If you are ready to quit smoking, you have an uphill battle in front of you. Saying “this is my last smoke”, is a far cry from actually never lighting up again. Smoking is more than a habit. It’s a very serious addiction and will take more than willpower to get over it.
The first thing to keep in mind is that smoking is not a single event, but a process that involves a change in lifestyle, values, social circles, thinking and feeling patterns and coping skills. Smokers need to prepare a “quit plan” and put a number of supports in place. Here is a quit smoking plan recommended by the mayoclinic.com:
Step one: Decide to quit smoking Only you can decide when you’re ready to stop smoking. You may spend a lot of time thinking about quittng smoking before you’re ready to actually do it. If you’re thinking about quittng, go ahead and pick a specific day to quit — your quit day — and then plan for it.
Step two: Pick a quit day Pick a specific day to quit smoking. Don’t set your quit day too far in the future, or you may find it hard to follow through. But don’t do it before you have a quit-smoking plan in place, either. Having a day in mind can help you prepare for what to expect and to line up helpful support. What if you decide to quit smoking on the spur of the moment? Follow the quit day advice and go for it.
Step three: Preparing for quit day Mark the day. Make a big notation of your quit day on your calendar. It’s an important day in your life, so treat it like one. Have on hand items that can substitute for the cigarette you’re used to having in your mouth, such as sugarless gum, hard candy, cinnamon sticks and crunchy vegetables. Find local quit-smoking support groups. Many hospitals and clinics offer classes or groups. You can join online quit-smoking groups or programs. You can even get cell phone apps, text messages or alerts to help you quit.
Step four: Handling quit day Gettng through your quit day can be emotionally and physically challenging. Don’t smoke, not even “just one.” Begin using nicotine replacement therapy if you’ve chosen that method, and avoid situations and people that trigger your urge to smoke.
Staying quit Line up your resources now so that you can lean on them when you quit smoking. The more resources you have in place upfront — support groups, nicotine replacement, counseling — the more likely you are to quit and stay quit.
