When a friend or family member pressures you to quit (even if you don't actually want to), it can become difficult to know what the right thing to do is. If the relationship you have with this person is really important to you, you should at least try to make an effort to quit. His insistence may lead you to think about actually quitting but, in all honesty, the only way to be successful is to want to do it yourself.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding the Motivation
Step 1. Find an addiction support structure
Qualified professionals work in these centers who can really help you find the reasons to stop your habit. They relate every day to people who have some form of addiction, and have a broad understanding of the different difficulties you may face.
Search the internet to find one of these support centers in your area. If you enjoy being in contact with others, addiction support groups can really help you
Step 2. Identify the reasons for quitting smoking
Perhaps the people around you have already listed the reasons for quitting several times, but you still cannot understand the damage you are doing to yourself. Look at various online sites about the benefits of stopping cigarettes forever, such as airc or nonfumopiù. If you can find valid reasons and understand the benefits of a smoke-free life, you can find the right inspiration to get started on your quest.
Read various experiences of people who have experienced the terrible effects of smoking on this site or in others that you can easily find on the internet
Step 3. Know all the substances that are actually in cigarettes
According to the American Lung Association, there are more than 600 ingredients in cigarettes which, when combined when the cigarette is lit, form more than 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which are carcinogenic.
- Among the main ingredients contained in cigarettes are: tar, lead, acetone, arsenic, butane, carbon monoxide, ammonia and formaldehyde.
- Surely you have already been told to quit smoking because it is harmful. Well, now you also know exactly why cigarettes are bad for you.
Step 4. Keep in mind that quitting will also benefit the people around you
When you smoke, you not only compromise your health, but also endanger the lives of other people who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
- Know that secondhand smoke can cause cancer in family members living with you. Those close to you also risk getting colds and flus more often, as well as suffering from heart disease and breathing problems, and women may have a hard time getting pregnant.
- Studies have shown that in a family where parents smoke often, children will also be tempted to smoke. So, being able to quit today could change your child's future life for the better.
Part 2 of 3: Get Help from a Friend
Step 1. Talk to a friend or colleague who has quit smoking for advice
Your direct experience with smoking and being able to quit may also lead you to quit much more effectively than family "sermons". Ask those who have already stopped giving you some useful tips and strategies to succeed in your intent. They may also advise you or even accompany you to a support group in your area.
Step 2. Rely on a close friend or family member for support
If it's one of the people who put pressure on you to get out of your addiction, even better. Make sure this person is willing to support you and offer you encouragement once you decide to take this path.
Research has found that having some form of support available while trying to break free from an addiction increases the odds of success. Your support group may be there on days when you feel a strong urge to light a cigarette. By calling a friend or spending time with someone who is important to you, you can avoid a relapse
Step 3. Join a support group in your city or join an online forum
Do a search on the internet and you will have no difficulty in finding any support groups in your area or even simply online that you can join. Even if you haven't fully worked out your intention to quit, attending some of these meetings and hearing about other people's struggles and successes may be just what you need to take the next step.
Part 3 of 3: Develop a Plan to Quit
Step 1. Determine what things will help you curb your desire to smoke
Always keep these essential items with you. The following are some of the objects and workarounds that can always help you:
- "Alternative cigarettes".
- Cinnamon flavored chewing gum.
- Mouthwash and dental floss to always have good breath.
- A pen, a small stone or a row of beads to replace the physical action of holding the cigarette.
- The phone number of someone who can help you in difficult times.
Step 2. Consider getting nicotine replacement therapy
There are several products that you can find free for sale in pharmacies that replace nicotine and that can help you overcome withdrawal crises; for example, there are patches, chewing gum, nicotine candies, nasal sprays, inhalers or sublingual tablets that release small doses of nicotine into the body.
- Among the side effects of these products are: nightmares, insomnia, skin irritation due to patches, soreness of the mouth, difficulty in breathing, hiccups, pain in the jaws due to chewing gums, irritation of the mouth and throat, cough due to nicotine inhalers, throat irritation and hiccups from nicotine candy, nose and throat irritation if you use the nasal spray, as well as runny nose.
- E-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, but run on a battery. An atomizer heats a liquid solution of nicotine and aromas which creates a mist of vapor to be inhaled. This type of cigarettes seems like a promising solution to being able to quit, but some precautions are needed. While this model doesn't contain as many harmful chemicals as regular cigarettes, it does contain nicotine. Some people therefore believe that this way you do not really quit smoking, but it is still a valid compromise, for the moment.
Step 3. Keep track of your habits
You need to get to know your smoking habits very well if you really want to quit. Start observing yourself for a day or two. Record and write down your smoking behaviors. This will help you later.
- How many cigarettes do you smoke every day?
- When do you smoke? In the morning? After lunch? In the evening?
- Why do you smoke? To ease tensions? To relax before bed?
