How to Quit Smoking - and End up Victorious

The scientific evidence that smoking shortens life should strike the smoker with terror. Maybe fear - if nothing else -will shock some into giving up the habit. For those who do not smoke, the facts should keep them from ever sampling a cigarette.

In most cases, smoking is such a strong habit that more than simple determination is needed to break it. The decision to quit should be reinforced by a line of thinking which emphasizes the greater advantages of quitting as compared with the temporary satisfactions of smoking. By positive thinking, a smoker can picture himself as one undertaking a new, rewarding adventure rather than as one being deprived of some pleasure or advantage.

Even within the first two or three weeks after quitting, the ex-smoker will notice that he can think more clearly, that he coughs less, that he sleeps better, and that he derives more pleasure from the taste of food and the fragrance of flowers.

A number of ex-smokers say that they adopted an effective program which made them successful "quitters", and they are sharing it here:

- Set a date. This is the first thing to do when you plan to quit. The date refers to that when the new program is to begin. (Don't make the date too far in the future.) Choose a time when there will be a minimum of work and nervous tension. Once this beginning date is selected, begin the countdown by saying, "Five more days (or whatever it is) and I will be free from this noxious habit." Announce the deadline to family members and friends and brag about your determination to quit.

- Practice your line of reasoning. This will reinforce your determination when later the urge to smoke becomes strong. Think such situations through and plan how you will avoid the temptation to smoke. Arrange to keep busy at mealtime, allowing for no occasion to whip out a cigarette. Plan to carry chewing gum or candy to keep your hands and lips busy with something other than smoking. Do not taper off; plan to stop once for all.

- Arrange a little ceremony. Do this when your quitting date arrives. Invite your friends to watch as you throw away your remaining cigarettes. From then on, focus attention on your progress. Congratulate yourself at the end of the first hour, not that victory has been won, but that you are on the way.

- Stand off. It may not be as hard to abstain from smoking for the first few hours as you had supposed. But a time will come when the craving for a smoke will threaten to overpower you. Perhaps some little irritation will stir it up. There is danger of being caught off guard when a friend offers you a cigarette or taunts you for being a quitter. At such a time, you need to watch yourself in operation, just as a parent would observe an unruly child.

- Don't allow the strong urge to control you. Persist one second at a time and wait for the urge to weaken. Count the seconds, if necessary, as you say to yourself, "Every second I hold out brings me that much closer to the moment when the urge will weaken." At the end of a minute, the urge may still be strong, but you are master of the situation. Try a second minute and a third until you notice the urge is weakening and you are controlling the desire.

- Be in command of your conduct. You will sense personal pride in proving it. The craving for a smoke will keep recurring, but hold out against it. Each success will weaken it.

- Remain on guard. The first week is the hardest. After you have held out this long, you can begin to tell yourself that it would be foolish to back up now. Keep congratulating yourself on your success, and keep recounting the advantages of your freedom from smoking.

- Practice regular, rhythmic breathing. Do this at the rate of about sixteen times a minute. Do not breathe too deeply, for this might make you dizzy.

- Treat yourself well. During the critical period, provide yourself with good food at regular mealtimes, get adequate sleep, exercise each day, and avoid the use of stimulants (such as coffee) and highly seasoned food. Drink plenty of fruit juice. You must abstain completely from all alcoholic drinks.

Victory over smoking offers abundant rewards. As an ex-smoker achieves success, he feels courageous and his self-respect rises. Herein lies the secret of continued self-mastery. His rewards for throwing off the smoking habit will be improved health, prospect of longer life, and greater pleasure in living. [Read the Original Article]