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Share your quitting journey

11 Dos and 4 Don'ts for Quitting Smoking

JonesCarpeDiem
6 3 93

DO'S

1. Have A Plan. See 2-10 Below  

2. Set Boundaries. (Self Contract-See Below)   

3. Shop Places Other Than Where You Normally Bought Cigarettes.

4. Start Making Little Changes To Your Routine Before You Quit.

5. Say "I Don't Do That Anymore" When You Think Of Smoking.

6. Stay Away From Alcohol And Situations That May Risk Your Resolve.

7. Put Some Vicks Under Your Nose When You Must Be Around Smokers.

8. Quit For Yourself.

9. Reward Small Victories With Healthier And Less Addictive Things.

10. Find A Hobby Or Do Something That Replaces Dopamine.

11. Don't Forget The Lemon And The Refrigerator.  

DONT'S

1. Don't Buy Cigarettes.

2. Don't Borrow Cigarettes.

3. Don't Dwell On Thoughts Of Smoking.

4. Don't Give Up Too Early. Over Time, New Memories Will Replace Smoking Connected Memories.

      Most of these points are obvious. Let's look at number 2,

Boundaries:

Before I quit, I considered what scenario might push me to smoke. Now I really pushed myself out there when I considered a Highway Patrolman at my door telling me my wife and daughter had been in an accident and were gone. That boundary was so high it was pretty easy to keep. You see what I did there? Making bargains with yourself can cement your thinking and tether your quit. Putting those specific thoughts of loss, despair, and pain as the only reason I would smoke, set my quit in STONE.

Shortly thereafter:

Another Bargain

      When I stopped using the patch at two weeks after forgetting to use it two days in a row, I put one in my wallet with the promise I would put the patch on and wait rather than smoke.

      There's no reason anyone can't set boundaries and make bargains with themselves.

These ideas drove my truck.

3 Comments
About the Author
Hello, My name is Dale. I was quit 18 months before joining this site and had participated on another site during that time. I learned a lot there and brought it with me. I joined this site the first week of August 2008. I didn't pressure myself to quit. HOW I QUIT I didn't count, I didn't deny myself to get started. When I considered quitting (at a friends request to influence his brother to quit), I simply told myself to wait a little longer. No denial, nothing painful. After 4 weeks I was down to 5 cigarettes from a pack a day. The strength came from proving to myself, I didn't need to smoke because I normally would have smoked. Simple yes? I bought the patch. I forgot to put one on on the 4th day. I needed it the next day but the following week I forgot two days in a row I put one in my wallet with a promise to myself that I would slap it on and wait an hour rather than smoke. It rode in my wallet my first year.There's nothing keeping any of you from doing this. It doesn't cost a dime. This is about unlearning something you've done for a long time. The nicotine isn't the hard part. Disconnecting from the psychological pull, the memories and connected emotions is. :-) Time is the healer.