If you are a long-time smoker and you are hoping to quit smoking this New Year, you have adopted a rather difficult resolution. First of all, you are ridding yourself not only of a habit, but an addiction. You need to recognize smoking as an addiction not only to nicotine, but to the act and comfort of smoking itself. Second of all, you need some degree of medical assistance, depending on how long you have been smoking and what you have been smoking. For some people, the withdrawal from nicotine can be extremely painful, so that they have to check into a facility to avoid returning to their bad habits.
In order for you to stop smoking, there are many things that you have to do. First, you have to recognize that it is not only your problem: your cigarette smoke and your smoking habits affect a lot of people around you, and second-hand smoke does kill. You need to recognize, however, that it is only you who has the power to quit smoking: you cannot rely on anyone to force the decision upon you, and you cannot rely on other people to keep you motivated. This is your health, and you have to take control of it and be in charge. You cannot surrender to the lure of the cigarette and you must not let nicotine enslave you.
Second, you need to determine what it is that you need to quit. As mentioned earlier, you are quitting smoking, but you have to recognize that it is not only a habit that you are letting go of, but a debilitating addiction. Moreover, what kind of smoking are you quitting? Is it just cigarette smoking, or have you also smoked pot, pipes, and other addictive things? By recognizing the exact problem and giving it a definite name, you are giving yourself an easier time solving it.
Third, determine when you are going to quit smoking. Will you go cold turkey and quit smoking immediately? By going cold turkey, you can force yourself into sweats and convulsions if you have been entirely dependent on smoking for the longest time; if you have not been on cigarettes for a long time, then maybe going cold turkey will work for you. On the other hand, if you want to withdraw slowly from smoking, what is your timetable? Will you go from a pack a day to a pack a week, then a pack a month? How fast will your pace be? By outlining your quitting goals, you make it easier for yourself to plan how you will quit, as well as see how far you've come since you've started trying to quit.
You might also want to limit your smoking: will you go from being a chain smoker to being a social smoker? Or will you smoke only outside your house, then work your way free of smoking eventually? Places have a certain pressure exerted on people who smoke: for instance, cold areas, bars, restaurants, and the presence of other smokers can make potential quitters relent and take up the habit once again. When planning your quitting regimen out, you also need to take note of how often you will smoke, and how much less you want to smoke and where in a certain amount of time.
Are you going to do all this on your own, or will you be going into a rehabilitation program? Although you alone know your body's capabilities, and you alone are aware of your smoking habits, and what weaknesses would compel you to smoke again, you may need the help of outside forces to keep you clean. For instance, you could enlist the help of concerned friends and family to help you get through your painful withdrawal. You could enroll in a rehabilitation program and consult regularly with your physician. You do not have to do all this alone, and it would pay if you had a good circle of support around you.
These are only a few tips that you might want to follow as you start learning how to quit. Take note of these tips as you start formulating your New Year's resolution on quitting smoking, and make sure that you recognize your problems and stare them fully in the face. By acknowledging that you have a problem, you have already taken the first step in successfully keeping your New Year's resolution.
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