quit tool boxes

[Tink]

This is mine:

 

Beginning - through withdrawal:

 

My plan -

 

6 weeks prior to quit date, I did a complete sugar detox (worse than nicotine!) 

 

2 weeks prior I changed my brand to the weakest sort

 

 

The quit date:

 

Walks

Shouting at myself NOPE

Green tea

Water

Breathing exercises, 4 second in hold for 4, 4 seconds out

Reading and posting

Showers

Sleep

A straw with cotton wool in it

Hypnosis videos from YouTube

Eating fruit

Listening to others, believing

One step at a time minutes, hours, days

Stayed away from smokers

No wine until I was stronger

 

Next 6 months:

 

Reading and posting

Quit buddies

Pledging NOPE

Going for walks when crave hit

Learning I had  quit not given up something

Faced triggers early on, challenged my fears

Read my own pre SOS when junkie  thinking was around

Watched my mum thinking I do not want to be like that

Brought nice things or did things with money saved

Ate like a horse

Posted SOS

 

7 months until now:

 

Quit buddies

Reading and posting

Getting fit now and healthy eating

Trigger or crave (stress)- time out, 5 minute walk or talk to myself

Finally accepting smoking willl do absolutely nothing for me or change the situation

Smile I am a non smoker

Moving forward into the positive changes the quit has brought my life

 

 

 

Would I change a thing at this point?

 

Yes remove the WANT  the I can't, I must not

 

Would have been so much easier from the beginning with just I DO NOT WANT!!!!!

 

Still learning, still evolving..

 

Did anyone have a pre plan and what is in your quit tool box?

[Leanna]

I didn't have a pre plan. I quit cold turkey without setting a date. I was sick, couldn't stop coughing, and asked myself why I continue torturing my lungs with nicotine?

 

The first few months, I ate a lot of hard candies and chewed gum constantly. I'd go through a pack of gum in no time. I guess it kept my mouth busy and myself distracted, so I didn't crave as much. 

 

I tried to drink a lot of water. This is extremely important. We (or at least I) have a habit of dehydrating myself and it was worse when I first quit. 

 

I'd find something to do for hours and concentrate on that. I'd go to a movie or draw or read. Anything to keep my mind away from smoking. 

 

I stayed away from smokers as well. I didn't visit my parents for a while until I felt more secure with my quit.

 

I've been through hell with my quit, I'm not going to lie. It's not easy, but it's certainly doable and is the best decision you can make. The cravings you experience from quitting are only temporary, unlike the cravings you get as a smoker; the desperation you feel when you run out and don't have the money to buy more. 

[action]

Great advice Tracey...

 

I had no prep, because my quit date wasn't planned... But 2 weeks after, I had

 

-online support (reading and posting)

-quit buddies

-chewing a load of gum

-playing with a 'tangle'

-walks

-doing stuff around the house (DIY, cleaning)

[Still winning]

Oh good one! I planned mine like a military manouvre!

 

Champix 2 weeks before

 

one day before -

joined smoking quit site, knew I would need support.

Bought sweets, lots of sweets!!

And peanuts, you can't be too prepared, 4 types :)

And a bottle for water, cause ok, healthy living lol

READ

 

Quit date

Stunned self actually not smoking.

Ate entire stash of sweets, peanuts and sloshed with water consumption

Decided more reading was needed.

Read whyquit, cried a lot

 

Days after that all blended.

Shouted nope and danced from foot to foot a lot

Clicked my fingers when I craved

Purchased 2 boxes of peanuts (nobby's chilli nuts) from cash and carry

Ate a shedload of food

Treated myself to a value of treats higher then I would spend smoking lol

Cleaned my floor - a lot. 

Actually cleaned when I craved a lot, it helped to keep busy

 

I'm not helping really but I'm happy and relaxed now. 

 

What I will say, I wish I had of exercised sooner!!  Or walked!! Both eliminate craves and produce a really healthy feel good vibe that I really enjoy now and I didn't believe those who said it did.  

[El Bandito]

Picked a date

 

Read Allen Carr.

