall pass".
- Take a shower. Brush your teeth. Put on lotion.
- Read your quit reasons.
- Create a list of all the benefits you are experiencing now that you no longer smoke. Practice gratitude at least once a day for these benefits and life changes.
- Cinnamon flavored sugar-free gum (even cinnamon sticks).
- Chai tea (I had to avoid coffee for a while but can drink it now without a problem).
- Eat healthy snacks, such as carrots or frozen grapes (Some honesty here: I didn't always do so well with this one due to this pesky sweet tooth I developed once I could taste my food again. The good news is that as my quit felt more secure my eating wasn't as erratic.).
- Protect your quit at all costs by avoiding situations that are high-risk for you, especially in the early part of the quit (e.g., other smokers, alcohol, etc.).
- Make a plan for handling cravings when around temptation. Do not enter potentially difficult situations without a plan.
- Remind yourself that it's going to be okay - time is your friend as you relearn every aspect of daily life.
- Keep a journal to record your journey and it's easier to see how far you have come (It gave me perspective at times when I needed to remember that I may not be where I want to be but I'm most certainly not where I used to be.).
- Reward yourself for the small accomplishments and the larger milestones (this doesn't' have to involve spending money).
- Exercise - go for walks, join a gym, just keep moving.
- Accept and tell yourself (that self-talk we have to turn from negative to positive) that the craving is actually a sign of healing and they will occur less frequently and with less intensity as the smoke-free days add up.
- Deep breathing -- take 4-5 deep breaths -- fill up your diaphragm and and make your tummy stick out.
- As ModLisa says: "When in doubt go to sleep".
- As ModMic says: "SOME DAYS, IT IS ENOUGH THAT YOU JUST DON'T SMOKE. Some days are crappy from beginning to end, and you can kick, scream, cry, punch something, bite someone's head off...if you did not smoke, you win and a little more healing happened".
- Visualize a craving like a wave washing over you. The tide does leave.
- Tell yourself four things: (1) Smoking is no longer an option regardless of what life throws your way; (2) I am worthy of freedom from this addiction; (3) I can. I will. End of story; and (4) I am stronger than this challenge and this challenge is making me stronger.
From: Terry (abquitsmking)
1/31/21
Mod Marge also made a terrific list of tips for when it gets tough............................................ Thanks Marge!
- As soon as you feel the crave come on, distract yourself immediately, do something else. If you are healthy, exercise, walk or do aerobics. When you feel like you are going to bust, climb up and down the steps or just get up and walk and walk. If I had to do it again, I would get a punching bag.
- Keep redirecting your mind to the truth about nicotine and cigarettes. Remind yourself that cigarettes were killing you slowly. Remember, how long nicotine addiction controlled you. It controlled me over 40 years.
- Drink as much ice water as possible. When cravings are very bad, drink the whole glass down.
- Sit in an upright chair and take 5-10 slow deep breaths. It calms down that panicky feeling.
- Come to the Forum and read. Try to support someone that is struggling. It will help you at the same time.
- Pledge not to smoke at the beginning of every day.
- Read as many articles in the library as possible. You need to know your enemy to defeat it. Get educated on nicotine addiction and the tools to get through the rough times. You can actively overcome self-defeating thoughts. I learned that here.
- Keeping a journal will help you cope. Write down your feelings. Write down all phrases or posts that inspire you along the journey. Go back and reread when you feel like you are in a fog. You will see the progress you are making right before your eyes.
- Find yourself a little hobby you can go to when you don’t know what to do with yourself and want to focus on something. I put together Legos of all sizes for 6 months. It helped enormously. A friend of mine bought large jigsaw puzzles and worked on it a little every day. One buddy loved adult coloring books.
- If you are not sleeping well, check out the meditative music on U tube. Some of them are 8 hours long and very relaxing.
- Put on some favorite, loud music and sing at the top of your lungs.
- Find things that make you laugh. It releases pent up emotions and good chemicals in our bodies.
- Don’t be afraid to have a good cry. That does the same thing.
- Let the junkie thoughts go by like a movie, try not to let them bother you. They are just thoughts.
From: MDS27
2/2/21
O.K, so I guess this is officially day 1. 19 years of smoking in some form or another and 8 years of numerous quits. It's time to get this done and put this behind me once and for all. Whose with me?
From: Lubbercat
2/2/21
Good for you on your decision to quit, that is fantastic. Be ready with hard candy to suck on, a straw to suck through, ice water to drink. Post for help, there are many that will jump in to help you. Just do whatever you need to do except to smoke! I know I have quit numerous times and decided 2021 would be the year I did not smoke so, I have 1 month in now.
Good luck to you.
From: MDS27
2/2/21
Thanks and congrats on 1 month smoke free!
Easing myself into it has actually helped a lot as I've removed many of the environmental cues that would trigger me.
One day at a time! Thanks for your support!
From: Loreficent
2/2/21
Nice!
So how has day two played out for you?
Ive been reading some of the articles from the library here this morning as nearly a year in I still find myself romanticizing “just a smoke”. Ugh. Addiction sucks. It doesn’t last long when this happens but I often get dismayed that it happens at all anymore. I think the biggest help for me is to still not look at “forever” and stay present with where I am. Anyway...don’t let your guard down and keep going!
From: MJoe79
2/2/21
Excellent job for deciding to quit! I am almost 8 days in, and seeing the time tick away while reading about the positive changes that have already happened in my body has helped me.
When I crave, like stop-me-in-my-tracks crave, I shoveled the front steps and pathway. I just needed something to do.
This is the single best thing we can do for our health. You got this!
From: MJoe79
2/2/21
So true about "forever" and the dialogue we use within ourselves. I count down the day - my quit was at 8:57 pm on January 25th, so come 8:57 one each susequent day, I put a big X on the calendar and then get ready for the next one. I also find myself "thinking" about the triggers I haven't had yet, but I expect will happen, and I've literally yelled at myself out loud to stop. I've done a lot of yelling and talking to myself the past week come to think of it hahaha.