Are you doing anything to try to counteract the thoughts? I found it very helpful to alter my routines and to do things differently than I did them when I smoked. Changing things up gives your brain something to think about besides smoking, and it can help remove some associations with smoking. I also found it helpful to try a totally new activity, something I had never done before. This gave me something else to think about, and it gave me something to do that I didn't associate with smoking. Try doing something you've always wanted to do but never got around to doing. You don't have to do it forever - just long enough to distract yourself during the early days of your quit. In my case, I joined an online book club and did a group read of a book. I'll probably never do anything like this again, but it was a terrific distraction in the early days of my quit.

Every morning when I wake up my first thoughts are "aahhh ..cup of tea and a cigarette".... ooops, that's not ME any more!. I still think that every morning (only finishing day 6 today so still very 'young' in my quit). .... anyway, now I judo chop the little bloke that says that (hence my picture)... I'm being phyical and aggressive in my mind at the disgusting little habit and it feels great. Try it.
Have a great day.

Hey Morag,
I am on day 5 so I can totally relate to you... Mine was coffee and cig outside.. I was trying to just do the coffee but I believe it is just making it harder.. I have been watching my diet really closly and excersising.. nothing excessive just a little routine.. but I have always wanted to wake up and go running.. that would be awesome.. I may try this tomorrow.. Thanks for a closer look into my own soul:)

I think maybe the fact that you're trying so hard not to think about smoking just guarantees that you ARE going to think about it! So, stop trying not to think about it, just think about it in a different, more positive way.

So, instead of thinking "I would have had a cigarette now (boo hoo)" Think "Thank goodness I don't have to have a cigarette now (wahay!)

Don't try to ignore the fact that you're quitting smoking, you'll never do it - instead celebrate the fact that you are escaping smoking, every day you are getting a little bit further away from the nicodemon and that is no mean feat, so don't let yourself forget how flippin fabulous you are!!
Starky x

Rewards are very important right now, moraq42. You are accomplishing a wonderful thing by quitting smoking and you should be rewarding yourself for it. Rewards help the brain recover from the damage inflicted by nicotine. They don't have to be expensive, all they have to do is make you feel special about yourself.

Distraction is a great tool. Do something that keeps body and brain busy so you don't have time to think about smoking; preferrably something you've never smoked while doing.

Wishing you strength, moraq42.
Shevie
Quit May, 2005