Just think of yourself as a nonsmoker. Your breath has never smelled better. Your teeth are getting whiter. You no longer turn people off with bad smelling clothes or hair. There are no more yellow fingers. You can actually taste your food and smell the roses. You can walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath. You'll be invited to more parties with friends and enjoy activities. When you think about these things, it makes it much easier to quit smoking.
Step 1
Add up the cost per year of your cigarettes and then multiply by 10 for the next 10 years. Remind yourself what you could buy with all that money.
Step 2
Think about no longer having to step outside at the workplace or a friend's house for a smoke, feeling like a prisoner.
Step 3
Imagine how much more your spouse will love you or how much your dating options will improve if you weren't a smoker.
Step 4
Imagine setting an example for your children or the children in your neighborhood and how much of an influence you will be on them, even preventing them from picking up the habit.
Step 5
Know that it will take an effort to quit smoking because of nicotine withdrawal, but many ex-smokers have used many different ways to quit, and they can help you. You are not alone.
Step 6
Don't plan on a day to quit. Just quit when you feel like it is time. Research from the University of College London shows that making a snap decision to quit smoking is two to three times more effective than planning ahead.
Step 7
Get support and help from friends, family, ex-smokers, counseling services or self-help material, all of which will help you along the path to be free from smoking.
Step 8
Take advantage of the many medicines available in the marketplace. Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of gum, patches, sprays, inhalers or lozenges can help relieve some of the withdrawal symptoms, so you can focus on the emotional side of quitting.
Step 9
Check out a yoga class to practice breathing exercises or a stop smoking program if it will make you feel more comfortable. Sometimes these programs are available at work, places of worship or through community organizations.
Step 10
Keep a journal and continue to write down why it is a great idea to quit smoking while you are going through the process. You will remember why you wanted to stay healthy, better looking and cleaner in the first place. You will suddenly realize you are an ex-smoker.
Tips and Warnings
- Let the motivation to quit build up in yourself. When you come to realize that smoking costs too much, is terribly unhealthy and dangerous to the people around you, a trigger will go off helping you to put down cigarettes.
