Wait until you are totally
ready to stop, happy to stop and confident that you can stop
before you have your last smoke
Cut
down - just stop, and only do it when you are ready
Wait
until the stress in your life is at a normal level (i.e. not
when you have just started a new job or you are moving house)
Change
your lifestyle (if your social life suffers you will blame it
on stopping smoking and resent stopping smoking. This will totally
take the pleasure out of stopping)
Tell
others that you have stopped and ask for their support
Make
bets with your friends(i.e. 'We'll both stop and the first one
to smoke pays the other £100')
Buy
yourself something big, and pay for it out of your smoking savings
- a constant reminder of the positive benefits of stopping smoking.
Compensate
for smoking by eating more.
Take
up a hobby - either something physical, so that you can see
the benefit of not smoking, or something to do with your hands
to occupy your mind.
Keep
a packet 'Just in case'
Tell
yourself you are a non-smoker and get on with your life
Try
to stop thinking about smoking
Think
about smoking often to remind yourself how awful it is and congratulate
yourself on getting your life back.
Keep
track of how long it has been since you stopped. (What's the
point? - you are a non-smoker. Counting the days will only reinforce
the idea that you have made a sacrifice.)
Enjoy
the rest of your life as a non-smoker.
Smoke
and make an excuse for it - 'It's Christmas', 'It's only a cigar
- I don't inhale' These are the subtle smokes that set you back
on the road to full addiction again.
