Quitting smoking is supposed to be very difficult, so there are so many different techniques on how to do it. And at least one should help you in this difficult matter .
Hello everyone on my blog.
Today I want to offer an interesting technique - a calendar for a smoker who has quit smoking.
In this quit smoking calendar, I write out: what you need to do, how to prepare, how you will feel - by month, by day, and even by hour!
We know - prepared means armed!
I tried to describe as accurately as possible what happens when you quit smoking day by day. And everything that will be described below, I felt and tested on myself (22 years of smoker experience) and wrote it down in very, very detail!
The essence of the calendar is self-control, that is, you set tasks and goals for yourself, and control their implementation.
And so on for three whole years!
Quit smoking calendar, preparation
With the Quit Smoking Calendar you will learn day by day what happens to your body when you quit smoking.
What to expect the next day, what you will have to do in a week, etc., and how to deal with it. This greatly facilitates the task of a smoker who wants to quit smoking.
The very first thing is to get yourself a calendar, big or small, it doesn’t matter. You will need to mark all the dates in it, make notes, and you will also put “crosses” - no matter how much you smoke, this will greatly motivate you not to smoke again.
Take a calendar and write right now: I’m quitting smoking - day one, two, three...
Set a withdrawal date
It is advisable that it be a day off, so it will be easier for you to control your “bad habit” - there will be less incentive to smoke, it will be easier to manage the situation at home, etc.
You can see tips on how to quit smoking.
We still need this day to be in the next 1-2 weeks. This time will be enough for you to prepare. There is no need to delay the date for too long - you can change your mind!
After all, if you quit smoking earlier, your body will recover faster!
During this time, you need to learn about the dangers of smoking , understand the benefits of quitting smoking, what will change if you quit smoking, etc.
Attention! It is my deep conviction that we should not quit purely on willpower!
Firstly , few people can hold out for long. And secondly , a smoker has a strong psychological attachment to the smoking process (ritual), therefore, if you simply “break” yourself, serious problems may arise, even mental disorders.
Therefore, before your quit date, you should be prepared and understand what will change if you quit smoking.
If we voice this readiness in words, it would be “I’m so tired of smoking!”, or “I don’t want to smoke, I understand perfectly well that there is nothing good in it!” Well, if your thoughts are like this: “I smoke because I like smoking!”, then it’s too early for you to quit, you need to get ready...
Well, down with the lyrics, let's start the countdown!
Seven days until failure
Write down on a piece of paper all the benefits of changes after quitting smoking. May he always be with you so that you can always look at him.
Six days until failure
This time, write down all your reasons to quit smoking.
It could be:
- Health
- Saving money
- Close
- Your own option
You should also keep this note with you, in difficult moments it will motivate you to “hold on and not break down.”
Five days until failure
You need to identify your smoking triggers.
Trigger (psychological term) – in your own words, this is a certain situation when you want to do something, in this case, smoke. This is a kind of “trigger” for a cigarette.
There are a lot of such triggers, and they are different for each person. Therefore, you need to determine them yourself, write them all down.
Knowing your enemy by sight will help you keep your “harmful” desire under control. That is, when you quit smoking, you will be able to avoid many triggers so as not to provoke yourself into a relapse again.
I will help you a little in identifying them.
Emotional Triggers:
- Depression
- Sense of anxiety
- Loneliness
- Boredom
- Hopelessness
- Your own option
Common triggers:
- Alcohol consumption
- Car driving
- After meal
- Along with coffee
- Take a work break - a “smoke break”
- After sex
- Your option
Social triggers:
- On vacation, in a bar, etc.
- Walking down the street, at a bus stop
- Seeing someone smoking
Four days until failure
Tell all your friends and family that you are quitting smoking. If any of them smoke, ask them not to smoke near you and respect your decision.
When everyone knows you're quitting, it will be easier for them to forgive you for being "a little nervous."
Three days until failure
Write down your “non-smoker” plan for the first week. At the same time, bypassing triggers to the maximum, provide interesting activities for distraction, and be sure to receive rewards, because you deserve it!
Two days until failure
- Remove all cigarette reminders
- Wash all clothes that smell of tobacco smoke
- Clean your car and home, anything that smells like smoke.
- In the places where the cigarettes were, put nicotine gum, lollipops...
One day until failure
You've probably already gotten rid of your lighter, ashtray and other smoker's accessories?
