The Health Blog

Taking the steps to decide that you want to quit smoking is a huge commitment. The dedication that is needed is absolutely essential to your success and can often be one of the only factors that will determine how successful you are. If you find that you are struggling to quit smoking you are certainly not alone, seeking out appropriate help is always key to finding success in your quest to quit smoking. Looking around at all of the excuses, reasons, purposes and methods that pertain to quitting smoking there are generally two very large factors that will determine your overall success. Without these two factors you will almost always fail, with them you will typically walk away a successful non-smoker.

Your first critical success factor will be being determined to quit for your own reasons. This means you need to decide for yourself that you want to quit. Having the idea to quit smoking forced upon you will generally not work out well for yourself. You have to decide all on your own that you are ready to quit smoking, this dedication to stop smoking will often be a huge driving force in your battle against cigarettes and you will probably need to pull strength from your decision. Additionally, as everyone around you is asking why you want to quit, a good answer that you believe in will help you to resolve your determination each time you answer.

This might sound like nothing more than an excuse, but actually deciding for yourself that you want to quit is a huge boost to your mental approach. If you approach quitting smoking with the idea that someone else is forcing you, then often you will make small mistakes that can sabotage your efforts. You may not recognize these errors, but they are typically there. Approaching the task of quitting smoking on your own will ensure that you are setting out to be successful and quit for good. Those who quit for the reasons of someone else typically quit for only a short period of time. Those who quit for themselves are the people who quit for good.

Trying to quit smoking is a very lengthy process. This can take a very long period of time such as several years, or it could be something much shorter like only a few weeks or months. The exact time frame that it takes to quit can vary greatly but what is important is ensuring that you are coming up with a plan to combat your urges to smoke. At some point in your experience trying to quit you will encounter a situation where the urge to smoke is very strong. How you handle this situation will go a long way towards your ultimate success. Being prepared for the urge to smoke will ensure that you have a plan to keep your willpower strong and continue on your path to quit smoking successfully.

Tip 1. Take the time to decide exactly when you typically smoke. For example, after meals, after a jog around the block, or even after your shower each morning. Knowing when you typically smoke will put you in a good position to create a plan to combat the urge.

Tip 2. Create a plan of attack. This could be something as simple as a stress ball for your hands, or even just a piece of hard candy to keep your mouth busy. If you really enjoy the taste and feeling of a clean mouth you could try brushing your teeth each time you want to smoke, or suck on a mint flavored candy, which will freshen your breath.

Tip 3. Avoid the temptations that lurk. If you go out to eat, make sure you are sitting in the no smoking area. Avoid going into tobacco stores, and also try to limit the amount of time you are around other smokers. If you are continuously around cigarettes, it will be much harder to resist temptation.

Tip 4. Clean your house of all smoking instruments. This means all ashtrays, lighters, matches and get rid of the smell of cigarettes. Products like Febreeze are great for helping to get rid of cigarette smell, which can also trigger an urge to smoke.