When At First You Don’t Succeed Quit Smoking Again

So you've decided to quit smoking—again. As Mark Twain famously said, "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times." As Twain's quote illustrates, people have been trying to quit smoking for decades, even before the terrifying health reports that started being widely broadcast in the 1960s. If you've quit smoking so many times that you've lost count, take heart. Thousands, if not millions, of smokers are in the same position. Now more than ever before, smokers are armed with an arsenal of quit smoking aids, good advice, and support than ever before. Forget your past failures and resist the urge to get frustrated. Take this bit of friendly advice and go ahead and do it: quit smoking again!

Here are eight tips to get you going on your quest for better health and a smoke-free future.

1) Remember that failure to quit right away is perfectly normal. It is rare to find someone who was able to quit cold turkey one time, and never light u again. In fact, it usually takes people at least two or three attempts (and in several cases, many times more) before they are able to successfully quit smoking.

2) If you are a 'serial quitter,' you come to the battle better prepared than before. One of the greatest advantages to quitting smoking a second (or third, or fourth) time is that you have a better idea of what your strengths and weaknesses are. You are better prepared to quit if you learn to identify what kind of triggers impel you to reach for your cigarettes. Do you tend to light up at parties? Do you smoke when you're hungry? When you’re sad? Bored? Stressed out? Figure out what your triggers are, and then strategize how you can avoid the feelings that make you want to smoke.

3) Prepare for your quitting date as if it were a major event (which it is!). Choose a "quit date"—the first day in which you will begin your life as a non-smoker. Place a calendar in a prominent location and mark the date. Prepare your home, office, car, and other areas of your environment for the big date. Clear these areas of smoking paraphernalia, or anything that may remind you of smoking.

4) Set up your own personal support network. Call friends and family to tell them that you are quitting. As friends or family members who smoke to please refrain from smoking around you. Write down the number to your local smoking cessation hotline and have it handy. When the cravings start to hit, reach out to members of your support network for help.

5) Consciously strive to change your behaviors. A popular and successful technique used to quit smoking is to change your daily habits and behaviors. Change your everyday routine. For instance, if you're accustomed having dinner at 6:00 pm each day, try to eat at 5:30 pm instead. If you watch TV every night for two hours, skip one of your shows and go for a walk instead. Whether you realize it or not, you’re smoking breaks are probably spaced throughout your day at regular intervals. Changing your everyday routine can help you ease into a life without your regularly scheduled smoking breaks.

6) Reward yourself with a special treat each day. Congratulate yourself for each day you go without smoking. That is quite an achievement! Many people reward themselves with food. While this is OK, it should be done sparingly to avoid gaining weight. If you want to avoid overspending, think of easy things you can do at home. For example, you can treat yourself with permission to take a long, relaxing bubble bath, or by watching one of your favorite movies.

7) Take it easy for the first two weeks. The first two weeks after your quit date will probably be the hardest. Your body is experiencing withdrawal from the nicotine, and you are likely to feel both sluggish and jittery. Give yourself permission to take it easy. Remind yourself that quitting smoking is a major lifestyle change. Take lots of naps, stay hydrated by drinking enough water each day, opt for raw foods, and try to steer clear from situations where you'll be exposed to other smokers.

8) Be prepared for a relapse. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Remind yourself that if you succumb to your cravings, you can always start again tomorrow. Of course, this is no excuse to light up, but you should strive to stay relaxed yet focused on your goal.