Congrats to you, Eve! 5 months is a big hurdle. 

For me, learning to handle emotional stressors without surrounding myself in a nicotine cloud was, beyond the physical addiction, the biggest hurdle. At a little after my 5 months I was able to get though a big work deadline without nicotine and that felt so GREAT!!!!  I think that is how I kept plugging along - by noting on my pocket calendar (old skool june) and sometimes on here where I hit a personal milestone of 'getting through X without cigs'. So when the next curveball came along, I could remind myself 'you got through X without cigs, you'll get through this'

When I felt a stressor coming on - I would try to remove myself from the situation with a quick walk even if it was just to the restroom at work, take deep breaths, think out what I need to do/say before acting rashly/panicking. I am STILL learning to work through these things! I hid my undeveloped EFFECTIVE communication skills for a lifetime in the excuse of needing a smoke. 

As an aside, I was on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds for 12 years while raising my kids. And I always felt they were a cop out - a way of dealing with a crazy world that made me depressed and anxious. ANYWAY, as an empty nester I gradually adjusted my lifestyle (meditation helped), lowered the med dosages and then quit totally - which had BAD withdrawals. BAD! way worse than physical withdrawals from getting off nicotine. On my list of life accomplishments, quitting both anti-depressants as well as nicotine are on there!

Stay strong - it keeps getting easier and easier as you/we have more experience in living as a non-smoker :)

Thanx June,

Appreciate the encouragement! Wow good for you on quitting both! Don’t know much about the depressments, but you must be very proud! Great job....Keep it going!

same to you, denim!

1 day down! 

June2019