Days Without a Cigarette: 1
Days Without Nicotine: 0
Dollars Saved: -$37.19
I made it through the first twenty four hours. By the time I wake up tomorrow, I’ll have gone longer without a cigarette than I have since I was a kid. And I haven’t broken anything I didn’t plan to break. Yet.
I guess this isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. I’ve gotta do this again every day for the rest of my life for this to count. And while I’m sure the cravings will get less frequent and less severe over time, that doesn’t mean tomorrow will be easier.
See, I planned this out such that day one would be as stress free as possible. I have the day off of work with no pressing obligations. All my friends knew to leave me the fuck alone today. I was basically in a position where I could all but hide out from the day. But that can’t last. Heath and Eli are happy to pick up some slack for the cause here, but I can’t hide forever.
Now, I’m not trying to shit on the accomplishment too much. Getting through that first 24 hours is a pretty big deal. I’m less nervous about tomorrow than I was about today and I’m feeling pretty good about where I am so far. All that being said, if I wanna come back tomorrow with the same successes, I’m gonna have to master a couple of pretty big challenges including (but not limited to):
- Falling asleep without a cigarette,
- Staying asleep for any appreciable time,
- Going back to work as a non-smoker,
- Taking a break from work as a non-smoker,
- Driving without a cigarette.
And that’s not to mention the very real possibility that I’ll see somebody smoking and possibly even smell one of those bastards at some point. What’s worse, I was a smoker for 30+ years, so I can even take deep breaths on the way into this shit.
Anyway… on the plus side, I’ve been told to expect some pretty weird dreams from this nicotine patch, so at least I’ve still got that to look forward to.
Noah Quits 
Just think of cigarettes as All Natural, homeopathic, energy healing, religiously inspired, magic sticks.
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Sweet dreams Noah. I am on the night shift to hang out with you on the overnights if it gets tough. Just blog here like a maniac if you have to. I’m here with ya.
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I’ve never even been able to kick my soda habit so I have no helpful tips to give but I will say I’m proud of you for doing this and I hope you see a lot of positive outcomes from it.
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I’m rooting for you!
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I quit something like 4 months ago, after 20 years of Marlboro Reds. No patch, no gum, no vape. You can do this, sir.
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Congratulations on your first 24 hours.
Eventually, you’ll feel perfectly normal just getting in the car and going. Don’t let it bother you if you need a substitute: gum, mints, trail mix — you’re a cereal fan, keep a box in the car and nosh on that whenever you have a craving. Having something around that makes it easier to keep driving where you’re going and not pull over somewhere to buy some cigarettes is a good coping technique.
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It gets better. I promise it does. Just keep quitting, every day. You’ll eventually learn how to get by without something in your mouth all the time. I went through about a metric ton of sunflower seeds during my process, but now I can go a whole day without even chewing gum. It gets better. Stay strong. Quitting is an active process. Don’t stop quitting. I’m pulling for you.
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I feel like having your first day being “stress-free” could actually make it harder. If you don’t have any plans to occupy your brain, I’d think that the cravings could take hold more easily.
Either way, congrats! And keep up the awesome job.
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