 

Date was going to be the day I returned from vacation. 11 hour flight I thought would be useful.

 

Quit a couple of days early, on vacation and decided I would accompany La B on her smokes.

 

Thoughts/tools

 

1. Nobody can make me smoke. Or Quit. It is entirely up to me.

2. Forever? Too much. I won't smoke today. Tomorrow? We will see about that tomorrow.

3. Smoke break? Let's walk.

4. Crave? Talk to it.

[Markus]

I didn't have a pre plan. I quit cold turkey without setting a date. I was sick, couldn't stop coughing

 

 

Mine was the same as yours Lennna. I had always wanted to but never did.

 

I remember thinking how pathetic I was after that coughing fit.  I wondered why I was still smoking and realized I had given up control of my health and my life to cigarettes.

 

I wanted to quit then. At that time I remember thinking that to quit I would have to lose myself as I existed up to that point in time. The realization that I could never, ever smoke again filled me with such a sadness. I was seeing a stranger, someone who was going to lose his best friend, and I was scared. I could not see myself doing that.

 

But I went on with that mind trip, and just did CT with a couple of weeks of Chantix.

 

I realized later that in that moment of truth I was breaking the chains of my addiction. I had found my quit.

 

(this will give you an insight into my tolerance for risk, I had to see it to make it real. But I couldn't see that what I had done for 35 years was risky). It is hard to break this addiction down and get real with it.

 

Markus

[queen greenlover]

Its nice seeing the term "quit toolbox" being used.  So many start a quit w/o a clue & thats sad cause those are the poor souls almost doomed to failure. Glad to see you had a solid plan-hopefully some "newbie" will think wow what a great idea. :D  :wub: 

[Paul723]

I did a lot of reading before hand especially about being prepared for the mental aspects. I had to have a "no loophole" argument in my mind for every crave.

 

I put a worry stone in my left hand front pocket where I used to carry cigarettes.

 

I avoided people, places and things that I thought would be bad triggers until I was sure I could handle them. I knew the phrase, "there are no extra points for making quitting harder."

 

I kept my focus on quitting, number one priority.

[REZ]

A toolbox is a excellent idea! It will give you the tools you need to fight the cravings and fix your addiction!

 

I did not have one, All i had was some nicorette gum, a bad chest cold, and the desire to quit!

 

I got through it but was very hard and had i prepared myself with a tool box maybe i could of quit years ago!

 

First item in my tool box would be the: QUIT TRAIN!

[jimmy]

I didn't prepare either me and my wife decided not to buy any more on a whim   and 4 days latter I found a quit smoke sight for support and I lurked for a while reading post before I joined but it helped me to stay quit im so  glad I joined and stayed quit    learn all you can about this addiction and the nicotine withdrawal that you can read post and learn have a plan   so your quit will be better and youll know what to expect    if I can quit anybody can    :D :D 

[Leanna]

A toolbox is a excellent idea! It will give you the tools you need to fight the cravings and fix your addiction!

 

I did not have one, All i had was some nicorette gum, a bad chest cold, and the desire to quit!

 

I got through it but was very hard and had i prepared myself with a tool box maybe i could of quit years ago!

 

First item in my tool box would be the: QUIT TRAIN!

The desire to quit was what motivated me, I think. I was at a point where I absolutely hated smoking and couldn't justify it to myself. So even though I hadn't prepared myself, I felt ready to commit. 

[Sazerac]

This is a great collection of posts.

What's in your tool box ?  What else would you add ?

 

In my tool box was desire, education, determination, distraction, a mantra of 'Free Your Head',

water, satsumas, screaming hot showers, beautiful deep breaths of oxygen, cleaning...

 

I would add Rewards , now that I know more about nicotine's theft of natural pleasure centers.

 

,

[Sazerac]

bump

Edited August 24, 2018 by Sazerac

[Doreensfree]

In my toolbox I had...Allen Carr..complete clinic .....

My punching pillow.......music...my I pod.....lifesaver....Qi Gong....to calm the mind....

Reading and learning all I could about this addiction....

