Quit Smoking – Prepare To Succeed

January 29, 2010

David Olsen asked:

For many smokers the desire to quit smoking is strong…yet it seems no matter what they do, they just can’t seem to break this devastating habit. The inability to quit smoking causes many to privately belittle themselves and curse their seeming weakness.

For others it seems they simply wake up one morning and decide to quit smoking. What makes the difference in these people? Is someone who decides to quit smoking like this a stronger person than the one who has yet to become a non-smoker? Let’s evaluate.

First off, most people even smokers don’t really enjoy smoking. For some the nicotine addiction is strong. Nicotine is very addictive, and breaking this addiction by not smoking can be very trying and difficult. Even after months have passed, there are those who will start smoking again. So, if you’re one who has yet to quit smoking don’t berate or belittle yourself.

By the same token, don’t give up on the idea to quit smoking. Yes, nicotine is addictive, but it is an addiction that can be broken. There are several aids available to help you quit smoking. There’s gum, there’s patches, and there’s even inhalers containing nicotine, that will gradually help you wean yourself from the addiction as you quit smoking. All of these aids do have merit.

One component is mandatory if any of these aids are to work for the person that has previously tried to quit smoking and failed. This component is your attitude. Before you even begin the actual process to quit smoking, you will most likely need some adjustments in your attitude. If you prepare yourself before you actually quit smoking, your chances for success are much better.

The way to begin to prepare yourself is to come to certain realizations. First off, you can’t quit just because someone told you it is bad for your health. You can’t quit because your significant other wants you to quit smoking. Most likely fear is not a good motivator for you either. You’ve developed a strong will to continue, even though you berate yourself for it.

Thus, for you the decision to quit smoking must be accompanied by a will that is just as strong, if not stronger than your current will to quit smoking. Many processes and plans have been developed by different organizations to aid you in this process.

Most will tell you to set a quit date at least 10 days out, and don’t actually stop smoking until your quit date. It’s also advised that “cold turkey” is the most successful quit path. During those days before your actual quit smoking target date, you are mentally preparing yourself to be free from smoking. This must be a strong decision that only you can make for yourself. No one else can do it for you.

To lead you to the strength you need to effectively quit smoking, you’ll need to evaluate yourself and the real reasons behind why you are still smoking. This is not an easy task for many, but once they’ve listed all the true reasons, and have adopted the mental attitude to replace smoking with other things that will provide better benefits, the task of quitting becomes much easier.

Once your quit smoking date arrives, you may want to use some of the aids discussed above to improve your success rate. The point is that if you’ve properly done your preparation beforehand your opportunity for success will be greatly improved. Remember, the mind and body thrive and accommodate whatever substance you give it. Be sure to feed both the mind and body only positive substance and the results will be positive. You can quit smoking.