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Step 1
Quitting smoking does not have to be the the hardest thing you ever do. If you practice quitting by detriggering normal trigger events, such as eating, it will be much easier when the day comes. Instead of smoking a cigarette after you eat and when you get home, just smoke a cigarette when you get home. Don't smoke a cigarette for three hours after you wake up. It will vary from person to person, but the idea is to weaken the routine of smoking as easily as possible.
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Step 2
In addition to getting your body ready to quit, make sure your mind is ready. Many people smoke to relieve stress, sadness, anger, and other negative feelings. Addiction to nicotine is a powerful one, and it will be fighting to get you to smoke almost as hard as you'll be fighting to quit. This means that for several weeks after your last drag, random, baseless thoughts will pop up from time to time, making you feel bad in hopes of getting you to turn to nicotine. Be aware of this- before you let a thought upset you, figure out if it came from your own thoughts, or if it came from withdrawl. Predict what the addiction will try to convince you ahead of time. For example, the thought "just one won't hurt." You know from experience that just one leads to starting right back up again. Being ready with your response to addictive thoughts will help aid you when you're arguing against them.
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Step 3
Keep your mindset positive. If you believe quitting will be too hard, it will be. If you've weakened your smoking routine, you already have a notch of positive progress under your belt. Your first few days will be extremely difficult, but after the first day, every day gets easier and easier. Pay attention to the decreased frequency and intensity cravings.
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Step 4
Know why you're quitting. For most, money is a factor. When you feel weak, remind yourself what you're quitting for. This not only keeps you focused, but keeps your mind positive, which is more important than I can stress. If you used to smoke a pack a day, you're saving around $200 per month. For me, that equated to my cell phone bill, gas, electric, cable, and internet. Keep in mind the health benefits. A timeline to the benefits of quitting can be found on the American Heart Association's web page.
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Step 5
Let others know you're quitting, and apologize in advance for any mistreatment. Inform coworkers, roommates, family, friends, etc., that for the next several days you will be irritable and generally unpleasant. This will help when the thoughts come that your quitting is causing you to be mean to the people who are important to you.
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Step 6
If you let it, quitting smoking can be easier than continuing smoking. By quitting, you no longer have to go out at all hours of the night, braving inclement weather to buy a pack. You don't have to worry about forgetting your cigarettes at home. You don't have to plan your day around stealing a few minutes to have a smoke (days at the grocery store or shopping mall often get divided based on smoking habits).
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Step 7
Take it one day at a time. You can't quit smoking for the rest of your life all in one day. When you wake up on the first day as a nonsmoker, don't think about how hard the first couple weeks will be. All you can worry about is today. It may be hard, but this, just like all bad days, will pass. You will be much happier to wake up tomorrow and be able to look in the mirror and know that you were strong enough to resist.
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Step 8
Don't be afraid to talk about it. A lot of people while quitting feel like they should keep it to themselves, whether they're afraid others don't really care, they don't want to jinx themselves, and so on. Quitting smoking is a big deal, and, especially for your first few days, it's almost all you can think about. What else are you supposed to talk about? Express your difficulties, brag about your successes, ask for a sympathetic ear. Those around you will be proud to have a hand in your success. It may help to join a support group.
