If you are about to quit smoking you are going to be doing something that is not only healthy and one of the best things you can do for yourself, but, you are also about to do one of the hardest things a smoker can do. Giving up a crutch and not falling flat on your face is a great accomplishment. The increase in your health, the decrease in your risks for certain medical conditions, and the improved self esteem you will get from quitting smoking are only a few of the benefits of quitting smoking. But, quitting the habit of smoking can be difficult and confusing. Most don't know where to start on their journey.
The first thing you have to get in your mind is that you CAN quit this habit. Own your addiction; don't let the addiction own you. You need to realize that you don't need to smoke; you are smoking because of your addiction and the habit of smoking. Decide to quit and start getting prepared to quit.
A lot of smoking is due to a routine that the smoker has made for themselves. For example, if it is normal for you to smoke one pack of cigarettes a day, you are going to smoke a pack a day. It would be out of the ordinary for you to smoke much less than that a day. A smoker is not going to accidentally only smoke 3 cigarettes when for the past however many years they have been smoking a pack a day. Smokers fall into a routine of maybe smoking two cigarettes in the morning, 2 on the way to work, 2 when they get to work, 2 more at their first break, 3 or 4 at lunch, 2 more on their last break, 2 on the way home, 2 when they get home, 2 after dinner, and several before they go to bed. They stick to this routine day in and day out with no purposeful break in between.
To break this habit will take hard work and determination. First you have to set the date you are going to quit smoking. After you have set your date you need to stick to it. On day 1 of quitting smoking you need to not smoke. If you think you are going to need the help of Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, or various other forms of NRT, you should plan ahead for that. Research and buy these things before Day 1 rolls around.
Make goals for yourself, for your first 24 hours without a cigarette come up with some kind of reward for your good behavior. A cigarette cannot be your reward. Follow up at the 48 hour mark, one week mark, and so on. Continue to reward yourself in some fashion as you go along. Make the rewards desirable so you will stay committed to the task of quitting.
Know that failure is possible. Failure is especially possible if you believe you will fail. Knowing that failure is possible is not like knowing you WILL fail. If you are aware that the possibility is there that you will fail will help you not feel discouraged if you do fail your first attempt. Because, after your first attempt to quit smoking you will know what your major triggers are, so the next time you try to quit you will be better prepared.
It takes a lot of smokers 2 separate attempts to quit before they are done smoking for good. They take what they learned in their first attempt and apply it to their second try. Most succeed on the second go around, but, others still need another attempt before they reach their goal.
It may take you only once, but, it may also take you several times. Each time you attempt to quit you should evaluate what you are doing and make sure you aren't repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Find out what is making you fail and work on that. Be prepared for those bumps in the road your next try so you can avoid them. Before you know it you will be smoke free, healthy, and happy.
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