If not, then it’s time to do it - you won’t need them anymore!
Treatment of tobacco smoking
Like any drug addiction, nicotine addiction requires comprehensive treatment. To prevent withdrawal from nicotine from preventing a person from overcoming addiction, the best solution is to seek help from specialists.
Today, many clinics and centers offer treatment for nicotine addiction, which, as a rule, combines medication and work with a psychologist.
The use of medications helps overcome withdrawal symptoms during nicotine withdrawal, and psychotherapeutic effects make it possible to get rid of mental dependence on smoking.
In the case of tobacco smoking, this dependence is very strong, because smoking cigarettes occurs several times a day, which forms stable patterns of behavior, the relationship between smoking and certain situations that are repeated day after day. It is difficult for a person to overcome these conditioned reflexes, but psychotherapy methods can help to do this quite effectively. The specialist will teach techniques for self-soothing, shifting attention and internal mobilization without the use of cigarettes.
First day. Quit smoking calendar by the hour
On this day, be kind to yourself, if it's a day off - great, relax, treat yourself to a reward.
After all, you are no longer a smoker!
This is what happens to the body when you quit smoking, hour by hour.
In 15-30 minutes
Your blood pressure and pulse return to normal, and your lungs begin to function better.
In addition to nicotine and tar, the smoker inhales a large “dose” of carbon monoxide, which is formed when a cigarette burns.
Carbon monoxide is carbon monoxide, colorless, very toxic, odorless and tasteless. Causes poisoning that can be fatal. Signs of poisoning are dizziness, headache, nausea, etc. Wikipedia data.
Have you noticed such symptoms in yourself after active smoking?
But already, after half an hour, the carbon monoxide level drops slightly.
2 hours passed
Due to better peripheral blood circulation, your fingertips stop freezing.
The kidneys began to actively remove nicotine from the blood. Which accordingly leads to a physiological need to smoke, and its signs begin to appear:
- strong desire to smoke;
- bad mood, anxiety and nervousness;
- mood swings: from drowsiness to overexcitability;
- increased appetite.
After 8 hours
The level of oxygen in the blood increased, but the amount of carbon monoxide, on the contrary, decreased by half!
There is even less nicotine in the blood, which increases the need for smoking.
I haven't smoked for 12 hours
Oxygen returned to normal, carbon monoxide in the blood - no.
As a result, someone may notice that breathing becomes easier.
Day, 24 hours
Nicotine has already been completely removed from the blood.
How, at this time, you want to smoke! Which is what many people do!
It all depends on your level of motivation. If you have a feeling of joy and self-confidence - it has finally happened, I quit ! Everything is fine! You will succeed!
And of course, there is a craving for smoking! But it’s easy to withstand it, because today the level of motivation is the strongest!
It’s also unusual to go outside and... not light a cigarette!
What can make the body's recovery process easier?
Due to the active restoration of the mucous epithelium in the organs of the respiratory system, it is recommended to take daily walks in the fresh air and actively engage in sports. Physical training allows you to forget about the existence of cigarettes and will dull the physical attraction to smoking.
To stabilize your psychological state, it is recommended to consult with a narcologist and psychologist.
Specialists will help you choose the right drug therapy and give recommendations for restoring the body.
Quit smoking calendar by day
It makes no sense to schedule all the days for a quitter by the hour.
Next I will tell you what happens when you quit smoking - day by day.
Day two – I don’t smoke yet!
What happens to the body? When you quit smoking, your body begins to adapt to the absence of nicotine, and you feel more dependent on it.
The body begins to recover little by little, which is manifested by increased coughing.
I want to smoke more now, and occasionally thoughts come to me: “Or maybe he’ll do it!”
On occasion, hands also reach into the pocket for cigarettes.
What happens on the third day? I endure!
Peak nicotine starvation. The body has completely freed itself from nicotine, so it diligently “begs” for a dose.
At such a moment, the smell of tobacco smoke can easily provoke you into a breakdown, so beware of people who smoke.
The body is fully restored:
- Respiratory system. The bronchi and epithelium of the respiratory tract return to normal.
- Circulatory system. The regulation of vascular tone is normalized.
- CNS. The brain works better due to better blood flow.
But with the “psyche” everything is much more complicated. The desire to smoke is very strong, you are looking for a reason to break out. Thoughts are spinning in my head - “why am I doing this? After all, everything is fine, and with health ... "
Fear appears - after all, this is forever!
