How to Slowly Quit Smoking

I have been smoking for about 2 years now. some of you out there have been smoking for a lot longer than me. Therefore it may be a little harder for you to quit than me. My philosophy is that the longer the process of doing something the longer and more effective it will be versus doing something very fast and it have little or no effect on you. The same thing applies to smoking. If you go "cold turkey" the chances of you returning to your habit are much greater than if you were to do it slowly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Believe in yourself. Pretty much everything begins with that
• After reading this tutorial, feel free to sit down and draw out your own plan to quit. Once again, this is all about you.
• Write down some benefits for quitting.
• Ask family and friends to support you.
• Set up a quitting date.
• Feel free to consult with your doctor about quitting.
• Begin an exercise routine
• Do Deep breathing exercises (3-5min) each day.
• Imagine being a non-smoker
• GRADUALLY cut back on cigarettes.
• Find another smoker who is trying to quit and help one another.
• Have your teeth cleaned
• After you finally quit, celebrate.
• Drink a lot of water
• Learn what influences your desire for cigarettes
• Find something to hold in your hand besides a cigarette.
• Write yourself a song or poem
• Keep a picture of your family or someone close to you with you at all times.
• Keep a journal.

1. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can quit. Think about
   some of the hardest things you have done in your life and
   realize that you are determined to quit smoking. It's up to you.
2. After reading this, feel free to sit down and come up with your own plan, customized to your personality and way of doing things. Create
   you own plan for quitting.
3. Write down why you want to quit: live longer, feel better, for your family, save money, smell better, find a mate more easily, etc. You know what's bad about smoking and you know what you'll get by quitting. Put it on paper and read it everyday.
4. Ask your family and friends to support your decision to quit.
   Ask them to be completely supportive and non-judgmental. Let
   them know ahead of time that you will probably be irritable and
   even irrational while you withdraw from smoking.
5. Set a quitting date. Decide what day you will crush your cigarettes forever. Write it down. Plan for it. Prepare your mind for literally the "first day of the rest of your life". You might even hold a small ceremony when you smoke your last cigarette, or on the morning of the quit date.
6. Talk with your doctor about quitting. Support and guidance from a physician is a proven way to better your chances of quitting.
7. Begin an exercise program. Exercise is simply incompatible
   with smoking. Exercise relieves stress and helps your body
   recover from years of damage from cigarettes. If necessary,
   start SLOW, with a short walk once or twice per day. Build up to
   30 to 40 minutes of rigorous activity, 3 or 4 times per week. Rule of thumb here, however, consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.
8. Do some deep breathing each day for 3 to 5 minutes. Breathe
   in through your nose very slowly, hold the breath for a couple
   seconds, and exhale very slowly through your mouth. Try doing
   the breathing with your eyes closed and do the next step.
9. Visualize your way to becoming a smoke-free. While doing the deep breaths, you can close your eyes and begin to imagine yourself smoke-free. See yourself enjoying your physician advised exercise routine. See yourself turning down a cigarette that someone offers you. See yourself throwing all your cigarettes away. Be creative visualizing. Visualization works.
10. Cut back on cigarettes gradually. If you cut back gradually,
    be sure to set a quit date on which you WILL quit. Ways to cut
    back gradually may include: planning how many cigarettes you will actually smoke each day until your quit date, making the number you smoke smaller each day, changing brands so you don't enjoy smoking as much, giving your cigarettes to someone else so that you have to ask for them each time you want to smoke.
11. Find another smoker who is trying to quit, and help each
    other with positive words. Also lending an ear when quitting
    becomes difficult helps alot.
12. Have your teeth cleaned. Enjoy the way your teeth look and
    feel. Plan to keep your teeth looking clean.
13. After you quit, plan to celebrate the milestones in your journey to becoming smoke-free. After two weeks of being smoke-free, maybe you can see a movie. After a month, maybe go to a fancy restaurant. After three months, you might go for a long weekend to a favorite get-away. After six months, buy yourself something really nice. After a year, have a party for yourself. Invite your family and friends to your "anniversary" party and celebrate your new chance at a long, healthy life.
14. Drink lots of water. Water is very good for you anyway, and many
    people don't drink enough. It will help flush the nicotine and
    other chemicals out of your body, also it can help reduce
    cravings by fulfilling any "oral desires" that you may have.
15. Learn what influences your desire for a cigarette, such as stress, the end of a meal, arrival at work, entering a bar, etc. Avoid these influences or come up with alternative ways to deal with the influences.
16. Find something to hold in your hand and mouth, to replace cigarettes. Consider drinking straws or smoking alternatives.
17. Write an inspirational song or poem about quitting, cigarettes, and what it means to you to quit. Read it everyday.
18. Keep a picture of your family or someone very important to
    you with you at all times. On a piece of paper, write the words
    "I'm quitting for myself and for you/them". Tape your
    written message to the picture. Whenever you have the urge to
    smoke, look at the picture and read the message.
19. Whenever you have a craving for a cigarette, instead of
    lighting one up, write down your feelings or whatever is on your
    mind. Keep this journal with you at all times.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, you dont have to follow this plan verbatim. you can always sit down and come up with your own and incorporate some of these ideas.
• DONT GO COLD TURKEY. IT WORKS FOR SOME, BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF SMOKERS, IT TAKES A PLAN. A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN.