How To Quit Smoking: 5 Easy Tips

My last article covered 10 reasons you should stop smoking. They were somewhat unconventional, but let’s face it, most of us indulge in a healthy degree of vanity. I listed those reasons in hopes it might appeal on a level that matters to smokers – cos, clearly, their health doesn’t.

I mentioned that I, myself, was a smoker for 13 years – 2 packs a day – and that I quit cold turkey 6 years ago. It was not easy. It was not fun. And it was even worse for those who had to put up with me during the first year.Today I’m going to give you a few ideas that can help keep you motivated once you quit. There are already thousands of articles out there that talk about all kinds of props, meds, plans, journals, etc – and some of those are great and may work wonders for you. These are things that worked for me. And btw – good for you – quitting is cool.

• Keep a Smoking Jar.

How much do you spend on smoking? I’ve seen prices of 8 bucks or more in some parts of the US. If you smoke a pack a day, that’s 50 bucks a week, 200 bucks a month. Take the money you would have spent on cigarettes and put in a jar. At the end of the month, go out and buy yourself something nice. Note: If you slip up and smoke, detract that from your smoking jar!

• Go Kojak.

Some people really and truly have an oral fixation. I am one of them. Part of the nightmare of quitting was constantly feeling like I needed something in my mouth. (And yeah, I hear you’re dirty little snickering, buddy!) Once I discovered lollipops, my stress was lessened by 75%. Worried about sugar? So go sugar free! There are some great lollipops out there, I still love them. Just stay away from the blue ones.. not sexy!

• Make a deal with someone you respect/love.

I didn’t want to quit. The reason I did, was someone offered me a deal. They promised to quit something else if I quit smoking. I happened to really want them to keep their end of the bargain, so I viewed quitting smoking as a small price to pay. So if you have someone you love constantly nagging at you to quit – offer them a trade. We all know someone who should be taking better care of themselves, or changing something in their life. For example, tell Dad you’ll quit smoking if he promises to follow that diabetic diet he keeps slacking off on. It works.

• Take up a hobby that keeps your hands busy.

Knitting, painting, writing, guitar –You can’t smoke and play guitar at the same time. The idea is to keep them distracted and happy so they won’t feel like they should be lighting a smoke for you.

• Chew/suck on ice chips

A good way to deal with that oral fixation – without gaining weight. Sucking on them helps ease the smoking reflex and chewing them helps get past the food cravings. Personally I don’t think you really crave food – you just want something in your mouth, and your brain figures that means food. So there you have it, my 5 tips to help you stick to your goal. It's not easy, but it's possible. Millions have done it, and you're going to be next! Good luck!

xx Isabella