I have stopped smoking but I'm so bored!

LegacyUser

Hi all

I hope it's ok to post this in PI - I know there's a Stop Smoking forum but it doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic and I really really need some helpful tips so hopefully this is ok - if not mods feel free to move.

I have stopped smoking and am getting on great. I don't have cravings and I'm happy with my decision. However, I find that there are times when time seems to stretttch on forever and I feel like it has stopped. It's the weirdest feeling and obviously it's to do with not smoking.

A friend described it well - she said it is disorientating to me because I have smoked for so long and now I don't so it leaves a void for a while, which will naturally fill after time (damn time again!) goes by.

Does anyone have any experience of this after giving up the cigs? ANY help or insight would be very very much appreciated as it's very frustrating and I just hope that it will stop and I will not feel like I need to 'fill' this weird time void.

The Recliner

Moved from PI

ladd19

SmokeNoMore wrote: »

Hi all

I hope it's ok to post this in PI - I know there's a Stop Smoking forum but it doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic and I really really need some helpful tips so hopefully this is ok - if not mods feel free to move.

I have stopped smoking and am getting on great. I don't have cravings and I'm happy with my decision. However, I find that there are times when time seems to stretttch on forever and I feel like it has stopped. It's the weirdest feeling and obviously it's to do with not smoking.

A friend described it well - she said it is disorientating to me because I have smoked for so long and now I don't so it leaves a void for a while, which will naturally fill after time (damn time again!) goes by.

Does anyone have any experience of this after giving up the cigs? ANY help or insight would be very very much appreciated as it's very frustrating and I just hope that it will stop and I will not feel like I need to 'fill' this weird time void.

If you feel like you need to fill this 'void' then go do it but with something else rather than smoke. Go get a glass of water...go sort your socks...go flick through channels....go make a coffee., hope your getting the drift here. Seriously would suggest reading allen carrs book because it describes what your feeling, the boredom part, its all a state of mind you just need to know hoow to understand whats going on and Allens book is great for this.

Pal

Your time void is not imaginary.

It is very real and a well documented part of the withdrawal process.

have a read of whyquit.com
They explain it very well.

Bottle_of_Smoke

The boredom wont be cured by smoking a cig. It will just calm your nicotene addiction, after a while this stops happening and cigs dont even enter your mind.

You'll feel awful if you have a cigarette. A few weeks is all it takes to get em out of your head completely, and you think of them less and less as the days go by before then.

than

I felt the same, the only thing that helped me was exercise. I started training for a full marathon, that kept me busy enough. The fact that i put my name down for a full marathon kept me motivated, gained a bit of weight but lost it again.

thomas.oleary

I had this exact same problem, I found that if you just sit back, close your eyes and do some deep breathing for maybe 4 or 5 mins and get say something to nibble on or a glass of water or something you will be fine!

Good luck

tony1980

hi smokenomore. im finding this happens 2 me since i gave up quite recently also. like what others have said find something productive that needs doing in the house or go for a walk , i know u have probably heard them all b4 but i find that they really help but my biggest help in moments of weakness when i have came quite close to slipping up is i keep saying to myself this fag is not going to help me feel excited or cure my boredom it will just make me feel like crap and i say 2 myself ur not goin 2 beat me which is quite good if ur the competitive type , u just need 2 say to urself im not goin 2 be beaten by this. congrats on becoming a non smoker

netanyahu

this, "time dragging on" feeling, to me, was the best thing that ever happened.

I've seen the term "withdrawal" used here for describing this, but then in the same breathe people are saying that they just keep busy and get productive - that, in my opinion is not a withdrawal! it's a kick in the face to get you motivated to do the things you should have been doing all along. If you stop seeing it as a withdrawal from giving up smoking, and start to see it as the reason why you gave up smoking - to improve your life - it is exactly that. Think of all this time you can fill with things, when i'm sure before you've complained about not having time to do the things you love?? I know it can get really tough some times, i'm even feeling a tiny tiny bit panicky being in these forums because it's making me focus on smoking but since I gave up smoking 1 month ago - I have read 2 books, started crocheting and knitting (using youtube as my guide!) - and have baked some sweet treats to pass some time in the evenings. } all with money saved from smoking. I am being more productive than ever - This is *unbelievable* change from where I was say two months ago - and it all came about because of this feeling of 'time dragging on'. .... it just made me want to fill the time!


Godspeed
Giving up and staying off the smokes is one of the best things I have ever done for myself, and I really hope I can see it through til the end - Super super super super super super super super superrrrrr not worth it, AT ALL.

Kimia

netanyahu wrote: »

Giving up and staying off the smokes is one of the best things I have ever done for myself, and I really hope I can see it through til the end

What do you mean by 'see it through til the end'? Of life??

netanyahu

Yes!

Kimia

Hilarious! I like your determination.

netanyahu

Ta