Step 4. Set a date to quit smoking
The American Cancer Society has found that defining a precise day is very important, in order to give a ceremonial value to the gesture. Choose a day of the coming month to formalize your release from the habit and respect the decision. It could be an important day, like your birthday, the start of a holiday, or even just a Monday.
Write down the appointed day on your calendar and let your friends know so they will be prepared to encourage you on your "journey". This symbolic ritual can help you mentally prepare for the fact that you will soon be a former smoker. Count down every day and make it your goal to stick to this decision more and more
Step 5. Set a plan for when the due date approaches
In the days or weeks leading up to the fateful date, you need to focus on some details that are crucial to the success of your purpose. Get some products that can help you quit, such as patches or nicotine gum. See your doctor if you prefer prescription medications, which may be more effective.
- You need to find healthy habits to incorporate into your daily routine that aim to achieve the same goal of quitting smoking. Increasing exercise is one way to get closer to your goal. It also allows you to keep possible weight gain under control.
- If you especially like the feel of a cigarette in your mouth, get plenty of lollipops or straws like soda straws to bring to your lips when the urge to smoke comes over you. If you smoke to relax, download some calming music from the internet and start practicing meditation or yoga.
Step 6. Decide how to reward yourself
Find a way to reward yourself when you can quit smoking. If you have some interesting stimuli, it will be easier to avoid smoking. The reward can be anything small or large, as long as it is something that can really help you.
Buy yourself an ice cream or cupcake to get through the first day. Or pamper yourself with a soothing massage when you can get away from cigarettes for a week
Step 7. Try to taper off gradually, rather than quitting all at once
For example, plan to go from two packs a day to one in several weeks, removing two cigarettes at a time. This way you release some tension when you don't really want to quit smoking, while at the same time starting to benefit from reducing the amount of smoking. You can also decide to throw a few cigarettes out of each new pack you buy, until you get used to quitting more and more. Smoking less will make it easier for you to cope with the day when you quit altogether.
Step 8. Find ways to keep busy on your designated day to quit
Throw away any last of the cigarettes you have left, and keep your chewing gum and water handy. When the "big day" arrives, remember that it will be, together with the following week, the hardest moment, but you will make it! Don't forget to reward yourself for success!
Step 9. Update your support group on progress
Make sure you brag to friends, family, and co-workers when you manage to stay 2-3 days - or all week - without smoking. Any progress, however small, is important. Plus their praise and encouragement will help you persist on your journey to free yourself from smoking.
Studies have found that it is much easier to respect and persist in a commitment if the intention has been made public to others. Tell all your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or write it on your personal blog, and let the world know that you are making a commitment to quit cigarettes. Think that this way you will have an even bigger support group
Step 10. During the first month, avoid meeting other smokers or finding yourself in social contexts where they smoke
This means not attending large parties or outdoor dining occasions. Also avoid all those factors that stimulate your desire to smoke, such as drinking alcohol or coffee or "cigarette break" with colleagues at work. Keep busy and remind yourself every hour and every day that you are one non smoker!
Many smokers associate cigarettes with certain activities, such as drinking alcohol or coffee. Do everything you can to avoid these stimuli, which can cause you to want to light a cigarette, during the first month or for as long as it takes for you. Don't challenge yourself until you're really ready
Step 11. Hold on
After the first month, and probably for the rest of your life as well, you may still be thinking about how good it would be to smoke a cigarette after a good meal, but know that over time it will become easier and easier to ignore these thoughts. Your life as a non-smoker will be healthier and hopefully more enjoyable, without the constant torment of being told not to smoke.
- Maintain a positive attitude. You will likely have a relapse and return to smoking several more times before you are able to completely break free from the habit. A survey carried out by the American company Gallup found that most American smokers have tried to quit an average of 3.6 times in their life.
- You've strengthened a nicotine addiction all these years as a smoker, and it's not easy to break the habit. Stay focused on living a healthier life, avoid the elements that can trigger a desire to smoke, and find better ways to manage stress. You can do it!
- Think in the long run. If you need more help, ask and seek it out. Take some patches, herbal supplements, or nicotine chewing gum. Look for photos of lung cancer patients and read the stories of those who survived.
Advice
- Read How to Quit Smoking for some ideas on why you should quit, for your own good. Remember that you don't necessarily have to quit right now, but getting to say, "Yes, I'd like to quit" is the first essential step you need to take. Once you are successful in quitting, remember that you have done all the work and you get all the credit. It is a matter that does not concern anyone else.
- Don't lie to your spouse or partner. If you sneak up to smoke a cigarette, let them know.
- Always keep a snack with you, such as a bag of carrots, so you can eat something healthy to fill you up and at the same time quench the craving for cigarettes.
- Celebrate your success. If you can get out of this addiction (even if it was due to constant insistence from others), remember that no one actually forced you to quit. Quitting smoking isn't easy and you need to be proud of your success.
