Are you ready to quit smoking? The decision to quit might be an easy one, but actually doing so will be far more difficult; consequently you may learn, a few days into quitting, that you weren’t quit as ready as you thought you were. Since this can easily lead to relapse back into smoking, make some preparations to quit first, in an attempt to eliminate those problems before they have a chance to take hold.
Inform friends and family
It is important they know so that they can give you the emotional support you will need. And for those among them that smoke, they need to remember not to suggest you join them outside for a smoke. It might be incidental, but the temptation may prove too much, and get you fixated on having a cigarette.
Stock up on healthy snacks
Since nicotine is an appetite suppressant, you may find yourself especially hungry during the withdrawal phase, and consequently over-eat. Doing so may make you depressed because you don’t want to gain weight, and that depression can bring you right back to cigarettes. To prevent this, stock up on some healthy food alternatives for the week or so after your quit date; fruits and vegetables and other low-fat snacks that you actually enjoy eating. This is no time to buy poor-tasting health foods because you will not eat them.
Get rid of visual triggers
Throw away your ash trays, lighters, that pullover sweater you put on to smoke in every morning so nothing else of yours stinks of cigarettes. In your post-smoking life, they will only act as triggers to get you thinking about having another cigarette.
Have a plan for certain times of the day
While at work, do you go outside and have a smoke every day at 10:20 AM? Or do you have a cigarette immediately after you shower every morning? Or after dinner? These ritual smoke breaks will be difficult to endure smoke-free. Determine when yours are and plan ahead to cut them off with a planned activity.
Set the date
You will need to establish a quit date, the day you smoke your last cigarette. Inform friends and family of this date and ask that they respect it.
Stay busy.
Ever heard the old saying, “The devil finds employment for the idle”? The less free time you have, the more time there is for you to think, think, think about not smoking. You can’t think about not smoking that much without risking having a smoke.
Get some exercise
Activities that involve exercise and concentration will keep your mind and body occupied.
Get started on your plan
If you’re using nicotine replacement therapies or planning to attend a group counseling class, get started today. Just because it’s your quit day, this doesn’t give you the freedom to wait a day on those plans. Go to it!
Quitting smoking is a fight you can not lose. Imagine all those people who succumbed to the horror of lung cancer, or who struggled with emphysema in the last difficult years of their lives. What do you suppose they were thinking?
I wish I would have quit sooner, before it was too late.
It is not too late for you. Get yourself ready and quit now, while you still have the chance.
Sponsored Links
Quit Smoking Support Groups
SupportGroups.com is for individuals, friends and families who are looking to connect during life's challenging times. Share personal experiences, evaluate information and get support during times of need, illness, treatment or recovery.
Dive Deeper
