Hi, going into my 4th month of being smoke free. Today is also special for 2 reasons 1 it's my 10 yr anniversary free from alcohol and a couple other substances and now free from smoking. I also had a cancer scare and am cancer free but lesson learned that was too close to home. The other reason today is special is its overdose awareness that started the same day as getting sober. I would be 11 yrs smoke free if I didn't relapse after 10 yrs. I have also relapsed on the pot which is getting out of control like usual I recognize my patterns and down falls just seem stuck in doing anything about it yet. I have gained weight and the pot doesn't help. Nevertheless I wanted to stay in touch with my support community to celebrate what I am smober sober from. Thank you 😊
Hello there! I had quit smoking for 8 years. Went through some trauma. Stopping drinking, started micro dosing M to cope. Quit that in November along with weed. More trauma and to cope started smoking
I kept fooling with that little wheeze that kept bugging me in my right lung. Now I have a wheeze and I’m sick all over. I was wondering when all the shit would start coming out of me. My sinuses are on fire. I must look like hell because one of my guys said he decided to try and make out with me today but changed his mind when he saw the snot.
Just realised, the counter here is telling me I've reached 6 months. I feel so proud and delighted to have gotten to this checkpoint. It was the goal I set myself when I started out on this journey and it's just fantastic to be here again. This time I'm not going to give in to temptations and battle on as I have been and reach a full year. I'm half way there. Can you believe that? A full year.
To anyone who is starting out or thinking about it... go for it. There is never a 'right time' to quit; as someone who always had an excuse be it mental health or not ready. Just bite the bullet and go for it. This forum has helped me so much and I feel like I've joined a little family here... everyone looking out for each other and cheering each other on along the way. I don't want to let myself down but moreso, don't want to let anyone else here down either.
I am going to pick up that pair of sandles after work and one bottle of wine to celebrate.
How do I feel... well the cough is long gone.. no wheezing when breathing... the pains I used to feel down my back in the mornings after waking up are gone. I'm sleeping a lot better, eating better... I don't stink of stale cigarette smoke. My fingers are not yellow. And the extra money saved really has made a difference.
Thank you so much to everyone here... other posters and coaches alike. You don't understand (or maybe you do) how much the encouragement and support means to someone like me, who's doing their best to just try hang on day to day and battle this monster.
I still get cravings but smoking now is foreign to me. I still have the spray for hard times.. and I use the vape when I need to but my goal was to get to 6 months not smoking cigarettes and now that has been achieved.
If I can do it anyone can.
Daily Quit Journey Checklist...
- I took a moment to check in with myself today.
- I reminded myself why I chose to quit.
- I paused instead of reacting to at least one craving.
- I used a healthy coping strategy (breathing, walking, etc.)
- I stayed hydrated and took care of my body.
- I was patient and kind to myself.
- I avoided or managed a trigger.
- I reacted out or stayed connected (even briefly).
- I acknowledged one small win today.
- I chose not to smoke or vape today.
You don't need to check every box perfectly, even a few is progress. What matters is that you keep showing up for yourself, one day at a time.
About 30 years ago I quit smoking cigarettes. The next day I started dating a lady I would later marry.
After 8 years or so I joined up with some friends for a weekend in the Shuswap Lake area who I hadn't seen in like, forever.
We were all given a very nice Cuban cigar by the host, which I smoked throughout that Saturday. It was nice to be with them enjoying one another's company.
Come the next day I drove home and all was good. After awhile I started thinking on buying a nice cigar for myself every so often. You know as a 'reward' for grinding it out at work and the day to day events. My wife, an anti smoking advocate, actually said she liked the smell.
That gave the nicotine monster within me a green light. It had the hold it needed.
And so the every once in awhile cigar eventually, after months, nudged it's way into a monthly, weekly, then daily 'reward'.
Before I knew it. I was a smoker again. Never even crossed my mind that I was travelling down the road to addiction AGAIN!
How could I have been so blind!?
Certainly not my then wife's fault to be completely honest!
Anyways the point is that TODAY I am hyper aware of the ways I live and pick and choose those things I do in much more deliberate ways.
I may never get trapped in the nicotine trap again but there are many other traps in life. Quitting this time, even after 6.5 years, has taught me to be more aware of what the hell I'm doing 😁
Nicotine is so sneaky. I recall from past quits I thought I was strong enough and far enough into the quit to allow myself 'one' at the end of the week. But thats not the case. Soon one a week turned into one a day... then that turned into full relapse. I recall I used keep a pack in my locker at college and go there every friday when the place had quietened down and have a sneaky smoke.
Theres no room for sneaky and I was fooling no one but myself. The last big quit I last this long, I thought it would be ok to smoke 'one' of my flatmates cigarettes. The taste was rotten, the feel of it in my fingers again felt strange and I didnt enjoy it one bit. But just the one was enough to send me into a spiral and then, before I knew it, I was right back to a pack a day habit... some days even more. In fact I found I nearly smoked more than I did before I quit.
