How to Quit Smoking

Many people have many approaches as to the best way to quit smoking. I can not tell you the best way, because not everything works for everyone. If it did we would not need so many stop smoking aids. I can, however, tell you how I quit.

The first thing you have to do is pick your incentive for quitting smoking. Some do it for their health, some do it for the money they will save, and some do it for other people. There are many reasons to quit, you just have to pick what will give you the most incentive.

I unfortunately was not given the choice of picking my incentive. It came in the form of a phone call from my dad telling me he had just been diagnosed with lung cancer, followed a few days later by a call from my sister telling me that my dad had passed away. Fortunately, he did not suffer through the harsh realities that come with lung cancer. He died of a heart attack two days after getting out of the hospital. Basically he gave up his will to fight after finding out he had lung cancer.

This proved to be a very big incentive for me to quit. I was twenty nine years old. I had smoked for sixteen years. I also suffered from bronchitis six months out of every year due to my smoking. There is nothing like reality to throw cold water on you to make you believe that it is time for a change.

I made up my mind I was going to quit smoking. That is the first step. You have to have the urge or it will not work. Quitting because someone else wants you to will not work, because, if you should ever get mad at that person, revenge would be to smoke a cigarette.

The second step is to set a date. Not a tentative date but a rock solid date. Mark it on your calendar and tell all your friends and family. After all ,once you make a vow to do something and tell everyone about it, you are more likely to follow through with it.

The third step is to decide what method you will you to quit. There are many available. I used the Nicoderm CQ patches. But I know of others who have used Niccorette, Commit Lozenges, or just cold turkey. Make sure whichever you decide to use is there on the "big day". You do not want to have to fight the urges as you drive to the store to get your stop smoking aids.

The fourth step is to fill your first week with things that you do not normally do. After all, smoking is a big part of your normal life so you have to veer away from normal smoking settings. Don't go to clubs because people tend to want to smoke when they drink. Go for walks, do some spring cleaning, or find a hobby. Doing things that you do not associate smoking with will help tremendously.

The fifth step is a hard one. Because it involves other people. If you have friends that smoke, ask them to please be understanding and not come around for the first week as you get used to the newness of life without a cigarette. If they are true friends they will understand your need to be as far away from smoking situations as possible.

The sixth step is to make sure that you do not replace the smoking habit with a snacking habit. This is a mistake many people make. This is also why weight gain is considered a side effect of quitting smoking. In reality it is not that way unless you replace the smoking with snacking. If you must snack to keep from smoking, I would suggest raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or celery. Some people will say eating ice will help but that just leads to a problem later on with tooth decay. Not snack at all is the best way to go.

The seventh step is to take it one day at a time. If you cave in and smoke, do not say "Oh well, I smoked one I might as well keep smoking today and try again tomorrow." If you cave you should be understanding that habits are hard to break and that some setbacks do occur. But once you have smoked that one start right then back with your fight to quit. If you give in and smoke five or six that day you are setting yourself up for failure. Grab life by the horns and take control of the habit instead of letting it control you.

The eight step is to keep yourself focused on the main goal. Even after you have successfully quit there may be days that you want to smoke. After all, for most people, smoking is a form of stress relief. So when stressful situations occur your instinct is going to be that you want a cigarette. Fight that urge and after you have come through it you will feel empowered by the fact that you made it one step farther.

I write this only after being quit for two and a half years. I will not lie and tell you it is an easy thing to do. There are still days when I want to smoke. There are still days when I crave a cigarette. But every time I have that urge I remember my goal to quit. I remember the first day that I went without a cigarette and the elation I felt at having succeeded that first day. That elation was still there the first week, the first month, and the first year. There are still days when I am in awe over the fact that I was able to quit and remain quit. So each day that I make it is a day that I am proud of what I have done. And I encourage others to quit when they feel the time is right in their lives. I do not pressure people because I know that only pushes them farther away.