Quit Smoking Now

Quitting is hard. It takes work. There are several tips to help you stop smoking, from those of us who have quit. Find what works for you and stick to it. If you slip and smoke, don’t allow yourself to be discouraged. Many quitters tried to stop an average of seven or eight times using varieties of methods before they were finally successful. Quit again, the very next day, and resolve not to smoke again.

All of us have something that works for us, whether it’s a support group or a trip to the doctor for medication. If medication is an option, but the expense is too great, check with your company. Many companies are moving towards smoke free environments and will offer to pay for some or all of the medication. If this is not an option, tell your doctor, they can sometimes find ways to help alleviate the expense.

Even with help, it is still a very hard addiction and habit to break. Finding what works for you is almost as hard. The obvious of keeping busy and staying away from smokers is a good advice, but what about the drive to work, or break time, or that very special no one is up yet quiet one in the morning. Find alternatives, change your routine, and fight the urge. If you pour yourself a cup of coffee and have a smoke at the kitchen table, take your coffee to the living room. Just that slight change of routine will help. If you need a physical substitute, experts recommend hard candy, I personally took that a step further and used tootsie pops. I got the same hand to mouth fixation and even held the stem like a cigarette.

Many people don’t want to tell others they’re quitting, then they won’t disappoint anyone if they fail. As I said earlier, if you slip, quit again the very next day. Take pride for every hour you go without a cigarette as your family and friends should. Set the date, share it with everyone, ask for their support.

In the time leading to the date take notice of when and where you smoke and begin to change that routine. Also in that time only allow yourself one or two places to smoke, but not where you smoke now. Think about how you feel when you smoke and how you’ll feel once you’ve quit. Also start fighting urges, even if you only put off the cigarette for a few minutes, try chewing gum, hard candy, or even a glass of water. Buy a different brand and only one pack at a time.

The night before you quit, put away your ashtrays, lighters, and anything else associated with your habit, get it out of sight. Start thinking that you are a non-smoker. If you have any cigarettes left at the end of the evening, get rid of them, get them far away from you. It’s best if you can plan the last pack to be gone when you go to bed.

Start your morning out differently. Avoid the place where you have your first cigarette of the day, and believe me, that is the hardest to leave behind. Plan to keep busy the whole day, if possible be with people who don’t smoke, yet will be supportive. Every day you don’t smoke, give yourself a reward, after the first week, the hardest, start a money jar, put your old cigarette money into it and see everyday how much you save.

Most of all keep a positive attitude and you’ll eventually laugh at how easy it was.