You've been thinking seriously about quitting smoking. Instead of just thinking about it, connect quitting and becoming healthier to the coming of the New Year. Make a New Year's resolution that you're going to quit smoking so you can regain your good health and stop smelling like a cigarette. You know that the first few days will be rough, so stockpile some supplies to help you get through.
Step 1
Pick a quit smoking date such as the first of the new year. Quit on this date. Write down the reasons you want to quit smoking. Use health and hygienic reasons as well as societal. Write down what you're feeling on the first day after you've smoked your final cigarette.
Step 2
Pick up your prescriptions or over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) aids. These may be nicotine gum, an inhaler, patch, nasal spray or a lozenge to help you through the first week.
Step 3
Follow your doctor's orders or the dosing instructions on the over the counter NTR aids. Use them only on the schedule provided. Write down in your journal what your emotions, physical feelings and thoughts are as you begin withdrawal from cigarettes.
Step 4
Keep a sandwich bag filled with crunchy vegetables or fruits so you can literally substitute munching a healthy snack for smoking. Do the same with nuts and mints. Get into the habit of taking these with you during those first days.
Step 5
Create your membership in LiveStrong's quit smoking dare. When you're having a rough time staying away from a cigarette, log on and ask for help from other quitting smokers.
Step 6
Renew your determination every morning that you won't pick up a cigarette. Repeat mottoes you've chosen, such as, "A craving only lasts for 10 minutes" or some you wrote for yourself. Repeat them often during the first few days.
Step 7
Substitute straws or coffee stirrers to stick in your mouth instead of cigarettes. Go for a walk when a craving hits. Work on a favorite hobby, read, pray or meditate.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't give in and smoke "just one cigarette." You'll have to quit all over again. Find a substitute object to hold so you can replace the cigarettes. This can be a pen or a pencil.
- Expect to feel an intense desire to smoke on approximately the second day. You may experience physical symptoms like nausea, dizziness, headache, irritability and an inability to think logically.
Things You'll Need
- Quit smoking journal
- Prescriptions or over the counter quit smoking aids
- Crunchy vegetables and fruits, sliced
- Crunchy nuts
- Mints
- Free membership in LiveStrong's quit smoking dare site
