What if I can’t wait 1 hour before the first cigarette of the day?

Contents

That’s okay!

The purpose of this exercise is to use your resourcefulness without willpower (but with mindpower instead) and practice being a nonsmoker. Above all, to see firsthand that nothing bad happens when you don’t smoke.

If you wait 15 minutes without using willpower, that’s a win that will push you forward. If you wait 4 hours using willpower or looking at the clock, you will only feel deprived, and you won’t benefit at all.

So, 1 hour is the guideline, but wait for as long as you can – even if that means slowly building up to that 1 hour. If at the beginning you can wait 10 minutes, great! Count it as a win and aim for 12 minutes the next day, then 15 minutes the day after. Progress, not perfection.

If you can’t wait 1 hour during the program, this doesn’t mean you will struggle with the morning cigarette after your quit date.

On the contrary, when you reach your quit date you will be ready. The transition to your smoke-free life will be smooth, and it will be easy to adjust. It’s all about practicing not smoking without using willpower.

Advice from CBQ Program Members

Emily Westphal said “The timeline is a guide, that’s it. You do not have to adhere to it to the letter. That being said, great job being intentional on cutting back and trying to experiment with waiting. Are you keeping track of each cigarette you’re smoking? That is a HUGE part of the process. It seems tedious (which is a good thing as that is part of why we do it) but it is so important. When you say you are “afraid”, what are you afraid of? What thought goes through your head at the 20 minute mark that makes you have a cigarette? What if, when that thought comes up, you just tell it “No thanks. I’m going to wait.” and then find something else to do with your hands. Wash dishes or clean something else or knit/crochet or do a crossword puzzle or a puzzle-puzzle or journal/write a letter to someone (even to yourself), make a smoothie, eat an apple, watch one of Nasia’s videos on self-talk or cravings. The only progress you need to make is on your own time. Every hurdle cleared is progress and a hurdle can just be waiting an extra 5 minutes than the day before.”