How to Make a Plan to Quit Smoking

Smoking is a difficult thing to quit. You have to struggle your way to success. Smoking might be your outlet for stress, and while this helps you in that way, it also has adverse effects on your health.

Vital to your quit smoking journey is to have a Quit Plan. This Quit PLan combines different strategies that will help you quit smoking for good.

 

Here are some steps that you can follow:

 

Set a quit date

 

Choose a date when you will stop smoking. It would be best to set this date as soon as you can, and you have to use the period in between to better prepare for the first step of your Quit Plan.

You shouldn’t choose a day that you are busy or stressed or during an event when temptation is just around the corner (i.e., night out with your friends).

 

Mark that day on your calendar and make sure that you will see it every day. This will help you condition yourself mentally and emotionally.

 

Let the people around you know that you are quitting

 

The support of the people around you is vital for you to be successful in quitting smoking. Let them know of your plan, tell them why you want to quit, and discuss how they can help.

 

For example, if you are used to smoking with your co-workers, then it would be best to brief them not to invite you for a smoking break anymore. The same goes for your friends who smoke with you.

As for your family, you can talk to them about how to remind you why you decided to quit and to help you control yourself as well.

 

Throw things that will remind you of smoking

 

This will be very helpful for your mental stability during the process. Seeing something related to smoking can pull up the triggers and can make you step backward. Search for all your cigarettes, matches, ashtrays, and lighters and discard all of those. Just think of this as an exercise of renewal and a fresh start for you. And when we say, throw everything, we mean throw everything. Do not save a pack of cigarettes just in case.

 

Write down your reasons for quitting

 

During times when you are so tempted to light a cigarette, remind yourself of why you decided to quit. It can be for your health, for more saving, to take control back of your life, to set a good example, a recommendation from your doctor, for your family or friends, for your pet and many other reasons.

 

Being reminded about why you started in the first place is the right motivation for you to continue your journey.

 

Identify your smoking triggers

 

Identifying triggers and planning how to counter it is also an essential part of your quit plan. For example, if one of your emotional triggers is stress, then think of a thing you can substitute with smoking in case you experience this trigger.

 

Other emotional triggers include happiness, anxiety, excitement, anger, loneliness, and boredom. Triggers also come in your everyday routine, such as waking up in the morning, taking a break, working, studying, drinking coffee, or finishing a meal.

 

There are also some social triggers like being in a party, seeing someone smoke, smelling of cigarettes, and being offered a cigarette. As mentioned in item 2, it is essential for people around you to know that they won’t serve as triggers.

 

Developing coping strategies

 

The first two weeks will be difficult. You will experience withdrawal from smoking, and it can be very unpleasant. Thus, you have to prepare for developing strategies to help you cope with it.

You can ready to quit smoking medications to help you prepare for the time that you will need it.

 

Have places you can turn to for immediate help

 

Have a friend you can talk to when things get difficult or save some hotline numbers that can serve as your support. You can even download Quit Smoking Apps if it makes you feel better.

 

Reward yourself for your quit milestones

 

Set some quit milestones and give yourself some incentive once you achieve it. This will be a good reminder of your progress. It can be as simple as being able to quit smoking for 24 hours or smoke-free for a month.

 

Treat yourself for dinner or get a massage – anything that will make you feel good about what you already achieved.