Tips for quitting smoking!

Finally kicked the habit last June! Can you believe it? Honestly, I was a total wreck at first—super jittery, everything was getting on my last nerve, just constant irritation. But then I told myself, "Hey, I can handle this," and look at me now. I feel so much better! 👍

stormynomad602 said:Everyone’s mistake is thinking they can just quit for a month or a year—it’s never just a temporary break. I was just saying this was my last one; she blew out the candle and never lit it again.😉

I don't actually know anyone who "quits for a year or a month."😕 What does that even mean? From what I've seen, everyone wants to kick the habit for good, they just usually fail at it. 😢

As for me, I've made it two weeks—it’s honestly been way easier than I expected or prepared for. Hopefully, it stays that way. Once you get your head straight, things feel manageable. I keep telling myself—if you can make it through one day, you can make it through the next; if you hit a week, you can hit two. That's the logic I'm sticking to.🙂

Come on, guys, hang in there. If I can pull off two weeks, anyone can.🙂😲 👋

Quitting smoking is actually quite simple; I’ve already done it a thousand times before. 😁

ambertiger4 said:I honestly don't know anyone who just "quits for a month or a year."😕 What do you even mean by that? From what I've seen, everyone wants to kick the habit for good, they just... fail at it. 😢

As for me, I've made it two weeks, and honestly, it’s been way easier than I thought it would be or prepared for. Hopefully, it stays this way. I guess once you get your head right, everything stays under control. And there's that thing—that really helps me—where you tell yourself, "if you can make it through one day, you can do the next; if you can do a week, you can do two." I'm sticking to that pretty hard. 🙂

Come on, guys, hang in there! If I can pull off two weeks, literally anyone can!! 🙂😲 👋

That's exactly how my husband acts whenever he quits; he'll say, "I'll just try it for a few months,"🙄 then he ends up relapsing and his excuse is always, "well, I did say a few months."🙄

stormynomad602 said:This is exactly how my husband acts whenever he tries to quit. He always says, "I'll just try for a few months,"🙄 then he fails and uses that as his excuse: "Well, I did say a few months."🙄

Remind him about that neighbor who used to drink everything except burnt oil!

Way too many young and middle-aged people are dying from lung cancer.
A friend of mine passed away from lung cancer at just 38 years old
because of smoking, leaving behind two kids and a heartbroken husband.

I smoked heavily for 32 years before finally quitting to set an example for my teenage son. It’s been 16 years now, and while the temptation might pop up occasionally... I gave my word. Never again.!!!!!!!

Lungs are much healthier without it!

👋 👋
🙂 😉 😎

The images below show lungs in various conditions. If you have a weak stomach or are easily nauseated, I wouldn't recommend looking—these are from an Autopsy!

HEALTHY LUNGS

LUNG CANCER

EMPHYSEMA


Ultimately, the choice is yours regarding which lungs you'll be breathing with until the end!

👋 👋

🙂 😉 😎

Let’s be clear, I was never a heavy smoker. I actually quit during a bad bout of the flu because everything just felt revolting, including cigarettes. Since then, I’ve made sure to physically distance myself from the habit—NO buying a new pack, NO heading out to the smoking area on breaks, and so on. Cravings are inevitable... Sometimes I think it would be nice to light up right now—when you smoke, you get a few minutes to yourself, a chance to reset and decompress... But all in all, it’s a nasty habit. PERIOD.

Thanks, Jamie Clark74.
I think I might actually set that image of yours as my desktop wallpaper...
Maybe if people see it, the whole intimidation tactic will finally start working.

I didn't even spend days obsessing over quitting. I just lit the last one in the pack and, while it was smoldering away, decided right then and there that this was officially my final cigarette.

The cravings are hitting hard, and I’m basically turning into a total slob cleaning out the fridge... But like my partner always says: You aren't going to light up again just because you're being a stubborn mule; once you set your mind to something, you stick to it.