Important! At this moment, be sure to switch, and you will endure it; the “attack” of the desire to smoke will last no more than 5 minutes.
With all this, a feeling of emptiness appears inside, and nothing can fill it: neither food nor drinks. You always want something, but it’s all wrong...
In these difficult moments, chewing gum (even nicotine gum), candy, sunflower seeds, or anything that will provide a distraction will help.
And remember that in the first days of quitting smoking (in most cases) excess weight is gained, it doesn’t matter, this can be avoided, you can read more in detail here .
Or watch a short video.
Remember! Now two addictions are “screaming” - nicotine and psychological.
What will change on the fourth day? Let go!
Four days after I quit smoking, the changes in the body are almost not noticeable, but there are still:
- It's easier to breathe
- Headaches may go away
- My feet stopped freezing
So, you can cross out the entry “I quit smoking, day one, two, three.” You have successfully “overstepped” them and endured the worst.
Sometimes it seems that the desire to smoke has decreased a little.
From this day on, we need to bypass all our triggers as much as possible. Now they are working at full capacity, and any relaxation on our part will lead to a breakdown.
Also, on this day or a little later, the cough will become stronger.
This is normal - the resin asks to come out, the body has started cleaning. Everyone I've observed starts coughing after quitting smoking. Or rather, it intensified, because almost all smokers (with experience) suffer from this.
If the cough is dry, without mucus discharge, you can try breathing exercises.
It's simple - in the morning, when you get out of bed, exhale all the air from your lungs as much as you can. Do this a couple of times. This will lead to an intense cough that clears the lungs. By the way, this kind of gymnastics must be done by smokers, so that mucus will not stagnate in the lungs!
But if it gets worse, perhaps even the temperature rises (this happened to me), be sure to contact your doctor.
I've been quitting smoking for five days now!
All problems came with renewed vigor.
As luck would have it, problems at work... This day is even worse than the third, irritability and nervousness are at their peak, the thought of cigarettes flashes constantly.
Important! At this moment it is very important for you not to smoke, because you are now developing your own method of dealing with a breakdown, and there will be so many more of them...
Switch, take time off from work, buy a “bucket” of ice cream, go to all the shows of an interesting movie, just to switch.
Thick and dark mucus (a concentrate of many years of smoked crap) began to cough up little by little.
heartburn appears , etc. symptoms.
I haven’t smoked for six days – I’m tired!
Almost everything is the same as on the fifth day. But strangely enough, when we don’t think about it, it’s very easy for us, and we forget about cigarettes.
Irritability is just as strong, the desire to smoke, and the desire to eat “something.”
The recommendations are the same - “switch and tolerate, get distracted and forget...”
See how you can relax without cigarettes.
The main thing you need to understand is that nicotine addiction is long gone, all that remains is the psychological habit of smoking. A wave of people started smoking - they quickly changed the situation, the interlocutor, left the room, etc.
The cough continues, your health may worsen and you may feel slightly unwell.
Day seven – I haven’t smoked for a week!
Well, it’s time to get our lists with motivations: the reasons and advantages of quitting smoking. This should cheer you up and support you in difficult times.
Nicotine addiction goes away in the first week, then only the psychological dependence on the smoking process remains.
After all, a cigarette is always present in our lives: joy or sorrow, happiness or sadness, after work and before work, etc. This is our strongest psychological “anchor”.
What will change if you quit smoking for a week?
- The physiological need to smoke will disappear!
- For some, the desire to smoke will dull, for most, on the contrary, it will intensify!
- Many new cells formed without the participation of nicotine!
Celebrate this day ( only without alcohol! ), because you have not smoked for 7 days!
By the way, about alcohol - it is contraindicated for you, at least one month! Better yet, give up alcohol forever!
I saw how people who had abstained from cigarettes for a week lit up while drinking and said, “Fuck it!”
That day I felt worse, I had something like a cold, my temperature rose slightly. As it turned out, the whole point was in the resins that had accumulated over 22 years in my lungs!
But the doctor gave me an injection so that the smoker’s phlegm (mucus) would go away faster. After that, I began to cough more, and this “muck” began to leave my body faster, and my health began to improve.
If you want to help your lungs cleanse, read this article.
Irritability and strong appetite are still present.
