Yes, You Can Quit Smoking: 10 Essential Tips

By: Megan C.

6. Reward Yourself

Set up a plan for your rewards. Definitely reward yourself after the first day, and the second, and the third. Make them good rewards, that you'll look forward to: CDs, books, DVDs, T-shirts, shoes, a massage, a bike, a dinner out at your favorite restaurant, a hotel stay -- whatever you can afford. You can also take whatever you would have spent on smoking each day and put it in a jar.

7. Delay

If you feel the urge to smoke, wait. Take deep breaths. Distract yourself. Listen to relaxing music. Watch a funny movie. When cravings hit, do something else immediately, such as talking to your support person, getting busy with a task, or posting on the forum. Do whatever it takes, but delay.

8. Replace Negative Habits with Positive Ones

What do you do when you're stressed? If you currently react to stress with a cigarette, you'll need to find something else to do. Other habits, such as what you do first thing in the morning, or what you do in the car, or wherever you usually smoke, should be replaced with better, more positive ones. Do something to reduce your stress. Take a hot shower, read a book, or exercise.

9. Make it Through Hell Week

The hardest part of quitting is the first two days. If you can get past that, you've passed the nicotine withdrawal stage, and the rest is mostly mental. The second week is still difficult, but not nearly as hellish as the first. Drink a lot of liquids during the first week: especially water, herbal teas and fruit juices. Limit coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol and avoid sugar and fatty food. Don't skip meals.

10. Learn From Your Mistakes

We all fail -- but that doesn't mean we are failures, or that we can never succeed. If you fall, it's not the end of the world. Get up, brush yourself off, and try again. Give yourself a few days to plan and prepare, commit fully to it, and go for it!