Know Why You Are Quitting

Pick a reason that you believe in. It may be for your family or for yourself. Quitting will be harder if you do not believe in your reason.

Take it One Day at a Time

Focus on making it through one day without smoking. Remember, it will get easier as time goes on. Nicotine will soon leave your system. The worst of the withdrawal symptoms will go away with it.

Smoke Less Each Day

Some people may choose to quit all at once. This may not work for everyone. You may want to start by smoking fewer cigarettes each day. Once you reach seven cigarettes per day, it is time to fully stop. Set a quit day and stick to it.

Change Your Environment

Think about the places and things that lead to smoking. Remove triggers when you are able. Get rid of the ashtrays at home. Do not come back from lunch 15 minutes early to sneak in a cigarette break. Do not go to places where smoking is part of the atmosphere.

Practice the Three D's

Delay; Deep breathing; Drink water.

When you feel like a smoke, delay it. Try to do or think of something else. Take a walk or chew gum. Breathe deeply, and count to 10 slowly as you delay. Drink plenty of water. It helps flush the nicotine out of your body.

Keep a Diary

Each time you feel like a cigarette, write it down. Note the time of day, what you are doing, and how badly you want to smoke. Use a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 for the worst craving. A diary helps you to learn your triggers. It may help you make a plan to avoid them or prepare you for those you cannot avoid.

Talk to Your Doctor about Medicine

Prescription medicine may help to ease cravings. It may also block the pleasant feelings that the cigarettes make. Talk to your doctor about choices that may be safe for you.

The doctor may also suggest nicotine replacement tools. These are patches, gum, lozenges, and nasal sprays. Many can be bought over-the-counter. They can help you ease off of nicotine without the other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. This allows you to slowly quit.

Other Support

Some are able to quit on their own. Others may find help from:

• Therapies, such as hypnosis and acupuncture
• Smoking cessation classes
• Group therapy
• Self-help programs—web and phone-based programs (http://www.ffsonline.org or http://www.smokefree.gov)

A blend of these options may work best for you. For example, using a nicotine patch and going to group therapy may help you to become smoke-free for good.

Reward Yourself for Succeeding

Quitting is hard. You deserve a reward for meeting short-term goals. Smoke-free for one week, two weeks, or a month should be rewarded. Put aside the money that you would have spent on cigarettes. When the time comes, use that money for a reward!