Congratulations to you too! You lasted a whole week, many do not reach this milestone! By the way, did you mark seven crosses in your quitting smoking calendar, day by day?
Day eight - everything continues!
We survived one week - it's great!
What has changed, what have we achieved?
- Somehow, you have learned to fight attacks of desire to smoke.
- On the one hand, the desire to smoke intensified, on the other hand, the realization came - “that it’s not so difficult to quit smoking!”
- Sometimes the desire to smoke is replaced by something else, some new feeling. This is something other than attachment...
This is melancholy! Sadness behind smoking, because the body understands that your intentions are strong, and that perhaps you will NEVER smoke again!
So it tries to turn on all the levers to control your consciousness. Here you need to show a little willpower and show who’s boss!
The ninth day is still the same!
What happens to the body when you quit smoking on this day:
- Since there is no negative effect of nicotine, the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract are normalized.
- The respiratory system continues to actively cleanse itself, that is, the cough continues, this is normal.
- Due to the cleansing of taste buds and increased charm, the appetite has increased even more.
I haven’t smoked for ten days - hurray!
Quite a long time has already passed, you already believe that if you quit smoking, your body will recover, because the consequences are already noticeable!
- Added stamina
- Rapid shortness of breath disappeared
- Fingers and toes have become noticeably warmer
- Colds go away faster
Eleventh day - we continue to endure!
- The desire to smoke does not disappear! Well, what should we do?
- I miss coffee and a cigarette so much...
- Damn, it's so hard not to smoke while driving!
- I’ll smoke, what will happen to me with one cigarette?
I beg you, don’t check! Light a cigarette and 10 days are down the drain!
Now it is important for you to learn to live without cigarettes, to be free from the slavish habit, to enjoy life as in childhood.
Day twelve - everything is not so scary!
Today you can receive an unexpected compliment, because your skin has brightened, become firmer and more elastic. This became possible due to better blood circulation in small vessels.
The immune system is more resistant to various diseases.
The emotional mood is the same - either joy that you quit smoking, or sadness that you will never smoke again!
I quit smoking - day thirteen!
There are no obvious changes in the body; all organs continue to recover.
The desire to smoke may weaken a little, but sometimes, on the contrary, it is very strong!
Fourteenth day. Second week – still quitting smoking!
I won’t describe further what happens when you quit smoking, day by day. Nothing much will change.
You still need to fight the inner voice: “Smoking! I’ve had enough of everything – light a cigarette, light a cigarette!” There will be a little pride in yourself - “I held out!” and surprise - “But it wasn’t as difficult as everyone said!”
At this moment, the main thing is not to be fooled by your self-confidence - “I can smoke, I can not smoke.”
This is an incident from the life of a friend of mine. He lasted about two weeks without smoking. Then at the feast I smoked one cigarette. The next day he didn’t smoke again... So from time to time he “smoked” one or two cigarettes... After some time (two months or a little more) he smoked as usual, one or two packs of cigarettes a day!
You have already done a lot of work on yourself, you have achieved a lot, but remember - the “enemy” is not asleep!
Health will be restored quickly. The cough with phlegm still does not go away. Continue to mark everything on your quitting calendar day by day, because everything is just beginning!
Thirtieth day. Hooray! Quit smoking a month ago!
Well, you can safely say to everyone - “ I QUIT SMOKING!” »
Yes, you have already given up this bad habit, now the main thing is not to start it again. After all, the “psychological anchor” still holds you tightly on the chain.
Our tasks for this month:
1. If you have an appetite as strong as mine, then increase the proportion of vegetables and fruits in your diet .
The large amount of fiber in these products will greatly help in the restoration of the body, and also (most importantly) will not allow you to gain much weight.
That is, we will eat just as much, but this will do more good than harm.
2. This moment is great for identifying “enemies” in your environment. If someone constantly encourages you to “go ahead, smoke,” then get rid of such a friend.
3. There is no need to experiment on yourself, like “What will happen if I smoke?” Don't try it, you'll definitely start smoking!
4. You are already a non-smoker! You need to constantly repeat this to yourself, rejoice at it, praise yourself for every day you live without tobacco.
This way, your level of motivation will always be high, and it will be easier for you to control breakdowns. By the way, about breakdowns.
