When I first quit some time ago I too had some difficulty with the ability to think and reason. Walking and chewing gum was completely out of the question. I had so many things on my plate I had to find a solution. I decided to have a plan and work my plan to the max. Here are some things you might consider doing to help with your problem.
1. Extend your break time out to 15 minutes.
2. Substitute carrot and celery sticks instead of a cigarette.
3. Relax, enjoy the healthy munch and then hit the books with a new determination.
4. Take some deep breaths along the way, this will help you focus.
Hope you have some time to reflect on why you quit smoking.
Kindest regards
Duffis
My Mileage:
My Quit Date: 2/13/2005 Smoke-Free Days: 2037 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 61,110 Amount Saved: $10,694.25 Life Gained: Days: 428 Hrs: 22 Mins: 35 Seconds: 32
I'm sorry to hear that you are having a hard time concentrating. As breather mentioned it can be quite difficult to focus early on in your quit. If you work through the When Will I be Tempted section of Milestone 4 of the program, you will find out when you will be tempted and how to overcome these moments of temptation. Fill out the survey and it will populate your results and provide you with suggestions.
Members, what coping mechanisms have you used to help you with study breaks, concentration, etc?
Good evening aussiegal. It's early morning here. Early in the quit concentration isn't exactly easy. A break was always filled in with smoking time. For the longest time it seemed like something was lacking ( or missing ) and it was. The question was ok what do I do now ? Anything that we can do with a cigarette we can do without one. All you can do is try. When at an impass take a break from it then try again. It's understandable that you'd be feeling spacey with concentration being a struggle. You're over the worst part of it now although it isn't easy. Don't forget ice cold water for the craves. This is a learning process and anything that we did with a cigarette we can do without one. 12 days smoke free is awesone. Excellent for you. breather
My Mileage:
My Quit Date: 11/11/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 670 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 33,500 Amount Saved: $16,080.00 Life Gained: Days: 122 Hrs: 4 Mins: 36 Seconds: 52
Hi all! I'm on day 12 and doing ok BUT I have been avoiding all work that requires my undivided attention. I have 3 uni assignments due (well overdue would be more correct!) And I figured today I should bite the bullet and start working on them. Every time I look at my work though, I kind of freak out bc I've always taken smoke breaks (like every 10 minutes) and I really used to get my thoughts in order during these times. Now what? I'm not tempted to light up, but how do I get my work done? Anyone who may have been in this situation? I'm reaching out for your advise!