So armed with that experience and the disappointment I felt, I am not going to let that happen this time. It would be like cheating in a relationship... always regret and feeling guilty. At the start of a quit we are so determined to succeed and fighting tooth and nail to hold on. As the weeks and months roll by, we sometimes lose touch with how hard those early days were. But we have to stay vigilant and keep NOPE close in mind at all times.
No I will not smoke with you today! Nor tomorrow!
Im still here. Plugging along. Kinda just blah. lol. I asked about detailing my truck. The guys in the shop down the street said I could borrow the ozonator. I live in a pretty nice town. I’ve slowed down on the overeating. It’s getting boring. I’ll try getting back to the gym. My right lung seams to have some phlegm stuck in there. It doesn’t make me cough. I can feel and hear it when I exhale with force. I was thinking maybe trying some cough medicine
I am 3 months and 2 days vape free after consistent, heavy usage for 4 years! Quit with my boyfriend and a couple friends. I used the patch program and it helped tremendously.
However, I recently went on a camping trip with my boyfriend + friends in which we smoked quite a lot of cigarettes. I was never really addicted to cigarettes or enjoyed them much for that matter. But since we've returned and I've been without them, my cravings are much stronger.
I'm debating just getting a pack, I don't see it as a big deal because it's not vaping, but I know that's wrong. I need some strength! Also going through quite a lot of school + personal life stress right now so the cravings are very loud.
Change Your Routine, Change Your Outcome
One of the most powerful tools in a quit journey is something simple but often overlooked: your daily routine. Smoking or vaping is deeply tied to habits such as: the morning coffee, the work break, the drive home, the moments of stress or boredom. When the routine stays the same, the urge often follows. That's why changing your routine can make a big difference.
Your brain is used to patterns. It connects certain times, places, and activities with nicotine. When you shift those patterns, even slightly, you interrupt the automatic cycle. Something as simple as drinking your coffee in a different place, taking a different route, or replacing a smoke break with short walk can help weaken those associations.
Changing your routine also creates space for new habits. Instead of removing something and leaving a gap, you're filling that space with healthier actions. This could be movement, breathing exercises, music, journaling, or simply taking a few minutes to reset. These new routines start to become your new "normal" over time.
It's important to remember that change doesn't have to be drastic. Small adjustments are often more effective and easier to maintain. The goal isn't to completely redesign your life overnight, but to gently shift the parts that are most connected to your old habit.
As you build these new patterns, you may notice that cravings become less frequent or intense. That's because your brain is learning something new. You're showing your yourself that you can move through your day differently, without relying on nicotine.
In the end, changing your routine is about more than avoiding triggers. It's about creating a lifestyle that supports your well-being and your goals. One small change at a time, you're building a day that works for you, not against you.
I haven’t had a cigarette for 3 months. I feel really good about that. I’ve been using nicotine gum to help me through. I’d like to start weaning myself off the gum. Would appreciate any good tips on how to do this.
One more week and I'll hit 6 months. I can do this. I will be so proud of myself for getting that far and it will be down to in most part, being part of this forum. Then I'll push to get to 7 months and that will definitely be the furthest I've ever gotten into a quit.
One question though... at what point should we ideally be letting go of the quitting aids like the spray mist? Or should we just play it day by day and always have those substitutes for times of need? I'm finding I'm beginning to get nothing from my vape anymore. I switched the flavour to strawberry last week and its not enjoyable at all. I'll go back to the cola. I really only use the spray at work at my desk. Its been working fine.
I've only been smoking and vaping for two years, but I'm using the vape heavily so I will really struggle to quit. I'm quitting April 13. I'm most concerned about my mood when I quit because when I tried before I struggled with irritation and a depressed mood. I want to quit because I want to take good care of myself and not be controlled by a substance. I also want to save money.
Break the Cycle, Reclaim Your Life: The Power of choosing Yourself Every Day
Quitting smoking or vaping is not just about stopping a habit, it's about breaking a cycle that has quietly shaped your days, you reactions, and even how you cope with life. For many, nicotine becomes tied to everything: stress, routines, social moments, and even identity. When you step away from it, you're not just removing something, you're creating space to rediscover yourself without it.
One of the most important things to understand is that change doesn't happen all at once. It happens in small, repeated choices. Evey time you pause instead of reacting, every time you choose to sit with a feeling instead of escaping it, you are weakening the old pattern. These moments may seem small, but they are powerful. They are how you take your control back.
There will be times when it feels difficult, when cravings are strong or emotions feel overwhelming. That doesn't mean you're going backward. It means you're facing what nicotine used to cover. And in doing that, you are building real strength, the kind that lasts, the kind that doesn't depend on anything external.
It's also important to recognize that your journey is your own. There is no perfect timeline, no perfect method, and no perfect way to feel. What matters is that you stay committed to yourself. Some days you will feel proud, other days unsure, but both are part of the process.
Over time, something shifts. You begin to notice that you don't think about it as much. You respond differently to stress. You feel more present, more in control. And perhaps most importantly, you start to trust yourself again.
This journey is not about losing something, it's about gaining freedom, clarity, and self-respect. Every day you choose yourself, you're building a life that is no longer controlled by a habit.
And that is something worth continuing.....