First and foremost determine the reasons that you want to and must quit for. I knew, both mentally and physically, that I looked forward to smoking most of the time. I could have smoked for the rest of my life, but I was worried about the toll that smoking was inflicting upon me and concerned for my loved ones that I would prematurely leave behind.
Before you quit
1)Identify and make a list of your reasons for quitting.
2)Identify and make a list of your smoking triggers (the one after a meal, on the telephone, in the car, the walk into work, the ones with the smoking buds at work) know them and know them well.
3)Provide yourself with coping mechanisms for the smoking triggers in step two above (i.e. drink water in the car, rather than smoke).
4)Establish a quit date, when you are least likely to be under stress, one week, two weeks or month in advance.
5)Have your NRT on hand (it works for most and is easier than doing the turkey) optional.
6) Start cutting back on the smoking right now and all the way up to your quit date (practice, practice, practice).
6a) Don�t smoke those cigs that you really don�t have to have. The ones you just light up because you happen to be with someone who decides to light up or the time of the day says its time to have one.
6b)Start denying yourself, one by one and at your own pace, the smokes that come about from the smoking triggers that you have identified in step 2 above.
6c)Cut back as much as possible before the quit date. If this is possible for you, it will make your quit easier.
On quit day and until you are well use all your coping tools, keep busy and just say no.
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/22/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 348
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,228
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1827
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 64 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34
