Giving Up Smoking Now

Congratulations on making the decision to give up smoking. I’ve been there and I know that it is not an easy decision to make. I’d by lying if I tried to tell you that it’s easy to quit and stay quit.

There are obstacles along the way, and you will undoubtedly face a few of them yourself. It’s how you deal with them that will determine how successful you are in your quest to stop smoking for good.

Here are three of the most common obstacles that you may face along the way.

One of the biggest obstacles you will face is the fact that no matter where you go, you will be confronted with the temptation to have a smoke. It’s not nearly as bad now as it was before all the smoking bans in workplaces and public places were put into place. But people can still smoke on the street, and until you get through the initial phase and realize that you are indeed a non-smoker, it will be a challenge to be around people who smoke especially when they are in places where you can’t easily get away from them.

A second obstacle you may find yourself dealing with is the fascination that well-meaning friends and family members will have with your decision. You will no doubt be bombarded with questions and comments, especially from the people in your circles who haven’t yet decided to give up smoking. The most common questions you will get center on why you want to quit.

The best way to deal with having to answer this question over and over again is to be know, for yourself, exactly why you are determined to succeed. Having to explain why you want to quit smoking over and over again may cause you to second-guess yourself.

Don’t give in to the temptation to change your mind. If you are strong in your why and completely committed to quitting you will find it much easier to grin (or grit your teeth if you have to) and answer the question one more time.

Another obstacle you may be dealing with could be all the ways to quit smoking that are available today. This may seem a little counter-intuitive, but the truth is that there are so many products out there now that deciding on a course of action can be more than a little overwhelming.

When it comes to dealing with any obstacles on your road to becoming a non-smoker you will find that it’s helpful to have a good handle on two main things: why you smoke, and why you want to quit.

Knowing why you smoke in the first place will help you develop an action plan that addresses your specific needs. For example, one of the main reasons I smoked was to have something to do with my hands. For me it was easy to get over the nicotine addiction but it was really hard to deal with not having a cigarette in my hand all the time. Once I found a way to deal with that giving up smoking for good became much easier.

Knowing why you want to quit and staying focused on that will make it easier to face temptation and deal with these roadblocks and any others you may com across along the way.

Here are three more ways you can make your attempt at giving up smoking a successful one.

1. Make sure you get enough sleep. Taking care of your body is an important part of quitting smoking. As the quit smoking timeline shows, your body will be undergoing major changes during your quit process, so it’s important to not only get enough sleep, but also to eat properly and get enough exercise as well. In fact, substituting exercise for smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself!

2. Do things that will distract your from your need to smoke. It’s much easier to quit if you are not thinking about how much you want a cigarette. Activities such as reading, surfing the internet, or doing some exercise will take your mind off of smoking. And if you do find yourself wanting a smoke, reach for a drink of water instead. Not only will it refresh you, it will flush the toxins from the cigarette smoke out of your system and extend the time between smokes even more.

3. Make it your goal to stop smoking for good. You might be surprised to know that many people who quit smoking go into the process only planning to quit for a few days or a few weeks. If you are thinking of quitting short term, you will not only have a harder time, you will not reap the benefits of quitting smoking that you would if you were quitting for the long term. When you plan to quit for good, you are much more likely to succeed because you have found a compelling reason to quit and are willing to see it through to the end.

Here are three more tips you can use in your quest to become a non-smoker:

1. Reduce the stress in your life. Many people smoke to relieve their stress, but in reality smoking only causes more stress. It’s better to reduce your stress by dealing with the stressful situations in your life, or at least finding better ways of dealing with it such as meditation or exercise. You will find that your attempt at giving up smoking will go much more smoothly if there is less stress in other areas of your life.

2. Have a support system in place. Make sure that you enlist the support of friends and family in your efforts to quit. You will need their support, especially if they are smokers too. Ask them not to smoke around you, and to respect your decision to quit. If you need to join a support group for positive reinforcement, do so. Many communities have support programs that you can join for free, or a very low cost. No matter what, don’t try to go it alone. It’s much easier when you have support.

3. Get a buddy to quit with you. This goes along with the tip above. It’s so much easier to quit if you have someone else to be accountable to. Just like in business with an accountability partner, a quit smoking buddy will hold you to your goals, and be there to help you through the tough times.

The benefits of quitting smoking will become more obvious as you progress through the quit process. But, it’s not an easy thing to do and trying to do it on your own, no matter how badly you may want to, will only make it harder. You will find it much less stressful if you have a support system that includes friends, family, and an accountability buddy to help you along the way.

There are many ways to quit smoking, and not all of them will work for everyone who tries them. The best thing you can do for yourself when you are giving up smoking is to find the one method that works best for you and stick with it.

There are, however, some tips that will make the process much smoother for you, no matter what method of quitting you ultimately decide to use.

Here are three tips that will help you in your quest to quit smoking for good.

1. Know why you want to quit. It’s not enough just to decide you’re going to quit. You need to find that one compelling reason that keeps you going when you want to give in and light up.

2. Develop a strategy for quitting. Write down your goal, the methods you will use, and a timetable for achieving it. Make sure you build in some flexibility so that if your initial quit method doesn’t work, you have the freedom to try something different.

3. Use the carrot and stick method. Reward yourself on the days that you do well (but not with food). Set out some small “punishment” on the days when you give in to the urge to smoke. It doesn’t have to be major, and don’t beat yourself up about slipping, just enough that your mind recognizes that there will be consequences when you don’t meet your goal.

These are just a few of the tips that I used in my quest to quit smoking. It’s not easy, but having a good reason to quit, a solid plan and a reward system in place you are taking steps to ensure your success.

Stay tuned for more tips in future posts!

Giving up smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to live a more healthy life. I’m not going to lie and tell you it will be easy, because most times it’s not. It can be one of the hardest things you will ever do. I’m speaking from experience here. It took me 3 years and 2 heart attacks before I was able to finally break the smoking habit for good.

That being said, there are ways to make quitting easier on yourself. The first thing you will want to do is make sure you have a plan in place for giving up smoking. Set your goals, decide on the best way and the best tools for you to use, pick your quit date, and get started.

There are many different ways to quit smoking, and many different stop smoking aids you can try to make it easier on yourself. One of the things you can do at the beginning of your quit process is to check out some of these aids and see if they will work for you. Many times it’s just a matter of finding the right fit between you and the tool that will make your quitting that much easier.

Mindset is another important factor in giving up smoking. When you pick your quit date, it helps to see it as a new beginning and something to be excited about. Focusing on the negative aspects of quitting such as the nicotine withdrawal, and how stressed out you will be wanting that cigarette will not help you to be successful.

Instead, choosing your quit date gives you a chance to be prepared so that you have a chance to get excited about your new start on life. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” When you quit smoking that day really is the first day of the rest of your life. I can’t even begin to tell you in one short post how much different your life will be after you quit smoking.

One final thing to be aware of is that you may have to avoid some friends and family while you are actively working at giving up smoking. Some people will not want to see you change — that’s just human nature — and will react negatively toward your decision to quit. It’s much easier to quit if you have supportive and positive people around you while you’re going through the process. If your friends and family are not willing to provide that support, you can find a support group in your local area, or even join a forum online where you can go when you need a shot of encouragement.

By giving up smoking, you are taking active control in making your life better, both physically and mentally. Having a plan with clear goals and objectives when you start the process will make it that much easier for you to be successful.