Craving and consintrating
It is day two... Decided not to use tablets and just go for it.... today is harder than yesterday... any ideas on how to say focussed?
Hi Nicole,
It all about mind strength and keeping busy. keep yourself doing something constantly so that the cravings don't have as much power or time to invade your mind. Cook, clean, write, do puzzles, crosswords, colour in, walk, meditate, go to the gym, draw, play games online, knit, fix something ..... Make a list of all the things you could do so that when your having a hard moment refer to it and do one of them until the cravings pass.
Best of luck
For the first couple of days I kept coffee stirrers handy and chewed on them. I also find having a breath mint (not a NRT mint) after dinner helped push the post-dinner cravings aside. Taking 10 conscious deep breaths when cravings strike is also a good tool. Be assured in the fact that on average cravings don't last longer than 3 minutes. All you have to do is make it 3 minutes.
Hi Nicole J as i have previously said to others on this site you need to be honestly devoted and have strong reasons for wanting to quit. If not i think you will find it extremely hard. If you do have strong devotions then yes i kid you not the first 2 weeks is mind blowing. I smoked for 50 yrs and now going into 6 weeks i am finding that i only need 2 nrt lozenges a day . So yes, it will get easier. Good luck Nicole and keep posting.. We are all here to help one another...Cheers.
Hey Nicole. You're doing brilliantly. Well done for wanting to quit and making the decision to do so. Take the first few days an hour at a time.
When the cravings occur have some sugar-free gum at the ready and stand strong against them. Get yourself a mantra to chant (say it in your head) - something simple like "you have no power over me", mentally push the craving away (visualising it as an unwelcome member of my family helped me). You need to get your head round it though, whatever way to choose. You have to tell yourself you don't need it and then pull yourself up to your full height and take some deep breaths.
Hope one or all of these suggestions help. Just remember how brilliant you are :) Good luck, flower, let us know how you get on. The first few days are the toughest, once you're through that you can take it a day at a time
Hi Nic well you have come to the right place, the people here are very supportive and inspirational, and we are all on the same path, some further ahead than others. Wherever you feel regardless of how extreme or strange that is - really is quite normal, for me all I did was cry, my family really thought I had lost it lol, but I have come out the other side prob not normal cos I don't think I have ever been normal and I'm not really sure what normal is. I work on one hour/day at a time and each cigarette not smoked is a step forward on my path. I come here and read when the cravings strike, perhaps this is something you can try. Good luck and stick with it we are all here to help