Home Quit Smoking

Smoking Cessation

For many smokers, cessation is very difficult due to the well known fact that smoking is highly addictive. Other reasons which make smoking cessation difficult are that smoking is legal and it is socially acceptable to smoke cigarettes. It can also be difficult to cease smoking if your friends or family members smoke or if you continue to go to places that you associate with smoking. One of the first things you need to do to successfully quit smoking is to prepare yourself. Smoking cessation rarely works by just stopping, you need a plan to deal with temptation.

A lot of the difficulty to do with stopping smoking is to do with habit. Many people don't smoke out of a physical need, although that does exist, but out of habit. If you normally have a cigarette on rising then that is a habit. If you go out for a cigarette with your work mates at 10am then that is a habit. If you have to go on a long haul flight where you aren't allowed to smoke, even the heaviest smokers manage. This is because they only smoke at certain times and in certain situations because they can and they do out of habit; it has become a routine. If you are serious about quiting then you need to change your attitude about thinking you are addicted and there is nothing you can do about it. Most of the addiction is in your mind, in your habits and routines, and any physical addiction will quickly pass.

To prepare yourself for quitting smoking you need to prepare yourself for change. Start changing your habits slowly in preparation. Switch the brand of cigarettes you smoke, smoke at different times of the day, smoke with your other hand. These small changes will make you more aware of your smoking and make it seem less natural to you. Another method to try is that when you smoke, don't do anything else. Make it a rule for yourself. So when you do smoke you will concentrate on the actual act of smoking. So don't smoke while reading, don't smoke while watching television, don't smoke while using the computer. Do nothing but sit and think about cigarettes while smoking. The purpose of this is twofold. Firstly, it will make you think about smoking and what it is doing to your body and your wallet and hopefully how you are going to quit smoking. Secondly, it will make you aware of just how many cigarettes you are smoking a day and how much time you waste doing it. This can make the habit seem more severe and it may increase your desire and motivation to quit.

Smoking cessation isn't easy so you need to do everything in your power to ensure a high likelihood of success. Many smokers are unsuccessful because they try to quit cold turkey without any planning and change of attitude. Just 'giving up' doesn't work for most people and when they fail it often makes it more difficult to try again. Quitting smoking is a long term problem which requires long term changes to habits and attitudes. Prepare well ahead to quit and you'll find you attempt at stopping will more likely succeed.