So You Want to Quit Smoking..

When I was younger, I heard that it was easier to get off heroine than to quit smoking. To this day I believe that, although I have never tried heroine. All I know is that quitting smoking is hard. I have tried several times to quit and can only hope that, this time, I can make it. Kicking the habit has its complications and anyone trying to quit smoking should be steadfast in their desire to give up cigarettes. These pointers have helped me put them down for what I hope to be the last time.

1. Remember that smoking cigarettes is an addiction, just like alcoholism. No one ever tried to save an alcoholic with light beer. Alcoholics will tell you that they cannot drink anymore - EVER - if they hope to stay sober. If you intend to quit smoking, you cannot simply smoke a lighter brand, or try to cut down. You have to quit, period. Treat smoking like an addiction. Throw away the lighters, ashtrays, pretty little desktop boxes you kept your cigarettes in - in other words, make a clean break. And like that alcoholic, who may fall off the wagon with just one drink, don't fool yourself into thinking you have control over cigarettes. I once quit for almost a year, saw an open pack of cigarettes at a friend's house and said to myself, "Hey, I've beaten this thing. I can handle just having one." I bought a fresh pack on the way home that day (and MANY more after that). Once you quit, STAY QUIT! Your body will thank you (but probably not for a while).

2. Know your enemy. Nicotine addiction is partly physical but mostly mental. The actual physical addiction lasts only 24-36 hours. After that, it's a mind game. The problem here is that your mind is a powerful adversary. After 25 years of smoking, my mind can manifest the physical withdrawal symptoms of nicotine, regardless of how long it's been since I smoked. I constantly remind myself that it's 25 years of routine messing with me. Every time I feel that tightness in my chest or that anxiety, I take a deep breath, hold it, and think about how nice it feels to take that deep breath without pain or coughing. Then, as a reward, I go kiss my wife and think about how many MORE years I will get to enjoy that.

3. Cleanse your system. Drinking lots of water and trying to be more active will increase your chances of success. The toxins and chemicals left over from your cigarette habit need encouragement to leave the body. So flush your system. Nobody drinks enough water anyway. Also, some new, healthy activities will help you keep your mind off the loss of your "old friend." Take walks with your sweetheart, join a bowling or softball league, or chase your kids around the backyard with a Super Soaker. Not long ago, I wouldn't have had the wind to do any of these things. Now, they help keep my mind off that thing I USED TO do with all my spare time. You need to keep your mind off smoking cigarettes, so become more active and remember that, at this point, your mind is your only real enemy.

4. Beware of substitutes. Substitutes? Yes, things that will step in and become a new addiction for you, such as snacking, drinking, etc. Smoking is a hand-to-mouth habit. Your mind wants to continue these behaviors more for the sake of comfort and familiarity than out of any real need. If the hand-to-mouth habit is too much for you to break right now, get some sugar free lollipops or find a hard candy that you like and keep plenty of them on you. The last time I tried to quit smoking, I gained almost 20 pounds in the first month. This time, I am keeping a tin of Eclipse sugar free mints (cinnamon flavor) in my pocket at all times. I rattle when I walk, but my breath doesn't smell like old ashtray. Eventually, you should start feeling more at ease, even when you don't have candy with you.

5. Find positive replacements. Discover things you like to do that you couldn't do before as a cigarette smoker. Your habit was expensive, which means you should have a little more change in your pocket these days. Put that money to good use. Open a savings account just for the money you USED TO spend on cigarettes. Check the balance regularly. Before long, not only will you see what smoking has been costing you financially, but you'll have money to go celebrate your new lifestyle. Remember you've lived without that money for a long time. If you can live without it a little longer, you can treat yourself to something really special once it adds up. I plan on saving all this year and giving my wife and kids a fantastic Christmas. Along the way, I plan to get a new mountain bike for Summer. I haven't ridden much since I was a teen. I haven't had the wind for it!

Remember that these are guidelines. These are the things that are currently working for me. I can only hope they help you as well. Everyone is different and, just like your reasons for quitting smoking are your own, the challenges you face will be unique to you as well. Oh, one more thing. Consider using some positive affirmations. Whenever you see someone smoking, even on TV, say this out loud...

"I USED TO SMOKE!"