8 Steps to Stop Smoking Easy

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

by Antonio Howell, MD

It is never too late to change, and you had made the right decision today! Given the facts about smoking, on how it endangers your health, your family and neighbors, and your beloved dog. Before you get totally consumed by the smoking addiction, here are things you need to consider to help you stop smoking:

1. Know when you started smoking. How many months or years have you been smoking? Be aware how long you have been slowly and surely killing yourself. By becoming aware of this, you will be able to anticipate how much effort or help you will need.
2. Record. Now you have the date when you first started the habit, you can think of how many sticks of cigarettes you consumed on a daily basis before and today. This awareness will help you estimate how to slow down your smoking, if you can’t really put a red light in there and stop right then and there.
3. Know when you are usually smoking. Are you smoking when you are bored? When you just finished a meal? Whatever that mood or condition that pushes you to smoke each day, be aware of that, you need to identify them so you can also identify alternatives you can do instead of lighting a cigarette. It will also be important that you know what it gives you after you smoke, does it relieves the stress? Did smoking ever help your digestion? Regardless how odd the answers maybe, you need to identify them.
4. Compare yourself back then when you are not yet smoking. Get some old photos you probably had, try to check the details of your skin, your teeth, your hair or even weight. Comparison will help you be motivated and inspired, if you want to have that fresh look again, since it is a fact that smoking causes skin and health problems.
5. List the benefits. Quitting has a lot of benefits, keep them coming and that list will help you stay positive about it. Being aware how smoking impacts your life not just health but your social life will also add motivation to you.
6. Talk about it. Not just that talking to your friends and family about the plan will make them feel happy for you but it will also let them know you would appreciate their support. The people surrounding you are a great factor in anything that you are doing, especially when dealing with difficulties. They can guard and guide you and constantly reminds you to do the right thing when you feel that you want to give up.
7. Consult. Help from the experts of course is the best way to go, there are products that can make things lighter for you, alternatives and even medications. Enlist all the help you can get to make it easier for you to suceed. Experts can analyse your smoking cessation needs in terms of your bad habit and devise a plan that will better work for you.
8. Keep your organizer full. It may be a struggle at first but eventually you will learn ways to fill your day without smoking. There are a lot of things you may want to try doing, like travel, sports, or education. Plan ahead to keep you busy and focused to other things. Get your organizer and start writing plans for vacation or activities. That way, you don’t get all stressed thinking about quitting, focus instead on all the things you will be doing.

It is a fact that smoking cigarettes is addictive and unhealthy, so it may be challenging to kick the addiction. Nevertheless, if you’re determined and have made up your mind, you can be successful.