Your first day cigarette-free may fool you into thinking that quitting isn't as hard as you've heard other people talking about. You read as much as you could find about quitting smoking and prepared yourself for your quitting day. You picked New Year's day as your quit-smoking date. You stocked up on everything you need. You think you have everything under control when you go to bed that first cigarette-free day.
Features
You've just smoked your last cigarette, and you're feeling good. This is your first phase when you think, "It's not all that hard to quit smoking." Then you finish eating lunch--or dinner--and you remember you can't enjoy a cigarette anymore. Now that you have encountered a time period when you used to smoke a cigarette to relax, you'll experience a psychological craving for a cigarette. The nicotine is still leaving your body, so you aren't yet feeling the full physical craving.
Significance
Even though you still have some nicotine remaining in your body, if you used to smoke several cigarettes a day, you'll have less of this substance in your body than you're used to. You may begin to experience some physical cravings. When you experience physical cravings, do something to take your mind off your physical urge to smoke. Go for a walk or chew on a coffee stirrer.
Effects
On your first cigarette-free day, you are thinking that you need a cigarette more than you actually do. When you smoked, the nicotine worked, not only on your body, but on your mind as well. When you think about not smoking, your psychological reaction resembles grieving. Because you've stopped the supply of nicotine to your brain, it is missing a stimulus that has become increasingly important.
Misconceptions
Because the physical craving begins later than the psychological craving, you might make the mistake of thinking you've experienced "the worst" there is to experience. While you've made sure to have everything ready to help you deal with your cravings, you believe you're on top of everything. Use this first day to begin to incorporate stress-reducing activities like exercise or walking. Log on to the LIVESTRONG website and create your free membership with the quit smoking dare.
Benefits
On the first day after you quit smoking, your levels of nicotine will begin to drop as will the other carcinogens in cigarettes such as tars. While you won't feel the beneficial effects on the first day, you will begin to experience the health benefits within the first week.
