How to Really Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is a decision that only you can make. No one else can force you to do it and have it be successful. When you want or have to quit smoking, there may be a part of you that screams out in a voice in your head "NO!".

Realize that, whether you like it or not, quitting smoking is going to be better on you in terms of your health and your finances. The price of cigarettes is always increasing as the government heavily taxes this luxury to try and make people decide to quit smoking.

Accept that there are going to be some tough moments, and there are going to be some tense moments. If you know that ahead of time, you will be better prepared to overcome them when they happen.

Before anything, though, in your mind, you have to decide that you are going to quit. Don't think of anything else other than quitting smoking right then. Focus on all of the good that is there in that statement. "I am quitting smoking."

Don't make the lame excuse of "Well, when I am finished with this one, this pack, this carton".., or anything else that relies on the availability of cigarettes. Set a date. Set a time.

Mark your date and time down on calendars. Set alarms on your cell phone. Share it with everyone who knows you. Just tell them that you are going to be quitting smoking on x date. The more people that know, the stronger of a support group that you will have surrounding you.

Look forward to that date like it is a party. It IS a party, too! A party for your lungs and heart at the very least.

If there are any cigarettes left in a pack, walk to the sink and drench them with water. Put them in the garbage. If there is any portion of a carton left, discard them, or give them to someone you know who smokes. If you don't know anyone who smokes, open the packs and saturate them with water to keep them from being accessed from your trash.

Throw away all cigarette paraphernalia. No lighters, no matches, no ashtrays, no anything that is related to smoking. Yes, you could put candy in the ashtray, but that is disgusting. Even after it is clean, that is nasty looking. If you can't bear to throw them away, put them in a bag to donate to a local charity. They can sell your smoking artifacts in their thrift store.

Keep a beverage handy all day long. This day will be the hardest. You can do this. Every time that you want to have a smoke, remind yourself that this is an addiction, and that ending an addiction is never easy.

Don't have another smoke. It will only make things worse. Remember all of those people that you told you were quitting? Now is the time to call one of them. Remind them that you are quitting smoking today, and ask them for a little reassurance. Talk for only five minutes (about the time that it takes to smoke a cigarette) and then get off the phone.

Drink a lot of fluids today. If you can't do a lot of water, drink something such as juice, coffee, tea, milk.

Don't go indulgent with snacks and foods. That is how people put on weight after smoking. By snacking mindlessly. If you need something to do, buy a tube of lip balm and apply it when you want to smoke. I did this, and it was nice to have something in the familiar motion of hand to mouth in the first few days. My lips were so hydrated!

Brush your teeth after every meal. My goodness. That completely melted away the urge to smoke. I don't know why, but mint freshness and tobacco don't go together.

You will start to see when you smoked more than other times. I smoked after waking, after meals, before bed like clockwork. When I realized that, I would do something to distract myself. I would read for a moment, look up jokes online, or send emails to friends that I had not heard from in a while.

Every time that I felt an urge to smoke, I rubbed it out with an action. I also would constantly verbally reward myself with how good I looked, or what good I was doing. It worked!

It may seem really stupid to you, but it is important to be accountable. After a few days, write an email, post on your social networks, but do let people know how you are doing.

There are software programs online that you can enter your data, and it will show how much money you have saved by quitting. I think that is really neat, because it puts it all into perspective in a format that you can share with others.

So! You are no longer a smoker! The nicotine is out of your system, you are feeling better, and you now notice how horrible cigarette smokers smell!

Write a thank you note to all of your friends and family who helped you through the tougher times!

If you find this Hub Useful, Funny, Interesting, or anything else good, please vote it up, thanks!