10 Ways To Quit Smoking With Ease

Once a person develops the habit of smoking, it's often very difficult to quit. Here are 10 Ways to Quit Smoking that I believe will help you focus your attention on a more healthy 'life after cigarettes'.

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer is that you try to identify what causes you to want a cigarette in the first place. Take notes on your habits for a few days. The more aware you are of your other habits, the easier it will be to pinpoint your smoking 'trigger' (what tips the scale and makes you think you need a cigarette).

Some of these ways of smoking will be easy; others will require your constant focus and attention. I wish you the best of luck and sincerely hope one of these methods helps you banish your smoking habit forever.

1. Make a commitment (a promise) to yourself that you are going to quit. Don't make the promise complicated; just plan to quit and keep your promise to yourself.

2. Write down all of the reasons you would like to quit on a piece of paper; keep it handy. Don't forget that it's an expensive, health threatening and mostly socially unacceptable pastime. On the flip side of the paper write out all of the benefits you'll experience once you quit -such as easier breathing, clean smelling clothing and hair, and the relief your family will feel once you quit. Just the exercise of writing these reasons to quit and the expected benefits should make you feel empowered to quit.

3. Clean up your environment and rearrange your furniture at home and at home. As you already know, we are creatures of habit. If you are accustomed to sitting in your favorite chair at night to watch TV, and you leave an ashtray out, it could trigger a craving. Remove all potential cigarette reminders and all tobacco products from your home and office.

4. Sign up for regular exercise classes. When you start to get into shape, a very magical thing happens to the way you treat your body. Often times just beginning a regular exercise regimen will cause you to watch what you eat, get more sleep, and take better care of yourself overall. Consider taking small walks throughout the day, if you used to use smoking as your break time activity.

5. Make a conscious effort to avoid people and places that enable you to smoke easily. Nobody should subject themselves to needless temptation. These people and places should be relatively easy to identify.

6. If you are a nervous eater, plan the healthy snacks you will consume before you embark on your cigarette quitting journey. Many people smoke with the excuse that they believe it keeps them thin. If you are suddenly afraid you will over eat, you may be tempted to light up instead. I live in a dry climate and was used to drinking water, so water really helped me to quit.

7. Don't sabotage your success by talking yourself into a cigarette. Sometimes when we are trying to make a major change in our habits, we can easily slip into the habit of justifying why we should break our new routine. Don't tell yourself you need a cigarette because you had a really rough day. Take a walk instead. Call a friend. Do anything but break your new routine.

8. Let everyone know you are quitting. It will bolster your determination to meet your goal of stopping smoking. It's quite possible your friends and family will be a source of support as you avoid temptation.

9. Be sure to set milestones for yourself and treat yourself. At one week, schedule a lunch out with a friend or family member and announce your success. At one month, plan a special event. Gents you could play a round of golf at your favorite course and ladies you could treat yourself to some spa time. Whatever you decide to do, congratulate yourself and keep treating yourself as you achieve each new milestone.

10. Quitting smoking is a mental game above all. Be sure you read literature about empowering yourself to make this change. You can surf the internet for free information, or you can purchase a self help program that will help you quit in a structured way.