How to Quit Smoking: How to Find What Will Work for You

Several years ago, I dated a smoking cessation counselor who had a plethora of tips to help people quit. She told me about little tricks, like smoking with your other hand or chewing cinnamon gum and how these little tidbits helped people stop smoking in no time. I gave these a try and, in no time at all, I became an ambidextrous smoker with a penchant for Cinnaburst.

If you aren't, by chance, dating a smoking cessation counselor, you can go online and find hundreds of websites with dozens of reasons to quit smoking and plenty of how-to tips as well. But, if the reasons to quit aren't personal and meaningful to you, they are not really going to motivate you to stop smoking. And, if their tips don't work for you, well, they won't work for you.

Smoking cessation programs where 25% of participants quit smoking are considered such a huge success that these programs put this rate right in their advertisements. Can you imagine any other time that a 25% success rate is considered a boon? But, this kind of information tells us two things - first off, as we already know, it's really, really hard to quit smoking; and, secondly, one-size-fits-all smoking cessation programs really aren't so one-size-fits-all - they are more like one-size-fits-about-one-out-of-four.

So, where does this leave you as you begin (or continue) your journey to a smoke-free life? Well, it leaves you with lots of great resources and places to get ideas so that you can create a strategy that will work for you. Because really, the only way to quit smoking is to find what works for you by taking all of this great information and synthesizing it into a strategy that you can stick to.

The key to this is by personalizing your process by examining why you smoke, your reasons for wanting to quit and what will work for you.

In my opinion, this is the first - and perhaps the most important - step on your journey to quit smoking. Get out some paper and start making the following lists.

1. What are your reasons to quit? Go beyond the obvious "improving my health" (although you should include that too) and think of the reasons that are personal to you - no matter how silly or inconsequential they may seem. For example, my list has things like not wanting my car and clothes to smell like smoke. Then, when you finish the list, put it somewhere where you can see it - mine went on a post-it note on my computer so I knew I would see it every day. Post it in a daily viewing spot for at least a week before your quitting deadline (if you have one).

2. What will you gain from quitting? More money to put in savings? More energy to play with your kids? Having a list of what you will gain once you quit smoking will help motivate you on those tougher days, so keep it handy.

3. What are your triggers? This list is really handy in the beginning and you will likely find yourself adding to it over a number of days. It might start out with things like when you drink your morning coffee, or when you are driving, or when something stressful happens at work, but once you are paying attention to your triggers (a nice side benefit of making this list) you might find yourself adding things like when you take the dog for a walk or when you fight with your partner. Knowing your triggers will be a huge help since it will allow you to plan ahead for when you will be in those situations.

4. What are things you can do instead of smoking? This list might include things like going for a walk, chewing gum, calling someone or playing with your children or animals. Now would be a good time to check out some of those websites with all the tips on quitting and see which things sound helpful enough to make your list.

One more thing that I think is important, is knowing what kind of smoker you are. If you have ever tried to quit anything else, or have tried to quit smoking before, you might have a better idea of your quitting style, but if this is your first try, give it some thought and determine your style. Some people are most successful with setting a date and going cold tofurkey, never to smoke again. Others are more likely to be successful if they gradually cut down. If you are anything like me, telling yourself that you can never smoke again will make you want to smoke more than ever. The way I get around this is by telling myself that I can smoke anytime I want - I am just choosing not to smoke right now.

The most important thing to remember is to be gentle with yourself and to keep in mind that every cigarette you don't smoke is that much better for you, your family and the environment. The majority of smokers try to quit a few times before they are successful, so when it comes to quitting smoking, remember that it's a long journey and if you smoke along the way, you smoke along the way - that doesn't mean you failed, it just means you need to re-read your lists and get back on track.