You Will Quit

Take Steps To Quit Smoking

You don't have to carry on a life-long battle with smoking - just plan and take steps to quit smoking and it needn't be as difficult as you think. The key is preparation. The steps discussed below don't involve you substituting one addiction for another, either. There are steps to quit smoking which enable you to do that without swapping one addiction for another of nicotine gum and patches.

By really focusing on your wish for a healthier lifestyle where you are not simply burning money in order to harm yourself through this addiction, you can take steps to quit smoking. Here's how:

1. Want to quit No, I mean - honestly. The only real way to quit smoking is to want to quit - for you. Don't think you can do it to please a non-smoking spouse who dislikes the smell, or for kids worried about your health. That motivation soon wanes.

You've been there before - governments imposing smoking bans in public places and all these trite warnings of 'smoking will kill you, you know'; they just make you want to smoke more - and strangle the other people!

You will only really be able to take steps to quit smoking when YOU want to do it: when you can see what YOU will get out of quitting smoking.

2. Avoid saying you're 'quitting' or 'giving up' smoking Just think of those words 'quit' and 'give up'; they smack of despair and hopelessness don't they? They tell you that you're missing out on something: that you're denying yourself something. Long-term, if you're to succeed, you have to get positive. Look forward to what you'll achieve by stopping smoking. Think of all the money you'll save and what you could do with it - and how much more you'll be able to enjoy it because you'll be healthier.

3. Make a date One of the most important steps to quit smoking is to set a date when you're going to have your last cigarette - and begin to look forward to life after that date. Make your date for a few days' time - say a week; up to that date - smoke without feeling guilty.

Don't get yourself all tensed up and anxious that the dreaded smoke-free day is looming. That gets you stressed - and what do smokers do when they're stressed? - They smoke!

4. Find out what makes you smoke Most people have specific times or specific situations when they're more likely to smoke. Smoking can be a social thing - and if you're taking steps to quit smoking, you need to tackle this social aspect as well as the physical side of smoking for you.

Do you smoke when you wake up, when you drink coffee - after sex, even? It's times like these when you need to find something better to do with your hands and mouth! Once you've broken the association between this event and a cigarette, you've taken one of the biggest and most important steps to quit smoking.

5. Accept that there will be difficulties Stopping smoking may not be all plain sailing. Stress won't magically go away and there will be times when you really feel like having a cigarette. But one of the important steps to quit smoking is to ask yourself 'what good will a cigarette do?': will it bring back your boy/girlfriend? Will it drain the bathroom you just flooded by leaving the tap running? Will it pay that big bill?

The answer to all these questions and more is 'no'. Instead of lighting up, take a few deep breaths. It will calm your nerves in seconds. Take a break and play with a stress ball or go for a walk, call a friend - anything to get your mind off the problem for a little while.

When you come back to it, you should feel less like smoking a cigarette and more like dealing practically with the actual problem.

Even without problems - take time out to relax. Use some of the money you've saved by not buying cigarettes to take yourself away for a relaxing weekend.

6. Find a new hobby Do something that will replace the pleasure you got from smoking. It will be something you can look forward to doing - and will occupy your hands and brain so they'll be too busy to smoke.

Make your hobby something you can do regularly - daily, preferably - to replace the half-hour you would probably spend smoking.

7. Plan to cope with withdrawal symptoms Withdrawal symptoms and weight gain are the two most common reasons that people start smoking again - but they can be avoided.

Physical withdrawal symptoms are usually due to low blood sugar levels. Nicotine blocks the insulin which would control your blood sugar. It's why smoking suppresses your appetite. When you've given up smoking, your insulin stores are released; your body thinks it hasn't eaten enough so it tells you it's hungry and you start to feel cranky.

Avoid this feeling and also over-eating by drinking fruit juice and follow a sensible healthy eating plan. This is the beginning of the rest of your life so make the most of it. Follow these steps to quit smoking and pretty soon you should have put the harmful and addictive habit behind you for ever.