im done

[clittleton1]

I am quitting

[McMoney]

Great! Best decision you can make @clittleton1 ! 
Make a plan! You can do this! 

[Barbscloud]

@clittleton1 Welcome to the ex and congrats on "being done".

You found a great group of quitters to support you on your journey. It's not to late to educate yourself about nicotine addiction and have a quit plan by identifying tools to use, how to cope with cravings and creating new associations to replace smoking/vaping. It took me 50 years and many attempts to finally get it right. When I found the Ex I learned how to to quit for the first time. This link will get you off on the right track to be successful.

https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

We have our favorite quit tools. I used Sour Patch Kids, chewing on straws, playing video games and walking. If you're able, walking is a great way to refocus your thoughts and get an added boost of dopamine needed when eliminating nicotine. And deep breathing exercises will help you get through some tough times.

The habit (or psychological aspect) has more to do with when and where you smoke. After a meal, in your car, when you're happy, when you're sad, etc. That's where creating new associations comes into play. What can you do instead of smoking when you're stressed, having your coffee, going to events, etc.? Be creative! Instead of smoking, go for a walk, take shower, chew on straws, hard candy, call a friend, and come to the Ex and read/post.

Have you chosen to use a quit aid? They can really help with the initial withdrawal symptoms.

Reinforce your quit by joining many of us quitters on the Daily Pledge, It's a great way to stay accountable to yourself and to stay on track one day at a time.

Attitude and preparation are keys to success. Approaching your quit one day at a time helps to alleviate much of the anxiety we experience when we think about quitting. We're here to support you so reach out anytime you need help, want to share your experience, and to support other quitters.

Stay busy and stay close.

Barb

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome!

Understanding the addiction and having a PLAN going forward will reduce the anxiety of quitting.  Get busy learning and preparing, and I think you may actually start to look forward to this journey!  You might just decide to quit before June of next year!!!

No matter what product you are quitting.  If it isn't cigarettes and smoking mentioned here, no problem.  Quitting any of them is about the same.\

An important thing you can do is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. I was amazed when I learned that the stress reduction you feel when you ingest nicotine is caused by the brain receptors calming that have gradually built in volume jonesing for their next fix!  I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.”  

To better deal with the habit part of the addiction, change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your walking shoes on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! .  Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

After you have eliminated as many associations as you can, you need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. 

Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke - EX Community

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

[CommunityAdmin]

Welcome to the EX Community @clittleton1! My name is Quiana, and I'm part of the EX Team. Congratulations on your decision to quit! We're thrilled you have invited us to join this important journey with you.

This community is incredibly supportive, so don’t hesitate to share updates about your quit journey or reach out if you need any assistance. You may find our Daily Pledge page helpful it’s a great way to commit to staying smoke-free, one day at a time. Posting there also connects you with others who are making the same pledge daily.

If you're focused on vaping, I encourage you to join our vaping, where you'll find more discussions on the topic.

Here are a few articles that may be helpful as you begin your quitting journey:

Right Before You Quit

3 Ways to Get Support

Quiana, EX Team