Quit smoking Plan

How to quit smoking

Prepare to quit smoking

As with any endeavour, by failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail. Use these tips to help you understand more about your quitting motivations and get ready for your attempt.

Understanding the facts

Pros

Rather than giving up on a whim as you may have done previously, taking time to understand your smoking patterns and the treatments available to help, will make you a more determined quitter.

Cons

Every day you continue to smoke will add to the overall adverse effects on your health, so the sooner you can give up, the better.

Quit smoking tips

Key Motivator

Keep a family photo on your phone at all times to remind yourself why you're giving up. Instead of reaching for your cigarettes, look at the people you love.

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Having a Baby & Smoking

Pregnancy affects the smoking medications available to you so chat with an expert – a doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional.

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Change Your Drinking Habits

If you usually drink coffee or tea throughout the day, change your drink to avoid the trigger mechanism that connects it with smoking.

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Start a quitting diary

Put your thoughts and feelings into words. You could do this offline by picking yourself up a notebook, or online by starting a blog.

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Take Care of Some Life Admin

Work your way through that mounting pile of bills, forms and paperwork to give yourself a distraction and a real sense of self-satisfaction when it's done.

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Use an online forum

It may be easier to confide anonymously in others than it is to share your feelings with your friends and family. Online forums are full of likeminded people.

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Evaluate Your Previous Quit Attempts

Understanding why you've failed in the past is an important part of making a successful attempt as you can actively avoid certain situations.

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Get a distraction device

If you find yourself mindlessly reaching for cigarettes every time your guard is down, you may need a physical reminder to stop you in your tracks.

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Create a healthy eating plan

A change in appetite can be one of the first things a quitter notices. A large meal topped with a rich dessert saps the energy you need to resist cravings

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Download a Quit Smoking App

There are loads of apps for smartphones that provide you with interactive ways of keeping your smoking habit under control.

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Set up a savings account

Imagine how much extra money you’ll have when you give up spending your money on cigarettes! Cold hard cash can be a real tangible motivator for quitters.

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Start Doing Exercises

Exercise doesn’t have to mean changing into shorts and getting sweaty, there are plenty of exercises you can do without even moving from your seat.

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Benefits of Drinking Water

You should be drinking at least three 500ml glasses a day. Make a mark on your hand every time you finish one otherwise you'll forget.

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Get rid of all smoking reminders

Remove all smoking paraphernalia from your home and car. Bin the half empty packets, ashtrays, lighters and anything else you use when you light up.

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Eat Immune Boosting Foods

Foods such as garlic and ginger are high in essential nutrients, and help to pull harmful smoking chemicals out of your body.

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Count up your money

Hopefully you’re now in a better financial position than when you were a smoker, and can spend your money on enjoying yourself rather than on your addiciton.

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Anti aging Benefits & Smoking

Your skin is a great indicator of your overall health, so when you quit you should keep an eye on disappearing wrinkles and healthier skin.

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Join Pregnancy Friendly Gym Class

Many gym classes are designed specifically for people at different stages of pregnancy. Speak to a healthcare professional to find out what you could be doing.

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Smoke Free Month

A whole month without cigarettes is well worth celebrating and by now you should be seeing the benefits, so take stock of your huge achievement.

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Download a Bleep Test App

Bleep tests are a common way for sports coaches to assess fitness levels - your maximum oxygen intake will increase as the health of your lungs improves.

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Why Smoking Cravings Happen

Even after the body gets rid of nicotine, there is evidence that the circuitry in the brain is changed by smoking, and needs time to get back to normal.

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Go for a long walk

Getting out in the fresh air may be just the change of scene you need to stop thinking about smoking, whilst getting in some much needed exercise.

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Take up a yoga class

Yoga, the umbrella term for various physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines, can help fight some of the symptoms that might tempt you back into smoking.

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Select a different drink from the bar

If you're getting to the end of the week and feel like you’re ready for a night out, don’t let the drink set you off into old habits.

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Visit a behavioural support group

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that aims to help you manage your smoking habits by changing how you think and act.

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Share Experience

Every smoker has a different story, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take some inspiration from others who have been trying to quit.

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Smokers Teeth

Smoking doesn't just damage your health, your looks can really suffer too. Take a photo of your teeth every day to see how they become gradually brighter.

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Celebrate your 1 week anniversary

Well done, you made it through seven days without smoking! This isn't time to get complacent, but you can afford to give yourself a pat on the back.

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Practice deep breathing techniques

Extra oxygen in your blood system is a great way of counteracting the symptoms of fatigue or headaches that you may be experiencing from nicotine withdrawal.

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Download a Heart Rate App

Your heart rate is a noticeable thing you can track between and during cravings. Find out what your average is, and how different situations bring it up or down.

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Improve Tastebuds

Try a recipe to start enjoying your new and improved palate. Choose one that takes a lot of skill and concentration to help keep your mind focussed.