I keep repeating his words like a mantra! 😂 Honestly, who knows if the willpower will actually hold up? 😁 😎

Alright folks, day 3 without a cigarette.
I’ve got a whole stash sitting on my desk right now. Unopened.
I'm off work at the moment, which makes things a little easier, I guess.
Wondering if I actually have the guts to pull this off.
But I really want to.

Any ideas on how to make this suck less?

Drop some useful tips if you've got 'em.

Just keep going exactly like you have for the last three days when you show up to work, and I'm sure you won't light up a single cigarette.

This might sound totally ridiculous, but I’ve actually started seeing myself as a non-smoker. And honestly? It’s working. 🙂

...It's all just a mental game...

mistymarlin7 said:............
I have a full box sitting on my desk. Unopened.
..........
Any advice?

Just toss the damn thing already!!! It doesn't matter if it hasn't been opened yet. Don't let it tempt you...

My girlfriend quit smoking three months ago.
She isn't my girl anymore.
The traitor.

mistymarlin7 said:Folks, I’m on day three without a cigarette.
I have a whole pack sitting right here on my desk, unopened.
I'm off work at the moment, which makes things a little easier.
I wonder if I can actually pull this off.
But I really want to.

Does anyone know how to make this easier?

Any useful advice?

Just leave that unopened pack somewhere you can give it to someone who clearly lacks the willpower to quit... that's what I did about 16 or 17 years ago... he still smokes today... struggling to breathe... coughing constantly... always catching a cold...

👋 👋

🙂 😉 :cool

I only picked up the habit about six months ago—at twenty-six years old, no less—and I’m already finding myself completely unable to quit.
😁

Maria Bennett2 said:I only started smoking six months ago at age 26, and I already can't quit.
😁

I was clearly the smart one since I started at 14!

Check my post from 10/02/04 with the links showing what this poison does to your lungs... imagine how hard it is to quit after 32 years of smoking.

We had no idea what we were doing back then. In 2004, everyone understands the consequences now.

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🙂 😉 😎

I’m not entirely sure if cutting back on the daily count actually helps you quit for good, but I know for a fact it does nothing for your health. Seriously, the data shows that even if you slash your cigarette intake by a massive 95%, you're only reducing the damage to your body by about 40%. 🙄

The math just doesn't add up, does it? 😉 😛

mistymarlin7 said:Hey everyone—it’s day three for me without a cigarette.
I've got a whole pack sitting right there on my desk at home, unopened.
I’m off work this week, which honestly makes things a little easier.
Just wondering if I have what it takes to pull this off.
But I really want to.

Any ideas on how to make this suck less?

Any advice out there?

Honestly, you're doing great!! If you can make it through three days, you can handle three more. For me, just telling myself "you've got this" was a huge help... 😉 My last cigarette was three weeks ago and I'm cruising—way easier than I expected, actually. I can hardly believe it myself. I've been snacking on fruit, drinking tons of water, and grabbing stuff like pretzels or Goldfish...

The first week is a grind, but after that, the cravings mostly fade away. One trick that worked for me: my last few cigarettes were moments where I actually felt nauseous thinking about smoking. I forced myself to light up those last ones just to prove a point, and they tasted awful. Now, whenever a craving hits, I just remember that gross feeling and the urge vanishes. 😉 It's nothing you can't beat with a little Pavlovian conditioning... 😉

Get rid of that pack before you lose your nerve... Just hang in there for a few more days. I promise the second and third weeks get much smoother! 👋 Not to mention the sheer pride and happiness you'll feel once you hit those milestones. 👍

Joseph Jones85 said:I’m not entirely sure if cutting back on cigarettes actually helps you quit for good in the long run, but I do know it doesn't do much for your health. Apparently, reducing your cigarette intake by as much as 95% only lowers the harmful effects by about 40%.🙄

Not exactly the math we were hoping for, right?... 😉 😛

I think I heard that statistic somewhere too... maybe the body just tries to compensate by pulling more nicotine out of those fewer cigarettes...
But then again, I'm not really sold on that idea, because besides the nicotine, there are still so many other nasty things in tobacco smoke... so that theory doesn't quite sit right with me...
Does anyone have a better explanation for this?