Still winning

I had a few. Like Action they just seemed to pass. So must be the sub conscious way of processing something or other. A couple of times I got upset at them but it didn't make a difference to my quit and it won't to yours either my lovely. Cause another sentence is about hating the smell and that's another nail in the smoking coffin isn't it. I know some people don't mind but I'm with you, mostly the smell is massively offensive.

Present. x

Congrats Mason!! Welcome up to the year. xx

Beautiful work and quit. I'm sorry they are allowed to smoke inside, I really am, can you speak to anyone about that? Despite all, you WILL succeed as you are already proving. Great work. xx

nope

Hi, Already answered other question before I came looking for an intro post :) Put a "new habit" in it's place? I found that trick and it was an epic win for the triggers that I had feared (morning tea, car journey, kids tea time etc). So for instance a new morning became, put kettle on teabag and milk in cup. Immediately grab cleaning cloth and dis-infect worksurfaces (yep, even if they were clean), fill cup up with hot water, switch on computer, fish out tea bag and log into quit train or why quit..... That was mine but make something up for you, and with a new habit in place it seems to have less effect. Also don't fear craves, they always pass if you don't hang on to them and it's just a thought association at the end of the day. It's your brains way of saying, hey we would smoke here so get some self pep talk in place like "yeah but we don't smoke anymore brain and we're gonna do xyz now". x

yay. Good for you. x

You're the first other person I've ever seen ask this question :) I too found it pretty disconcerting! Soon enough though I filled the time, and in no particular order here's what I did and some of what I remember others saying they did when I asked. -Clean one room a day making sure each time you get round to it again the clean is a little better (ie clear first, then clear and wipe the paintwork, then do that and clean a window etc etc as each room got better). -5 minutes a day of clearing out one area properly like under the sink, shoes in a wardrobe, I didn't often finish the chore but it got smaller with time (this was a good one if I got a crave/trigger as it passed the time better) - I read at least half hour per day on quitting here or whyquit.com. I did that for 2 months to get through every piece of info on both sites. -Make a list of all the stuff you've wondered about to google (what are the 7 wonders of the world, what do the inca ruins look like in Peru, what was the list of english monachs are some of mine lol). -Started to cook more, especially things like making my own sauces from scratch. Great page in social for reciepe ideas, I love to cook now and never did before :) - Exercise, even if it's a walk to start. I started on yoga/pilates for 20 min stretches -Shopping, first time I've ever done window shopping but I know where all the best buys are in the town now from aimless wanderings lol. -Join a library to get books and a lot of people rated audio books too. -Check out local courses that you may be interested to start with your new free time. (You'll have the money to pay for them too soon!) -Start to meditate...sounds hippy until you get better, then it's a life game changer. -Start a new hobby, I tried knitting and crochet (I was rubbish lol, but others were good). -Plan days out that you would like to take with your newly aquired funds. You have research time now. Sure there's loads more but they should start you off I hope. xx

Europe talk... You wouldn't get it! Good job Evelyn. xx

Nope (for in a minute, or 50). x

nope

Fabulous to read this. So pleased you are feeling so much brighter now, good job!! xx

Nah, we got them wannabe's "have a go hero's" here too, they just cover it better :ph34r: .

Mason, When's your year?? Must be any minute? x

nope

Scary times Athena. That is a hell of a name to take on, time to burn this carnage out my friend. x

Best foot forward beauty!! And omg, you ladies are so so pretty, even the cat is cute :) Much love. xx

nope

Most of my crew smoked when I quit, I lived with two of them who smoked in the house. It had up's and downs on the quit to be honest. Quite a few of us quitters here have partners etc that smoked, some still do and some we inspired to quit. -Decide here and now that you're done smoking and that's no longer an option for you. Write an easy to look at list of why you don't want to smoke, sometimes a quick reminder leaves you good to go again. -There is no shame in running away if it feels hard, early night, shower, walk round the block or whatever else you can plan to do in that situation -Use the NOPE or another mantra, that you can repeat in your head, it's about distracting your brain as it passes by quite quick. -Educate yourself, as quickly as possible. Read the horror stories on whyquit, post and vent here...it's important to understand nicotine addiction in order to fight it better. Now the flip side. If I was around smokers, socially or inside and started to crave I would watch them. In your head that cigarette will be calming/great etc but watching smokers really shattered that illusion for me after I quit lol. They always get the "catch" and the cough...realizing that was there body trying to cope with a chemical and nicotine overload made me re think how much I wanted to do that. Because the truth of it is, no one is thinking oh yippee, I smoke!! Most smokers want to quit. Even the ones who apaprently "love smoking" or "it's their only vice" never really anticipated spending thousands on the habit did they. I certainly didn't plan that and I bet you didn't either and that's the truth of it. Remebering that it's harmful and really costly are helpful to a quit. I will wait for the panic, how do I make them stop post in about 3 weeks. As you feel things falling into place and it's not an all day every day battle your thoughts will switch to trying to tell them it can be done and a number of us worry for those smokers still around us. But the truth is the best thing you can do is exactly what you've done, quit! Lead by example! They will be patiently waiting for you to come back into the "smoking fold", not in a horrid way, smokers just don't like thinking they should be stopping - no addict likes to be reminded they have an addiction of any kind in honesty. What you're doing is a solid lead for helping show them a way though...then it's their choice if they follow your most excellent lead :) And massive congrats on a 1 week quit by the way!! Brilliant work and I hope you get your first deep breath any day now and realize how great that feeling is :) xx

Sending gentle hugs and healing Tracey. You are still awesome! Much love. xx

Fabulous post, you sound really upbeat and positive. Keeping busy but staying alert is the best. It just takes a bit of time to unravel smoking from our associations with things we do is all and this can get easier or harder depending on your mind set. Staying focused with an end game will help and it sounds like you are doing that. be patient with yourself though, all good things take time to achieve. Which reminds me, make sure you're treating yourself like Doreen said. It's really valuable to treat ourselves, it's just a version of self care which as smokers, we didn't do. It can be cheap, scented candles, magazine or pricer..new exersize class, holiday payments? Whatever is "your thing", it helps to have some forward facing treats. I also like treats you can actually see, to remind yourself how much it's nice to have some spare pennies for nice things (new bedding or something?). xx

nope, none for me.

Sorry for your loss Toni, sending love. Guarding the quit and keeping it seperate from life's events is a sure sign you understand and can be free now. xx

nope

Sorry you're going through bronchitis but delighted it's prompted you to quit, great work!! Changing your routine up and in fact getting some plans in place for any places that trigger you (make you think more about smoking) is great. I also have two children and I found that when I wobbled that thoughts of them seeing me smoke and assuming it was ok and normal would make me strong enough to fight, other times the support here helped me through. Setting an example as a mother is utterly crucial, it's proven that children of smokers are more likely to become smokers...I don't think I'd actually taken that piece of info in before. So brilliant news about your quit. Hopefully you're on the mend now and will feel better soon. xx