Things to Remember When You Quit Smoking

Trying to quit smoking is not easy; anyone who’s been there will tell you that. You may have already tried many times yourself and wound up going right back to the cigarettes after a few days or even a few hours. But on the other hand, there are those who do successfully quit smoking even after their first try. There is no magic formula or set of rules or steps you can follow to guarantee that you can successfully quit smoking, but there are some things to remember when you’re ready to try.

First, pick a date and one very soon. How about tomorrow? If you’re going to quit smoking, you need to start sometime so why not now? Many people are tempted to smoke twice as much as usual as they see their planned date arrive, but if you choose tomorrow then you won’t have a chance to do that, to get nervous and overwhelmed, or to back out. So tomorrow you will quit smoking.

Second, throw out all your cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters. If you’re serious about your plans to quit smoking you won’t need them anyway. Don’t keep them around for company or “just in case.” This just gives you a chance to slip up again. Forget about having an emergency stash and just throw everything away.

Third, wash everything you own. All your clothes, bed linens, bathroom linens, and everything else. When you quit smoking and don’t wash out everything you still have the lingering smell of smoke in the air and this can trigger your cravings. So put everything through the wash, and clean out your car as well. Wash down the entire interior; you might be surprised at the smoky film that gets cleaned up. If you can, shampoo the carpets in your home and the furniture as well. It can help you to quit smoking if you eliminate as much of the smell as you can. Clean the inside windows of your home and wipe down wood furniture; open windows and allow fresh air inside.

Make sure you have plenty of substitutes on hand to help you when you quit smoking. Never underestimate how much it helps to chew gum or keep a lollipop in your mouth. Choose sugarless options to help control the weight gain. When you need to eat something, opt for fresh vegetables and fruit or low-fat popcorn. Plan on activities you can do to get yourself out of the house when you have cravings, such as jogging, taking the dog for a walk, or playing basketball in the driveway with the kids. You need to keep busy when you quit smoking so do some advance planning; don’t just sit around the house watching television or you’ll get bored and restless.

Don’t discount any of these simple tips when it’s time to quit smoking. You might think that some of these suggestions are pointless but they really do help to energize you and give you a fresh start.