This forum 24/7.....

daily NOPE !!!

Laughter....it made the days pass faster...

[brand.new.ela]

Didn’t have plan. Had extreme luck, though, that first two weeks were relatively easy. In that time I did a lot of reading, discovered qsmb and realized why I hadn’t succeeded before. All the tools and habits appeared after quitting, water, meditation apps, support group, exercise. More luck than common sense

[Sazerac]

bump

 

Please add what y'all have in your toolboxes

[JB 883]

pliers, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, socket sets, torx sockets,  pry bars, basic stuff.

[Doreensfree]

10 hours ago, Jet Black said:

pliers, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, socket sets, torx sockets,  pry bars, basic stuff.

 

Nooo....that's the DIY tool box....I know cos I'm the do it  yourselffer around here...

 

This box is more important ...

It's got all handy hints on how to save your life...not before  suffering from a horrible smoking related illness.....

I had a number of things ...but my most used tool was a punching pillow...I drew a face on it ....who,s face ....my secret...well I punched hell out of not ...sent it flying across the room...oh such fun...!!!!

Whatever helps you along your journey ...belongs in your Quit Toolbox...

 

[JB 883]

1 hour ago, Doreensfree said:

 

I had a number of things ...but my most used tool was a punching pillow...I drew a face on it ....who,s face ....my secret...well I punched hell out of not ...sent it flying across the room...oh such fun...!!!!

 

 

Probably Bakon, Mr titwank, or Reci. I wasn't here yet so i know it wasn't mine.

 

Ok so I do not think I had much of a "quit tool box". For the first time in my life i was pumped about quitting. I mean I REALLY wanted it.

I guess if I had a tool box of sorts - I was planning on smashing my cigarette machine with a hammer one month into my quit. Yeah one month just in case I decided to relapse.

To be God-honest, I did not think I would last as a non smoker. Somehow I did though. But yeah i ended up giving the machine to my sister who was gonna give it to our nephew.

I didn't really explain how to use it but figured he would probably learn. After all, he was 8 years old, he could read the instructions well enough. Ok kidding aside, he was over 30.

 

So I ditched everything smoking related. That was a physical tool.

My motivation to stay quit was the biggest thing.

ONE tool though, and I hope no one else suffers this - close to Thanksgiving in 2017, I ended up with cellulitis (it is NOT smoking related). It was the WORST ailment I have ever had. All I wanted to do was lay around and suffer. during those couple weeks, i wasn't gonna do jack crap to make myself feel worse. Long story short, life SUCKED during that time. Short of cash, thanksgiving ruined, it was cold, work sucked, etc.

 

The point is, you know Mr Titwank would probably enjoy it.

[Rozuki]

Oh my...I didn't have a tool box. I did have a journal I wrote 25 years before I actually quit...all about how I didn't want to be forced to quit...and the reasons why smoking sucked and why I needed to stop smoking but that didn't happen at that time...I just went on my merry way smoking like a chimney!

 

2017- It was do or die for me now....I quit while on way to hospital while having a stroke!

 

While in hospital I let staff know I was gonna need the patch to get through this...and they provided it! I gritted my teeth and played Solitaire on my phone for hours at a time and then I would try to sleep (not easy when in hospital!)

 

Once I got back home, I was filled with anxiety....knowing that I had to keep this quit or else! I had really damaged my body and more horrible stuff was to come in the next few months (CABGx3)!

 

I managed to keep my quit by finding an online support group (QSMB) and deep breathing, admitting I was an addict and educating myself. Every time a crave hit....I was off walking which was a miracle in itself!! I had survived a stroke with no lasting damage!

 

When I had hit my one year quit milestone, I was so thankful! One month later QSMB was no more!!! Ack....I knew I still needed support...luckily found the Quit Train!

 

What is in my toolbox now:

 

Smoking is not an option - it is damaging my arteries and my lungs.

The fact that I now have seen that my skin looks better, my eyes look better, I no longer stink, I no longer have that awful cough.

 

I have the power to say NO to a crave.

I am educated about the addiction.

I am strong.

I am powerful.