How You can Quit Smoking

So you want to quit smoking. You know that your health and the health of your family depends on you, and you must quit smoking. The words don't matter, the statistics don't matter, not to you, the words "quit smoking" trigger the urge to light another cigarette. The more people say those two words the more you want to smoke! It's as if there is something subliminal, and "quit smoking" means Light Up! It drove me crazy for years.

First of all, I do not buy into all the second hand smoke jargon, and I have seen plenty of people who don't smoke and were never around smoke, getting cancer. The surgeon general's warnings have changed over the years because there is frankly not enough tangible proof that cancer is caused by smoking.

There are a number of other things that smoking does cause. These are rarely spoken of, only now do we hear of COPD.Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease killed my mother. That alone should have helped me quit smoking. The problem is, smoking wasn't the only cause of her COPD. There were "contributing factors" including drug interactions from medications that she was on for 35 years. I am perfectly capable of lying to myself, and did, every chance I got. It was not smoking alone that killed my mother, it was a combination of medications and smoking that killed her.

Add to this the fact that she never stopped wanting a cigarette, even after years without one. Knowing that I might be like that, asking people for a cigarette years after I have quit, as if it's the only reason for the visit... I was scared to quit, and scared not to.

The only way you can quit smoking is by convincing yourself to do it. There is no magic pill, shot or bullet. If it is time for you to quit smoking, you are the one who must do it. There are many different choices that you might try. Zyban, Chantix and the herbal remedies that are coming out of the woodwork right now along with hypnosis and acupuncture are just a few ways to quit.

Quit Smoking.com is an excellent resource for all types of articles on quitting. There are articles on hypnosis, health and beauty, and virtually every method you can think of. Unfortunately, I quit before finding this web site. I quit two weeks ago on Sunday, at 9:30 pm. I ran out of cigarettes, and knew I was out of money. I was not going to borrow a cigarette, or money, or "charge it". I have always hated it when people asked if they could "bum a cigarette" what an awful picture that creates in the mind!

"Hey can I bum a cigarette?" Borrow is almost as bad, they are never going to "pay you back" anymore than they would borrowing a "glass of water" and you wouldn't want it back when they finished with it!

Where did the idea of "bumming a cigarette" even come from?

Here are the steps you might want to use to quit, although I was planning to quit on May 6th along with fellow Hubber Dale Mazurek, I did have a plan in place. I just quit 3 weeks early due to financial difficulties.

1. Make a plan! Your plan should include the following:

• A quit date. This is the concrete date you are going to stop smoking. Knowing you are going to quit and when will help you.
• A method of cessation. Are you going to "quit cold turkey" or cut back, or will you employ a nicotine replacement method. I chose to use electronic cigarettes as my nicotine replacement method.
• A notebook or diary listing your triggers. When do you smoke more? In the car, after dinner, on the way to work? At work? If you target the places and times that you smoke the most, by deciding not to smoke there (like not smoking in the house, or the car, or both) you limit your smoking before you quit.
• A list of what you will do instead of smoking. My son hooked me up with video games that require both hands to play. Latch hooking, knitting, crocheting, painting, and home repair are just a few items you might employ to "keep your hands busy". Gum, lollypops, hard candy, mouthwash, and brushing your teeth are good methods of keeping you from wanting a cigarette as well.
• Self Talk! This is probably the most important tool in your arsenal. Before you quit, pump yourself up with some good self help phrases. "You can do it" "What is stronger, your will power, or (insert your cigarette brand here)" "Who is in control, you or (Insert cigarette manufacturer)" Think of all of the things you will be able to do better if you don't smoke. Use these as additional tools to stay quit.
• Never forget the first three days are the hardest. 72 hours is all it takes. After that your body is free of the nearly 600 chemicals in your brand of cigarettes. There is no more addiction. It is all psychological from there.
• Nicotine itself is not your biggest problem. There are numerous substances in your cigarettes aside from nicotine such as vanilla, molasses and cocoa. You wonder why people gain weight when they quit smoking, and lose weight when they start, that's why. You're going to crave what is lacking, so research your brand, find out what you will be missing, and buy some incense or essential oils. Air fresheners work also. Check out this article on eHow, about using cigarettes to "help you quit smoking".
• Drink plenty of water, take a vitamin supplement (colds, flu, and bronchial problems are common when quitting), and make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks in the house. Peanuts and sunflower seeds as well as baby carrots and celery sticks, are good when you are quitting.
• Don't give up. The average person who quits smoking does not succeed on the first try. Usually it takes about seventeen tries, sometimes as many as forty.

An excellent point came up in the comments for this hub. Ann Nonymous mentioned forming good habits. This is truly the best way to quit any bad habit, to replace it with a good habit. Finding something new to do with your hands, or snacking on crisp vegetables or fruit slices is an example of forming a new good habit. If you have decided to quit, what new good habit would you like to cultivate? Will an apple a day really keep the Doctor away? Maybe you can find out!

If you would like to earn $2000 to $5000 in residual income per month within the next year, please contact me.

Have a Great Day, and please, leave a comment or rate my hubs if you like them. Thanks!