Good Advice On How To Quit Smoking For Good

Aug 24, 2012 by derekso4

Having a fixed date for when you want to be done with smoking can give you something to focus on. Deadlines often make it easier to achieve a task, and quitting smoking is no different. If you tell yourself that you must quit by a certain date, you will make a greater effort to do so.

When you are trying to quit smoking, use the method that works best for you. Some people have more success by quitting gradually, while others do better by quitting cold turkey. Try one method, and if it does not work for you, switch to the other method to see if it gives you better results.

Throw or give away all of your cigarettes or other tobacco products. If you don’t have easy access to tobacco, you won’t be tempted to have one last cigarette or to return to smoking when you feel stressed. In addition, if you decide to smoke, you’ll have to put extra effort into getting tobacco and might change your mind by the time you can get it.

Think about how good you felt before you smoked. Focus on how healthy, happy and active you were as a smoke-free child. Think about the foods you loved, the scents you loved and how fit you were, this will give you added incentive to stop smoking.

Don’t worry about being perfect. Most people who quit smoking have to make several attempts at it before they succeed. If you are one of the lucky few who make it on your first try; congratulations. For the rest of you, beating yourself up over it can just stress you out and lead to stronger urges to smoke. Relax and do the best you can.

Avoid carrying your cigarettes around with you. This makes them harder to get to and you will be able to cut back on smoking by doing this. When they are an inconvenience to get to, you won’t smoke them as often. This will eventually help you quit smoking for good.

Positive thinking makes a big difference when it comes to quitting smoking. You will be able to better conquer temptations if you recognize every day without smoking, as an achievement in itself. By keeping track of small goals, you can keep your self-esteem high and hopefully, conquer that habit for good!

It is important to realize that although cold turkey may work for one person, it may not work for you. People think that they can quit smoking on their own and only end up going back because they tried too much, too fast. You may require an aid for quitting, such as a nicotine patch.

Join a support group to help you in your quest to quit smoking. A support group can commiserate with you about the difficulties that quitting smoking entails, and share their coping mechanisms. The leader of the group may also be able to teach you behavior modification techniques, or other strategies that can prove helpful.

It can help to find another smoker to be your quitting partner. Having someone go through the quitting process with you can make it easier because it will no longer be a struggle that you are going through by yourself. In addition, when either of you have an urge to light a cigarette, the other can serve as a reliable source of motivation.

Look for a support group in your area or on the internet. Many people find it helpful to discuss their cravings and get support from others who have been through the experience of quitting smoking. Once you have quit, you can offer support to people in the earlier stages, reinforcing your own positive choice.

Make smoking hard to do. Wait until you have finished a pack before buying another one. You should also avoid buying cartons of them at a time. This will make it harder for you to get them. It also will remind you of what an inconvenience smoking is.

Prepare to say goodbye. Smoking is not a habit, it is a relationship. You will grieve the loss of an old friend. So you need to be prepared to go through the six stages of grieving a loss and parting ways with your smoker self. Think back to how you have said goodbye to things in the past and apply the successful tricks you used then.

If you want to quit smoking, you need to identify factors that will motivate you to stop. Preventing lung cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and emphysema, or protecting your family are strong motivators. Showing respect for your body and for the gift of life is also a powerful motivating force. Whatever reason you choose, it needs to be enough to prevent you from lighting up again in the future.

Enlist the help of those closest to you when you decide to stop smoking. This includes family members, friends and coworkers. Tell them. If they do not know that you are attempting this very important step in your life, they will not know how to help you. Tell them to expect grouchiness, trouble sleeping and impatience. Most importantly, they can help you plan activities in smoke-free environments.

Now that you come to the end of this article, you have read ideas and insights shared by others. They are those who once smoked, just like you do now, but do not smoke any longer, like you hope to be. Follow their ideas and you will soon follow in their success.

Herb Lorio owns a column regarding electronic cigarettes