If you want to quit smoking it can be very helpful to do a little preparation first. This preparation will allow you to preview the challenges ahead and it will give you a way to decide how to cope with those challenges before they become a problem. The idea is to learn to disassociate yourself entirely from nicotine and the feelings you might have for it while at the same time coping with nicotine withdrawl symptoms. A day or two of this type of preparation can mean the difference between success and failure.
Making Peace
For a lot of smokers, cigarettes are almost like little friends with personalities and human-like qualities. These "friends" have been with us through good times and bad and that bond that must be broken. To do this, you should really look at your cigarettes and analyze the entire smoking experience. You'll discover that there is nothing magical about any of it and as much as you might love your cigarettes, they sure don't love you back. Yo u are emotionally attached to paper, tobacco, a filter, and some added chemicals and this makes no sense whatsoever. With that realization, you can begin to separate yourself from cigarettes and it will be that much easier for you to quit.
Trial Runs
A trial run isn't really a quit attempt but rather it is a way to educate yourself about what to expect. It is very simple - you just go as long as you can without smoking and then when you finally do light up, you take note of what happened and why. For example, if you smoke when you go out then you know you need to stay home for a while. If you just couldn't fight the nicotine fit any longer then you need to learn how to do that. If you light up just for something to do then you need to train yourself to find an alternative. This is a guilt-free way to quit without quitting and to gather all the facts you need to be successful. Knowledge is power and this knowledge can be very powerful indeed.
Arm Yourself
Your trial run should reveal what you'll need help with when you quit. Some people need something to do with their hands, some people need to eat, other people just need a way to make it past the nic fits. If you think you'll need something to munch on, go grocery shopping. If you think drinking a ton of ice water will help, make some ice cubes. If the sight of an ashtray gives you the shakes, throw them all away (do this anyway). Gather up everything you think you'll need so you won't be able to blame the lack of these items on your decision to give up and smoke.
Your Last Cigarette
Now that you are ready to quit there is the matter of that last cigarette. Savor it, enjoy it, smoke it nice and slow and when you are done you can put it out knowing that it was your last one. It can be extremely helpful to time it to coincide with your bedtime so you can go to bed satisfied and wake up 8 or 10 hours into your quit. Without even trying, you'll already be about 1/3 through your first day!
Rich Danger is an ex-smoker & webmaster currently residing on the windswept prairie. His website at http://www.HowIQuitSmoking.info is packed with information to help you successfully quit smoking.
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