Eight Days is Great! I'm very happy for you!

I understand what you are say about your quit normalizing and the Honeymoon part of your quit being over.  I have lost many a quit during that period of the process.

Guard your quit! It is precious to you. Make sure that you don't keep any smoking or vaping items anywhere around you. If you don't have it, you will have to go some where and buy it. The time it takes to do that, may give you the time you need to reconsider what your doing. Another thing that might help you is to make a promise to yourself that goes something like this " If I decide that I am going to give up my quit, I must wait one day (24 hrs.) after that decision before I actually give my quit up."

The key here, is creating a time period that hopefully lets you renew your commitment! Throw Up Some Roadblocks! That nicotine monster can be real convincing at times!

  Take Care!

I like the 24hr rule. During previous quits I've made the stupid snap decision (usually out drinking) to buy a pack and totally regretted it the next day. Something feels different this time around. My resolve is stronger. Just doing everything I can to reduce stress in my life and take it one day at a time.

How many days you up to and how you feeling about it?

Congrats on your 3 weeks, that is fabulous.......and, the good news is, after 3 weeks, it really does get better.  Not to say that the urges are completely gone but, lots of time in between.

   Today I have five weeks and one day. I have not had a cigarette or any other tobacco product during that time.

I am using a 14 mg patch.  I wish I could say that I am feeling good about it, but for the most part I'm not. Mornings are the worst. Fighting off the cravings until my head clears from sleep and I start thinking about what it is I'm trying to do. It's like a new quit each and everyday. I'm just waiting for a time when I will awake with no thoughts of getting that first hit of nicotine. It's a fight to keep control of my own mind!

I'm no different than you or anyone else here! I'm just trying to maintain my quit! You are right about the "stupid snap decision". In just a few seconds I have lost a quit that was months long, only to regret it a few minutes later.

Stress will always be in all our lives. The good news is that smoking does not help us reduce stress. It can actually increase it because nicotine is a stimulant. We have to learn to deal with life in general without that crutch!

After replying to you early this morning I thought about what you had said about the newness of your quit wearing off. Here is a link that my help you understand what is going on and how to deal with it. http://justquit.co.uk/index.php/topic,532.0.html

Have A Great Smoke Free Day!

Thank you so much for the link. I have been smoke free for 5 weeks and a day. I too have the 14 patch on. It couldn’t be more fitting for me. Yesterday was incredibly hard for me and it hurt so much because I feel that I was doing better the day before. I can relate to the romanizing the cigg. I found myself longing to step outside the act of taking a cig out and the sound the ahhh. I’m not going to smoke but my day was worse because I went down the rabbit hole of if I am always going to think like this I’ll go nuts and might as well smoke. I’m going to get my second covid shot tomorrow and the doctor that gave me my first shot told me to check in and tell him about my quit. At the time I had nine days smoke free definitely didn’t think I was still be quit. I excited to tell him. Hang in there it’s worth it. 

The beauty of it all is that, if you stay quit, those cravings and thoughts to smoke will disappear and you will not longer be plagued by them.  It gets better and better over time.  You may still have the odd craving to ride out but overall, you have accomplished the hardest step.  Now stay the course and before you know it, you'll have months and then years of non-smoking health to enjoy.   You will look back on this time as the wisest choice you ever made for yourself and everyone around you.   

Well done - Cheers!

 Our quit dates must be the same! New years Eve!

 This No Man's Land was something that I ran into when I was trying to quit last year. I believe it does exist at some point in everyone's quit. Maybe for different lengths of time or maybe at different times in everyone's quit. 

 I'm a little worried about stepping down to the 7 mg. and then off completely, so I'm taking my time. You won't go nuts, but that nicotine monster will make you think that you are. It wants it's fix bad. The good news is that every time you beat it. The monster gets weaker and you get stronger.

Good Luck!

We do have the same quit dates! I have smoked at least half a pack to a pack a day for 20 years. I can’t tell you how much the no mans land post helped me. I sent it to my boyfriend who is a non smoker to try to understand. He said it more clearly described what I am going through. Thank you for that. 
I’m trying to watch out for beating myself up for still fighting some days and for not being happy with quitting. I think it’s important to recognize who we feel. 
I have two weeks left of 14 milligram. And I ordered the 28 of the 7 milligram today. I’m nervous about it myself. However oddly I’m allergic to the adhesive so it makes where ever I have it the day before sooooo itchy. So I’m looking forward to not itching but nervous about no nicotine 
 

Sending best thoughts and luck to you too! 

I stayed on each mg patch till I felt comfortable switching down.  I always kept a couple of the previous so that if it got really bad, I could always switch back up.........I am now on day 2 of not having any patch at all but, I do have 2 - 7mg patches on me if I decide I need it.  At the end of today, I will actually have 40 days of not smoking.  

I struggled when we first went into quarantine, partially just the nervousness of how sick each person in my house might get with the COVID.  I struggled as well when my spouse first came home (he is a smoker).  I have also had minor struggles every time I stepped down on the patch.  However, everyone of those struggles has made my quit that much stronger!

It really is strange, like this morning, when we had messy roads.........I of course wanted to smoke.  But, here I am, still not smoking!  

Thank you for your response and sharing. 40 days is awesome. That is a great recommendation about keeping a few of step before just in case. I agree it’s just not smoking today and getting stronger each day. I’m proud of you that you didn’t give in to the want. I hate that I still find moments I can convince myself I  want a smoke. I’m so sick of thinking about it and I know some of those around me are sick of hearing about it but one day at a time.