Here are some of the things to do as you get ready for
your quit date:
• Find alternatives for the pleasure
you get from cigarettes. Treat yourself to a new soft drink,
sparkling mineral
water or tea. Spend time with friends, try the hobby for which
you never had time. Begin a walking program or other aerobic
exercise. Begin to enjoy the sweet smells of cut grass, buy flowers
for yourself, enjoy the aromas of cooking food.
• Plan short periods of time (start with 1- 3 minutes)
when you sit back, take a deep breath, close your eyes and relax
without a cigarette. Plan more of these “time-outs” and
make them last longer.
• When you are ready to quit you may find the nicotine
patch or nicotine gum helpful. Speak with your healthcare provider
about the nicotine replacement products that are available and
pick the product(s) that best fit your lifestyle. Plan other
strategies to help you cope with the withdrawal from nicotine:
a daily walk, breathing exercises, keeping a diary of your journey
as you progress toward becoming a non-smoker. |
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• If you choose to reduce your smoking before you stop, try
these strategies:
- Keep your cigarettes
in a different place. Keep them in your garage, and
not in the house, where they are readily accessible.
- Always wait 10
minutes before smoking any cigarette.
- Do not smoke mindlessly;
unless
you really have a reason for a cigarette don’t smoke it.
- Switch to a lower tar, lower nicotine brand IF you can smoke
it the same way you do your current brand. Never smoke down to the
filter
and try never to draw aggressively on the cigarette trying to get the
same effect you get from your usual brand. Smoking down to the filter
and pulling aggressively on the cigarette is even worse than smoking
your regular brand in a normal manner.
Keep in mind that these strategies to "reduce" smoking are called
compensatory strategies. Most experts think
that in the end it is most effective to just stop smoking completely
rather than to
gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.
Click below for more tips on things to do to get ready to quit. Remember,
preparation is the key to an effective quit plan.
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