Day 74 today and only remembered yesterday I had moved into month 3. A bit late but thought I'd post anyway as I am feeling quite pleased with myself. I've tried to stop twice before and never made it past 6 weeks.
I decided at about 11pm on 30th September to give "Stoptober" a go and have somehow have muddled through without any plan but it seems to be working for me. If I'd planned a date to quit in advance I would have ended up stressing about it making it too hard for me to give up on the planned date. The element of surprise did work for me. And I told nobody apart from my best friend (and Charlie Dog of course but he's very good at keeping a secret!) so I felt less pressure and gradually told other people from about two weeks in or when they noticed I wasn't smoking. I also had a packet of cigarettes in the house until I felt it was the right time to give them away. I had no help from a stop smoking advisor (although I did try to get help from my local Boots store who offer this service, but their help was showing me where the NRT products were and leaving me to choose something).
I've read all the leaflets so know my unconventional quit method isn't what the experts advise - you're meant to plan a date, get rid of everything to do with smoking and tell everybody so they can support you. My method is probably not a recommended way to give up smoking but what I am trying to say is do whatever feels right and works for you, do anything (within reason of course!) as long as you don't light up. The one thing I do recommend is this forum. Whatever you are going through someone's been there & got the t-shirt and will help you.
I like not smoking and never do I go into a shop and consider buying a pack but I still get cravings sometimes. That doesn't make much sense does it but I'm working through it. I am hoping the days when I just feel so exhausted using every bit of willpower I have not to smoke will get fewer. Haven't had one for a while but I'm not letting my guard down. I still feel pleased at the end of each day when I can mark off another smoke free day on the calendar. It is amazing how something as trivial as that can be a motivation. I now have on order from EBay a cute mini star shaped chalk board with the words "days since I stopped smoking" to replace just scribbling the days on the calendar. My last bit of advice - any little things like that which motivate you to stay quit - exploit them to the max even if it does mean spending £6 on a silly sign!
Anyway I have rambled on long enough now. Thanks everyone for your support so far.
it's the little things that keep us going, I also have one of those signs! I just bought another for weight loss! But it helps to physically see how well you are doing
"wow" 50 days tommorrow!!
Day 5 - Another forum newbie!
