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Goal Setting

When you make the change to quit smoking, you are making an entire lifestyle change. You now have to think like a nonsmoker. And, if you have been smoking for a number of years, this may be difficult at first.

First, think of some reasons why you want to quit smoking:

Smoking is harmful to your health:

• Smoking kills more than 400,000 people each year.
• Smokers die earlier than non-smokers.
• Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 dangerous chemicals.
• Smoking yellows your teeth and fingers and causes bad breath.
• Smoking causes diseases like:
  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Emphysema

Smoking is harmful to the health of your loved ones:

• Second-hand smoke kills 1,900 people in Michigan alone.
• More than 3,000 non-smokers die from lung cancer each year.

Quitting smoking can:

• Decrease your risk of cancer even if you have already had cancer
• Save you money
• Improve your circulation
• Increase your energy level
• Help you breathe easier
• Improve your overall appearance

It has never been easier to quite smoking; there are methods to help you quit:

• Nicoderm CQ®
• Nicoretter®
• Zyban®

Set a Date to Quit

Once you are ready to quit it's time to set a date. Once you have picked the day, stick to it. Print the Stop Smoking Contract (PDF format, 112k), fill in your quit date, sign it, and hang it somewhere you will see it everyday. It will help to remind you of your promise to yourself to quit smoking.

Understanding your smoking habit

What are your patterns of smoking? Are you aware of when, where, and why you smoke? Follow this short exercise to find out more about your specific smoking patterns.

Get a piece of paper and keep it with your cigarettes. Each time you open a new pack, get a new piece of paper, and write down the date. Every time you light up, write down four things:

1. What time of day is it?
2. How bad is your craving to smoke? Very bad, not bad at all, so-so?
3. What is your mood? Happy, sad, or so-so?
4. What are you doing? Driving, eating, watching television?

Do this for at least 4 days in a row. This exercise will help you to see what time of day, what situations, and what feelings prompt you to smoke. It will help you understand your particular triggers for lighting a cigarette.

Start quitting before your quit date

Even before your quit date, you can start quitting. Try these tips:

• Buy a brand you do not like and only one pack at a time.
• Put a rubber band around your cigarettes to make you think about it every time you go for a smoke.
• Change the way you hold your cigarette; use your other hand.
• When you get the urge for a smoke, practice putting it off for 10 minutes, then 20 minutes, then 30 minutes.
• Try drinking a glass of water instead of smoking.

Inform family and friends

Tell everyone of your promise to quit smoking. If you have family or friends that smoke, ask them not to smoke when you are around. Try to find an acquaintance to quit with you.

Remove cigarettes from your house or car

The day before your quit day, throw away all ashtrays and lighters. Do not just hide them because you will find them. Get rid of all leftover cigarettes by flushing them down the toilet. Take the lighter out of your car.

Review previous attempts to quit

If you have tried to quit before, go over what went wrong. Did you get rid of all the ashtrays and left-over cigarettes? Maybe you tried to quit on your own, without telling anyone. Was there a particular situation that prompted you to start up again? If so, what was it and how can you prevent it from happening again?

Anticipate challenges

You know that this will be a difficult time and there will be moments when you are faced with a huge challenge of whether or not to smoke. Think about how you will handle those situations now so you know what to do when they come up.

Reward yourself

Since you are going to be saving money by not buying cigarettes, plan to do something special with the money you save. It is much easier to quit if you have small goals to aim for along the way. Think of ways to reward yourself.

Continue reading: Handling Thoughts About Smoking

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