How To Prepare For Your 'Quit Cigarettes Day'

One popular way to quit cigarettes is to choose a "stop smoking day". As the name suggests, the point of choosing a day is to make the commitment to yourself that on a particular day, you'll stop smoking. Your goal is to fully load up on anything you may need on your journey towards becoming a non-smoker. So, how do you prepare for this day?

The first step is to write your intention and desire for quitting on a piece of paper, or an index card. Write down what you want to do and why. Then every morning after you wake up, read this note and reinforce your desire to quit smoking. You should also refer to this card any time you are tempted to smoke after your "stop smoking day". What you want to do is really start to generate some strong emotional traction around quitting and remaining a non-smoker. The more emotions you can develop around quitting and remaining a non-smoker, the more likely you'll be successful.

Sometimes telling your friends and family that you are planning on quitting can offer support in your decision. If you've got friends who also want to quit, maybe choose a day that is good for both of you. The alternative is to keep it to yourself to prevent any unnecessary pressure from others. You may have greater success doing this on your own. You'll know what works for you.

The next thing you want to do is remove any type of temptation from your immediate surroundings. So, the night before your stop smoking day, collect anything that reminds you of smoking (ash trays, lighters, etc) and throw it all out, including any remaining cigarettes you may have floating about. Alternatively, some people have kept one small item that is a reminder of their days as a smoker, perhaps their favourite lighter, or ash tray. They might keep it somewhere out of the way, in a place where they will see it very occasionally. Sometimes having this little reminder will actually make you feel good, reinforcing yourself as a non-smoker. If you're going to use this method, I would suggest that at least for the first month or so, don't keep it somewhere you're likely to see it. After about a month, then perhaps put that item somewhere you'll 'bump into it' from time to time. I've heard of some people putting their ashtray in a corner of their garden in the dirt where it belongs.

After all is said and done though, there never is a perfect day, but the best day is today! So why not empower yourself to tear up those cancer sticks, throw them away and start living that healthy life. The longer you put off the decision to quit smoking, the harder it is going to be to quit.


Article Source: Nick Terrone