If you’ve read Mom Knows It All for a while then you might recall I have shared that I used to smoke, and how I quit. Being the beginning of a new year, this is a time when people have commonly made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking. I can’t really identify with that completely as I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. Recently Mark shared his tips for keeping that resolution. I’m sharing it in case some of you find it helpful.
3 sure-fire ways to keep up your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking
At the start of the New Year many people make promises to themselves to live a better and healthier life. But before they know it they’re back on the wagon again come mid-January. This doesn’t need to be the case when it comes to quitting smoking. Make 2015 the year you quit for good with these helpful tips:
1. Make no excuses
You have made this resolution, this promise to yourself that you will give up, so you’ll only have yourself to blame if you find yourself buying a pack a day again. Make no exceptions when it comes to quitting. Don’t allow yourself to smoke even for one night just because you have a party planned for example. As soon as you put that cigarette to your lips it’ll be so easy to fall into old habits.
2. Find an alternative
Old habits die hard, you say. Well, you’re just going to have to find an alternative to those cancer sticks. This might come in the form of nicotine replacement therapy, in other words nicotine gum or patches. Electronic cigarettes are also becoming an increasingly popular alternative to smoking ‘straights’. Or you may need to just find something to keep your hands busy when the cravings kick in. Why not try a bit of knitting?
3. Make a list
One way in which many people successfully give up smoking is by constantly reminding themselves why they decided to quit in the first place. So, you should make a list detailing your reasons and stick it up on the fridge or even the back of the bathroom door. This list might include things such as ‘I don’t want to be a bad influence to my young nieces’ or ‘I want to be around long enough to see my daughter get married.’
Hopefully these tools will equip you with the willpower necessary to stop smoking. Before you know it, you’ll be smoke-free and as fit as a fiddle. If you’re really struggling you might also want to pay a visit to your nurse or doctor for more advice on quitting that habit of yours.
#1 Do my best. #2 Try harder.
I was a smoker for years. I tried the gum, I tried the patch, but now I’m using vapor off’s nicotine craving control system and I haven’t smoked a cigarette in a few weeks and with the support App their pen comes with I’m in control of my habit instead of it controling me.