Cravings are real – they’re not just your imagination. When you feel the 'crazies' you may also notice that your mood changes, and your heart rate and blood pressure may go up. Try these tips to get through these times, and hang in there – the cravings will get better:
[*]Keep substitutes handy that you can suck or chew on, such as carrots, pickles, apples, celery, raisins, or sugar-free gum or hard candy.
[*] Know that anger, frustration, anxiety, irritability, and even depression are normal after quitting and will get better with time. See your doctor if these feelings last for more than a month.
[*] Take 10 deep breaths, and hold the last one while lighting a match. Exhale slowly and blow out the match. Pretend it is a cigarette and put it out in an ashtray.
[*] Go for a walk. Exercise can improve your mood and relieve stress.
[*] Take a shower or bath.
[*] Learn to relax quickly and deeply. Make yourself go limp. Think about a soothing, pleasing situation, and imagine yourself there. Get away from it all for a moment. Focus on that peaceful image and nothing else.
[*] Light incense or a candle instead of a cigarette.
[*] Tell yourself 'no.' Say it out loud. Practice doing this a few times, and listen to yourself. Some other things you can say to yourself might be, “I’m too strong to give in to smoking,” “I’m not a smoker now,” or “I don’t want to let my friends and family down.”
[*] Never allow yourself to think that “one cigarette won’t hurt,” because it very likely will.
[*] Wear a rubber band around your wrist. Whenever you have a thought about smoking, snap it against your wrist to remind yourself of all the unpleasant reasons that made you want to quit in the first place. Then remember that you will not always need a rubber band to help you stay in line with your plans to quit."
Hope something listed above helps...although I don't see you as the incense lighting type
actually i used to be the incense lighting type but then i found soy wax scented candles vanilla to be exact (not sure if im allowed to post a link so i wont ) im trying to stay strong also problem is i had to go off champix due to side effects but have since started again and not sure but feeling like ive bummed out on this attempt and been thinking i should just fall down totally then at least i can pick myself back up and dust myself off after a few weeks and start another full on quit with a full course of champix etc game plan.
mainly just had to vent due to other pressures such as other half has a lot of custody issues at the moment and she is really stressed (non smoker) and putting pressure on me to do something about the situation and non stop talking about it so in turn im stressing the hell out to the point where i get on the phone to other ppl and i lose my cool as well and then i want to go around there and kick their friggin heads in and have some fun pounding some meat heads in (just venting)
ive found ive been fairly level headed during my quit so this feeling stressed is just getting the better of me and ive eaten all the friggin lollies and crap to last me a lifetime (im sure at least some of u hear that right lol) i dont want to go back to this filthy smelly habit.
thanx for reading my vent
cheers
gra
One month, three days, 21 hours, 39 minutes and 44 seconds. 2094 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,068.00. Life saved: 1 week, 6 hours, 30 minutes.
You're doing the right thing re venting...100%. Plus there's the knowledge that others here get the issue. Not your specific real life issue but rather the quitting aspect. I'd vent about how fekin' cold it is here in Scotland but I suspect you may not fully appreciate that, living as you do in Oz.
im trying to stay strong also problem is i had to go off champix due to side effects but have since started again and not sure but feeling like ive bummed out on this attempt and been thinking i should just fall down totally then at least i can pick myself back up and dust myself off after a few weeks and start another full on quit with a full course of champix etc
Hi Gra
This sounds more like making a deal with yourself to buy a couple more weeks smoking time, to me! Which in itself is a very normal part of the process!
Especially in the early days, it can be very hard to work out what is down to stopping smoking, what is attributable to the side effects of the Champix, and what is about life in general. The best advice I can give you is to try and stick with the quit, and stay as calm as possible.
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