6 Tips to Help You Prepare to Quit Smoking

As some of you already know from my last blog, I have decided to quit smoking this Thursday (April 3rd, 2008) and invite any of you to join me in doing the same. For those of you who are going to continue to wait to quit, you have plenty of time to prepare. For those of us quitting this Thursday, time is short, yet there are still things we can do to help make quitting easier.

#1  Break the Habit

If you are a smoker, I’m sure you have experienced those moments where you unconsciously grab a cigarette and light up.  This happens to me every day in my car.  This happens because you have a habit of lighting up in specific situations.  From now until you quit, when you notice yourself doing this, try to delay lighting the cigarette for as long as you can. Getting used to interrupting yourself before you quit will make it easier for you to resist the urge once you have quit.

#2 Remember to Breath

I don’t know how many times I have read that you should take a deep breath whenever you have the urge to smoke.  While breathing deeply may help you relax and lessen the urge to smoke, it probably won’t eliminate the urge to smoke altogether.   Many of the sources that do suggest breathing entirely miss the point of it.  The end goal isn’t to relax you, or even to lessen to urge to smoke.  What you really want to do is divert your focus from smoking to something else and there is nothing better to divert your attention to than the present. 

#3 Being in the Present

In the past you smoked, in the future things may happen that will make you want to smoke.  Why would you want to focus your attention on either of these while you are attempting to fight off the urge to smoke?  Instead keep your mind on the present.  Breath deeply and take time to look at what is going on around you.  What do you see?  What do you hear?  Let these things pass into and out of your mind as they happen, and just be present.  This will not only help you put more time between your cigarettes as you prepare to quit, but will also help you to resist the urge to smoke once you have quit smoking.

#4 Don’t Be Afraid to Use a Stop Smoking Aid

You shouldn’t feel intimidated or embarrassed about using a stop smoking aid.  The addiction to nicotine can be worse than the addiction to drugs that are considered to be far worse.  Just as with those drugs, your body had a chemical dependency on the nicotine which can be dealt with more easily using these aids.  Whether you choose to use something over the counter, or something prescribed by your physician, you should use something.  Over the next few days decide what you will use, and plan when you will get it so that when the time comes you will be prepared.

#5 Reach Out and Get Support

There are many places you can look to for support.  Whether you prefer calling one of the stop smoking hotlines, turning to your peers, or turning to others who are also making an attempt to quit, don’t be afraid to get support.  I will be more than glad to talk, share stories, and thoughts in comments here and on Plurk (I am sociallydistressed there).

#6 Be Excited

Just by reading this you have already made an effort toward quitting.  With sheer determination, and a little bit of luck, you may soon be smoke free.  You’ll have more money to spend or save. You’ll feel so much better.  People will no long shy away from you because you smell like smoke. 

 

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Quitting Smoking as a Technique to Improve your Self Confidence

Quitting Smoking as a Technique to Improve your Self Confidence

This morning on my way into the office this morning, I made the decision to quit smoking once and for all. As I was driving and thinking about the implications of quitting I realized how overcoming the nicotine addiction can be another big step in improving my self-confidence. Quitting cigarettes can give one much more than simply the sence of accomplishment gained from accomplishing something so difficult. Most of the positive effects are fairly obvious. You will be healthier, and will feel better day-to-day. Cigarettes are expensive, so depending on how much you smoke, and how you buy them, you could end up saving a fairly large chunck of change each month. When you go out in public, you will no longer wonder if you smell like cigarettes. All of these can make a huge difference in your self confidence, which in the end will help your social anxiety. You may be afraid to try to quit, because you might fail. You shouldn't be. The nicotine addiction is extremely difficult to dump for some people (including me), and there is no way to guarantee that you'll be able to do it. Our goal in this case is to try our best to make our lives smoke free. At the very least, we'll smoke a few less cigarettes than we would have otherwise. While keeping that in mind, also keep in mind that our long term goal is to quit. In order to do that we need to maintain positivity, and believe that we will succeed. If you're nervous about quitting alone, feel free to join me. I will be quitting on Thursday, July 3rd (2008). Feel free to comment, or join me on plurk and we can work together. In addition to being open to talk, I will also be blogging about my experiences, and providing tips and thoughts as I go, so make sure you check back often. I hope to see a few of you join me in this adventure!