Anyone have any advice how to stay calm in the beginning of this battle 
a distraction 

Have a few ideas of alternative activities to distract yourself:

Walking.
Hiking.
Reading.
Talking with a friend.
Tidying up your house.
Visiting an elderly or sick relative etc.

Stay constantly connected to hashem and to the people here, that helped mostly for me and many roamers around here, get out of isolation!

you'll get there iy"h!

i can relate to your post, and your are right "on the ball".    Lust-Addictionsis when lust became far more than just "attraction" but rather a distraction from all the pent-up fears/worries/stress/embarrassment/grief/regret/shame/guilt/etc...     and as soon as people start the long journey of 'abstaining' from lust they desprately seek an alternative distraction.

From my experience:
If you smoke, you'll buy a carton instead of just a pack
If you overeat, you might as well go buy a larger size of pants
If you workout- you'llso more often (dopamine is also a powerfull drug)
If you endlessly read news-  you might find yourself catching up on Zimbabwe's politics (for example)
If you overdo whats-app -  You will most likely sign up to another hundred groups.


the faster YOU DO THE STEOWORK (and it IS a process of delf-discovery) the less you will have to run from. until one day you can sit calmly and enjoy the SERENITY of RECOVERY