Quitting Smoking - Getting Ready
Getting Ready
There are 7 steps you can take when you're getting ready to quit smoking, and the more prepared you are, the more likely you are to succeed.
Understand your motivation
The first step is knowing exactly what your own private reasons are for giving up smoking. You can be motivated by both external and internal reasons. External motivation includes friends and family who want you to give up. Internal motivation is your own desire to move on and become an ex-smoker. When it's time to give up, you must have your own internal motivation if you're going to be successful. If you're trying to help someone give up, they must want to quit, not just for you or for a loved one, but for themselves.
Now is the time to write down your reasons, and place them where they'll remind you every day of why you have chosen to stop smoking.
You can also write down what you think will be your biggest obstacles to quitting, such as stress at work or social situations. Because the more aware of temptation you are, the less likely you are to give in to it. These challenges will be used to build your own individually tailored plan.
Prepare to stop smoking
As you get ready for the day you give up smoking, look at all the situations that lead you to have a cigarette.
Maybe you smoke when you have coffee, or after a meal. Or perhaps cigarettes are an integral part of a night out at the pub. Prepare for these situations, and you'll have more power to deal with them in ways other than smoking. For example, if you know where you'll be when you crave a cigarette, such as in front of the TV or while cooking dinner, you can keep healthy fruit or sugar-free chewing gum on hand to keep cravings at bay. And for the first few days after you give up, you might want to avoid the pub or other situations where your friends will be smoking.
Decide on a date
Choose your day to give up smoking. Make it an ordinary day when you don't have anything unusual happening, sometime in the near future. This will give you time to prepare.
Decide on a method
You'll want to do some preparation before your chosen day, based on the stop smoking method you'll be using. For example, if you've decided to use a smoking cessation clinic or support group, you'll want to schedule meetings or appointments before you give up. Or, if you plan to use stop smoking aids such as patches, have those on hand so you'll be less tempted to give in to cravings.
Detach yourself from smoking
Get rid of your ashtrays, your matches and cigarette lighters. All of them. They're reminders of the habit you're leaving behind. And don't forget to remove the cigarette lighter and ashtray from your car, too.
Also, clean your home to try and remove the smell of cigarette smoke.
Let your family and friends know that you're giving up smoking
Even though the decision to give up smoking is a very private one, telling your family or close friends can provide you with extra support. Having a couple of people you're close to and can turn to when things are tough can help keep you positive and motivated.
If you don't want to tell people you're close to that you're trying to give up, you might consider using a telephone support line.
Think ahead
Think ahead to the next couple of weeks, and imagine the challenges you'll face when you've given up. Visualise yourself not smoking in everyday situations when you would normally have a cigarette. Mentally rehearse how you will cope with the tempting situations you know you will face.