Once I had a big quarrel with my wife (not without it), guys - I had such a desire to smoke... But I haven’t smoked for a month! If I had cigarettes at hand, I might have lit a cigarette... This, of course, can be fixed, I could go to the store for them... But I began to think: “So, if I smoke, it will become easier... and then?
And then - I’m offended at myself for not holding back!
Disappointment in yourself - that you didn’t have enough willpower!
Everyone will know that I gave up, and my “smoking” friends will say “we told you so!”
No! I won’t, I can handle it!”
And you know? This helped me!
During the next surges of breakdown, I remembered this moment and it gave me the strength to hold on, hold on and hold on again!
Maybe it will help you too?
The cough with phlegm almost goes away, at some point the characteristic “lump” in the throat will disappear imperceptibly.
Smoking treatment
In our clinic you can undergo a full course of treatment for nicotine addiction, which includes medication and psychotherapeutic treatment. We have helped many smokers quit cigarettes, even with a long history of addiction. Please note that daily nicotine intoxication is dangerous in itself, and also leads to chronic respiratory diseases. Therefore, every day that you continue to smoke, the cost of treatment will increase.
We strongly recommend that you seek help today, thereby maintaining your health and saving on smoking cessation treatment. At any time, you can call our call center, its number is listed on the website page, or fill out the feedback form, and we will call you back. Get rid of the painful addiction to cigarettes and breathe deeply.
Quit smoking. Consequences by month
I have not smoked for 2 months or 90 days!
Well, everything is much easier:
- Almost no irritability
- The feeling of “vacuum” in the body disappears
- We have already learned a little to control our appetite.
There is almost no “reflex” to light a cigarette for any reason; we can now freely stand among people who smoke. But a treacherous thought sometimes creeps in - “Why don’t I smoke? I wish I could smoke!”
Everyone asks and is surprised: “How did you quit?” But you don’t know what to say, it seems like you didn’t do anything difficult, but now it’s clear - quitting smoking is not difficult!
's actually EASY TO QUIT SMOKING! If you prepare thoroughly and get enough information, then everything will go easily.
You need to learn, understand, believe that smoking is harmful and unnecessary!
After all, after this:
- You won't become a slave to habit!
- You won’t be a dupe who was “sold” for his own money—a ruiner of health!
- You can’t wish an early death on your children , and that’s exactly what smokers do!
- You won’t want to leave your warm apartment for a smoke break!
- It will be stupid for you to spend money on THIS !
Six months is the one hundred and eightieth mark on the calendar!
Congratulations! You have been a non-smoker for six months now!
I won’t give any special recommendations, I’ll just remind you: “Don’t play: will I smoke or not?” You will definitely lose! You shouldn’t even try, do even one “traction”, it won’t help you.
No matter how funny it is, the desire is still there. Yes, it is minimal, but still. This really surprised me!
12 months! So much?
A year has passed.
Sometimes, in especially difficult moments, it seems that a cigarette will help solve the problem... Here! How strong is the psychological subtext in this (smoking ritual) process!
Dreams confirm this. While “digging” into this problem, I learned that almost every smoker who quit smoking has dreams like this: Some kind of problem, I calmly light a cigarette, everything is as always... but... here... here... Some unpleasant feeling from within, something... that’s not true... And horror... I haven’t SMOKED for a year!!! Everything is gone, all my torment is in vain... how pitiful and bitter...
And then I wake up, covered in sweat, a minute later it dawns on me - it’s just a dream! Huh...
Do you have such dreams?
What happens to your body when you quit smoking for a year?
Doctors say that we have already reduced the following risks:
- Lip cancer – 99%
- Liver and lung cancer – 85%
- Esophagus and stomach – 65%
- Heart attack – 49%
- Stroke – 31%
I haven't smoked for three years!
Yes! I once counted how much I don’t smoke. It’s been three years, but it’s as if I quit yesterday... I no longer have dreams about smoking. I never want to smoke anymore, although no – I’m lying.
Sometimes, when I’m standing in a circle of smokers, a crazy thought flashes through my mind – “maybe I should smoke?” Fortunately, this happens very rarely (thoughts and people smoking nearby), and it doesn’t bother me.
If you have reached this mark, congratulations! You quit smoking forever! Now it all depends on you, what kind of lifestyle you are interested in, and how interested you are in preserving your health...
Huh, memories come flooding back... The calendar has turned into a quitting smoking diary, I’m waiting for your revelations in the comments.
