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Still haven't figured out how to go about limiting myself to 6 cigarettes a day which is my goal. It's a lot like quitting smoking all together. Most of the time, you are not smoking.

It helps to pretend I'm quitting altogether. I need to be using an approach that doesn't have me thinking about smoking and cigarettes much of the time. I just want to be free, if only in my thinking, if that makes sense. Today feels like a good day to limit my smoking according to my goal. I need to practise moderation which is also my goal.

I'm pretty neurotic and impulsive so practising moderation will be a challenge. I can't change who I am, but I think I can let go of being neurotic about smoking and direct my impulses instead to other things that are important to me. Take care everyone and let me know if you thing I'm crazy, illusional or maybe on the right track. I'm craving cigarettes just thinking about what I'm going to do so I'll go now and do laundry. Darn cravings.

Good Morning...
well its here, once again day 1 of a quit.. I am feeling positive so I am looking forward to what no smoking will mean for me.. Woke up to a cloudy stormy kinda day sooooo looks like a good day to pamper myself indoors.. Feeling good about this one, so there's that.. lol wish me luck.....talk tomorrow
lilchronic

Wow 7 1/2 months of zero cigarettes!!! Yay!

I used patches for 1 week at the beginning then lozenges and gum.
Periodically I still chew on 2 mg gum.
My question is, after all this time when do I quit the gum?

Quitting smoking can cause withdrawal symptoms such as nervousness or anxiety, as the body and mind adjust to being without nicotine. Here are some tips to reduce anxiety after quitting smoking:

Practice deep breathing: Take long, deep breaths to calm your mind and relax your body. Try inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, and then slowly exhaling for four seconds. Repeat this technique several times to ease anxiety.

Exercise: Physical activity is an excellent way to reduce anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins, which improve mood and reduce stress. A simple daily walk, yoga, or cycling can make a big difference.

Avoid anxiety triggers: Identify situations that increase your anxiety and find ways to avoid or manage them. For example, if certain social situations remind you of smoking, try to avoid them or face them using relaxation techniques.

Use distraction techniques: When you feel anxious, keep yourself busy with activities you enjoy, such as reading, listening to music, drawing, or doing crafts. This can take your mind off anxiety.

Practice mindfulness or meditation: Mindfulness helps you stay grounded in the present moment and reduce anxious thoughts. Even a few minutes of meditation per day can help calm the mind and manage anxiety.

Seek support: Talk to friends, family, or a healthcare professional about your feelings of anxiety. Sharing your experiences can help you better understand them and find solutions.

Maintain a balanced diet: Avoid sugary or fatty foods, as they can increase mood swings. Opt for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to stabilize your energy and mood.

Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can help flush toxins from your body and reduce withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages, as they can increase anxiety.

Get enough sleep: Good sleep is important for managing anxiety. Try to maintain a regular sleep routine and create a sleep-friendly environment by limiting screen time before bed and ensuring a calm, dark room.

Be patient with yourself: Understand that anxiety is a normal part of withdrawal and that it will diminish over time. Remember that each day without a cigarette is a step toward a less anxious and more balanced life.

By combining these strategies, you can reduce anxiety after quitting smoking and thus promote a smoother transition to a smoke-free life.

Today, I'm thinking about goals. I looked up goals on the internet and it said that your goals should be realistic and attainable. I take that to mean smaller goals that stretch you a bit, but are doable. I want to apply this to reducing cigarettes. Have to do some thinking on this.

The times I quit smoking this past year something unexpected happened both times: from the moment I had my last cigarette my life became chaotic and dramatic. It was usually a lot of drama until I relapsed and then when I was back to smoking, things became calm.
Drama gone.

This got me thinking about setting smaller, easier goals to avoid the drama and ease my way along my journey to drastically reducing my smoking. At least, with an easier goal, I hope I can say often, " yay, I did it, I stuck to it!" because I need to feel successful instead of focusing on my failures to reduce smoking. Please don't give up on me.

So I am not entirely sure if one would consider this a relapse or not, but day 1 quitting vaping with NRT was too challenging as I have been addicted to nicotine since I was 13 and now in my late 30s. I realized my addition is two-fold: nicotine and oral fixation.

I ended up getting my nicotine-free vape juice day 1 and found that has helped me tremendously this week while I overcome the nicotine cravings. For instance, I have had the worst insomnia of my life and keep waking up almost every hour just craving for nicotine. I will have a puff of my vape (even though it's got no nicotine) and it seems to help me at least a little bit psychologically. By using my nicotine-free vape juice, I actually haven't even used my NRT in two days. Once my nicotine-withdrawal insomnia settles down, which I understand could take up to about 4 weeks, I will quit the vaping altogether, but for now the 0-nicotine vape juice has helped me in overcoming the nicotine addiction so far.

well
make it through hell week
ya,
some tough moments
but stuck to the quit
thank you to the forum members for the support and encouragement

I'm finding it hard so far to limit myself to 6 cigarettes a day. I don't seem to have much willpower in me. The thing is I feel so good physically and save so much money when I stick to the 6, I don't understand why I would ever have more that the 6. I guess it's the darn nicotine addiction.

Plus, I'm socially isolated. In all honesty, I don't have any friends right now. No one to call when I'm getting a craving and want someone to talk me out of it and remind me how crazy a decision it is to smoke. This post is my way of checking in and staying on course. I'm grateful for all the comments I get when I post. People on this forum are very wise and helpful, thank you.

All I can do is keep trying... I feel so ashamed of myself for not being strong enough, diligent enough,and most important not loving myself enough to do this. The clock she is a ticking and I want to at least accomplish this one important thing that I should do for myself.. Enough should finally be enough .. thank you for your support
lilchronic

Day one and I am so weak for a puff to amp me up. I've had my party for the week back to work til next week. Enjoy your weekend people. I'm so excited to be six hours without crashing so far. That's the longest time yet this past week. Quietly confident I can refuse to smoke that garbage anymore. Deny myself I can never trust myself. It's a big fight against all the cannabis and methamphetamine but not cigarette. Tonight I have had my fill of it. I refuse to smoke ever again. My lungs hurt but the craving doesn't last once I knock it out the park.

I got carried away with things in my life the last few days and forgot to focus on reducing my smoking. Doing this post is my way of getting my focus back. I need to get back to delaying and staying busy. Try not to stress about things because that just makes me want to smoke. At the same time as all of this, I need to relax and not feel afraid most of the time like I usually do. I'll do an update soon and hopefully have progress and good news to report.

I have finally shed the nasty effects of quitting smoking. Lets see where am I? I think I'm at 7.5 months free of addiction. Sure did take awhile and I was starting to wonder if I'd ever feel normal again. The biggest problem I had was the heartburn/acid reflux every time I ate. It took a lot of research and natural supplements to fix it but I have at last become free of the side effects from quitting. Now I should say too that I am later stage menopause so that too plays a part in heartburn...but it got real bad after quitting. To those that have no problems I congratulate you. I smoked for 38 years and I guess that's why my digestive system had such a hard time having no nicotine to help digest foods. It's ALL WORTH IT guys!

My ex taught me how to smoke and drink , we have been together for 6 years now
We basically do nasty things when we get h*gh
And now when I was trying to recover his data that was ha*led by someone because that’s my job, I found out he had a s*xtrape with his ex girlfriend and even went further to check his mail and found out they have been together for a year and they are planning to get married
Probably is because I smoke that’s why he wants to leave me I love him so much ..I need an advice
PS for lost socials and data Cybrspace . co

day 5
first day back to work since the quit
really missing sitting on the patio with a cold beer and a few smokes after work.
haven t given in , but so tempting.
i know better
but its tough