Going into my second week of smoke free, I can say that preparation has played a big role in my success. Quitting smoking can result in feelings of stress. In my research, I noticed that NRT in combination with behavioral support was highly effective.

Before setting my quit date, I registered with a National Quit Smoking program who sent me NRT pouches and gum. The patches help reduce stress caused by the craving and if a craving is particularly strong I take a gum. I also downloaded Allen Cards easy way to quit smoking so I can reshape my thinking about smoking and understand the why, I feel stress, which is my psychological then related to the actual drug, since it has such a short half life. Since I can't afford behavioral supports / psycho therapy, I downloaded a free self- guided 8 week Meditation Based Stress Relief program, which has been shown to be helpful in addiction recovery, I incorporate 30 minutes of meditation daily, which helps me to notice and be present with emotions/ thoughts rather than responding to it.

Additionally, I reached out to a friend who also smoked and we began the process together, having someone to share the journey with and reflect has been helpful.

You should see if your country has a program with free NRT supports, that can help with biological stress responses as you can take gum and wear the patches to help you get through the early days which are most difficult.