Approximately half of the previous smokers quit smoking once and forever. The same amount – gradually reduced the number of cigarettes smoked until complete smoking cessation. Of course, it is better to quit immediately and completely, but elderly people with long experience of smoking should better withdraw step by step in order to prevent quitting syndrome. The most difficult period, according to those who quit smoking, are the first two days after quitting. This is kind of a milestone, breaking through which will significantly increase your chance to quit smoking.
First of all, you need to clearly justify the reason that prompted you to quit smoking. The preservation and strengthening of our health, increasing work productivity, the desire to avoid a chronic illness, a doctor’s or a loved one advice, the desire to prevent your children from getting the harmful effects of tobacco smoke and harmful example – any of the important reasons for you personally should be taken into account.
Decide whether you will quit smoking at once or gradually. If you feel a strong urge to smoke, you have to quit immediately. A day or two before the final quitting try to smoke twice more cigarettes than usual – it will glut the body with nicotine and other harmful components of tobacco, and the cigarette loses will lose its flavor. You will clearly feel the harmful influence of smoking on yourself and will be able to quit smoking easier.
If you decide to stop smoking gradually, try to develop yourself few intermediate goals on the way to the final abandonment of smoking (e.g., smoking every day 2 cigarettes less, stop smoking after 2 weeks, by decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked by 1/3 every 5 days, etc. ) – this will help you distribute your strengths efficiently. By the way, the guide by Mike Avery describes the method which helped my guy friend quit smoking in just a few weeks. He does not smoke already for 6 months. Be sure to download it now!
Try to understand why do you smoke and under what circumstances you have a desire to take a cigarette in your hands. Write it down on a separate sheet of paper; add to the causes which impel you to give up this addiction. Several times a day look through the list, amend and supplement some parts if it’s necessary.
Try to make smoking for yourself as much inconvenient as possible:
- Do not carry cigarettes, matches or lighters; put it away, give it to someone.
- Only buy cigarettes in a particular place, preferably far away from your home and work.
- Do not buy cigarettes blocks; until one pack didn’t finish, do not buy another.
- Prefer filter cigarettes, don’t finish 1/3 or half of the cigarette.
- Make it a rule after each smoked cigarette to wash your hands and face, brush your teeth and change clothes to get rid of the smell of tobacco.
- Make puffs less often, reduce their depth. Between puffs, do not leave cigarette in your mouth.
- Do not smoke just “for the company.”
- If you felt a desire to smoke – do not reach for a cigarette from the pack at least for 3-5 minutes. At this time, try to occupy yourself with something else that would help you forget about it.
- Track the time when you light a cigarette and try to check how strong the desire to smoke at this moment was. This will help you understand when the urge to smoke is the strongest. Highlight the “most important cigarette of the day”, so that you can later refuse exactly this one.
- Track the number of cigarettes you smoke per day. Strive to ensure that every other day you smoked fewer cigarettes than the previous one.
Quit Smoking Magic by Mike Avery
