Make an honest list of all the things you like about smoking. Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper and write them on one side; on the other side make a list of all the things you dislike, such as how it can interfere with your health, work, family, etc., suggests Daniel Z. Lieberman, M.D., director of the Clinical Psychiatric Research Center at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Think about the list over time, and make changes. If you are brave enough, get feedback from family and friends about things they don’t like about your use of cigarettes. When the negative side outweighs the positive side, you are ready to quit.
Then make another list of why quitting won’t be easy. Be thorough, even
if the list gets long and discouraging. Here’s the important part: Next
to each entry, list one or more options for overcoming that challenge.
For instance, one item might be: “Nicotine is an addictive drug.” Your
option might be: “Try a nicotine replacement alternative.” Another
reason might be: “Smoking helps me deal with stress.” Your option might
be: “Take five-minute walks instead.” The more you anticipate the changes to quitting and their solutions, teou anticipate the
challenges to quitting, and their solutions, the better your chance of
sucess
Set a quit date. Write a “quit date contract” that includes your signature and that of a supportive witne
Write all your reasons for quitting on an index card. Here are some to get you started: “My daughter, my granddaughter, my husband, my wife…” You get the idea. Keep it near you at all times.
As you’re getting ready to quit, stop buying cartons of cigarettes. Instead, only buy a pack at a time, and only carry two or three with you at a time (try putting them in an Altoids tin). Eventually you’ll find that when you want a smoke, you won’t have any immediately available. That will slowly wean you down to fewer cigarettes
Keep a list of when you smoke for a week before quitting. Also note what you’re doing at the time and how bad the craving is to see if specific times of the day or activities increase your cravings, suggests Gaylene Mooney, chair of the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Subcommittee on Smoking and Tobacco-Related Issues.
Prepare a list of things to do when a craving hits. Suggestions include: take a walk, drink a glass of water, kiss your partner or child, throw the ball for the dog, play a game, wash the car, clean out a cupboard or closet, have sex, chew a piece of gum, wash your face, brush your teeth, take a nap, get a cup of coffee or tea, practice your deep breathing, light a candle. Make copies of the list and keep one with you at all times so when the craving hits, you can whip out the list and quickly do something from it
Quit when you’re in a good mood. Studies find that you’re less likely to be a successful quitter if you quit when you’re depressed or under a great deal of stress.
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