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Distract yourself with something funny

Laughter is often the best medicine, whether it's for a broken heart, or a temporary distraction from your smoking cravings.

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Catch Up with Old Friends

It's great to have a few distraction tactics ready for when unexpected cravings strike, such as getting in touch with a neglected friend or a family member.

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Confide in Someone

It's not always a good idea to tell the world that you're quitting. Family support can give you a huge boost, as can ex smokers who’ll understand your struggle.

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Help Others to Quit Smoking

While nobody likes a know-it-all ex-smoker, let people you know who are thinking of quitting that you're able to help them through if they need it.

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Plan a Holiday

With all that money you’re saving, you’ll be able to afford something a little more luxurious than your usual weekend.

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Occupy your time in other ways

People often smoke not because they need to, but because it fills a gap whilst they wait for something, which could be time spent in a much better way.

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Write a Poem or Limerick

Get your creative juices flowing and construct some prose. You could base these on your feelings about smoking, or something else entirely.

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Learn to Overcome Smoking Trigger

Exactly what was it that made you smoke again? You need to decide how you will cope with that issue the next time it comes up.

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Break from Old Routine

Smoking has probably become linked to many of your day-to-day activities, such as commuting to and from work or meeting up with friends.

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Perform a Deep Clean

Cleaning is a very cathartic exercise, and a great cravings distraction. Commit yourself to the task, and do it properly to get an end result to be proud of.

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Don’t let a slip-up become a mudslide

Did you do something you shouldn’t have? It's important to get back on the non-smoking track right away so throw away any cigarettes you bought.

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Start Decorating Baby Room

With all that money you’re saving from not smoking, you’ll be able to afford to splash out on making a really special room for your little one.

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Rate the severity of your slip-up

There's a big difference between a quick puff and a sustained smoking session, but a relapse is a relapse, and you need to assess how bad it was.

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Speak to a healthcare professional

If you've faltered, it's not a lost cause, you may be able to try a different approach that suits you better. Go and see a healthcare professional for advice.

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Learn a New Language

Think of something you’ve always wanted to learn, and commit to it. Use the time that you would have spent smoking to expand your skills.

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Find a Quit Smoking Buddy

As your quit attempt progresses you may need the morale support of someone who's going through the same emotions that you are. Find someone you can trust!

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Look at some dissuading photos

Even if you enjoy smoking, images of diseased lungs or full ashtrays are always a shock to the system and will give you a good reason not to act on cravings.

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Keep a key motivator close to hand

Instead of reaching for your cigarettes, have a copy of your ultrasound photo in your pocket which will instantly make you think again.

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Carry mouthwash with you

Part of the quit process is replacing cigarettes with something less harmful. A swig of mouthwash whenever a craving hits will give you a fresh alternative.

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Get Social Support

Social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook let you easily share a message saying you've quit, and to get support from your friends and followers.

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Whether it's a 1km jog or a full blown marathon, having an event to work towards is a perfect way of refusing to give in to cravings.

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Non Smoking Anniversary

Congratulations, you've made a whole year - 365 days, some of which were easier than others! Remember this date every year as your second birthday.

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Choose the Baby's Name

Rather than leaving it until the last minute, any time a craving strikes, use the time to pick out a few potential names for your baby and do some research.

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Smoking Triggers List

You might have noticed over the past few months that the smoking triggers you expected didn’t actually match those you experienced. Put together a new list.

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Avoid Smoking Situations

Avoid contact with your regular smoking partners. If someone invites you for a cigarette, have an excuse prepared to avoid the big “I’ve quit” discussion.

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As you work you way towards being an ex-smoker, you'll have more energy to burn. One of the many gym classes could be a great way to burn it off.

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Focus on other Areas of Your Life

Now that you're a bonafide non smoker, this might be a good time to take stock of other areas of your life such as your job or living situation.

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Put Yourself in a Smoking Situation

Giving up smoking by becoming a hermit is one thing, but at some point you're going to need overcome a situation where you previously lit up without thinking.

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Go to the Cinema

Combining a non-smoking environment with a visual distraction is a good way to beat the cravings, whether on your own or with a group of smoke free friends.

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Celebrate your 100 day anniversary

If you've been smoking for many years, 100 days without cigarettes is a huge landmark that you may have thought you'd never reach. Give yourself some credit.

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Deep Clean Your Clothes

Not just the ones in your laundry basket. Give your jeans, coats and scarves a thorough wash to rid them of smoky smells.

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Eat Something Healthy

The oral satisfaction provided by smoking is a tough thing to overcome so for the time being you need to find something else to put in your mouth.

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Improve your chances of conception

Smoking severely reduces your chances of conceiving, whether you’re trying to get pregnant naturally or through IVF.

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Measure Nicotine Cravings

The minute you crave a cigarette, set a timer instead. Try putting having a cigarette off for 15 minutes, then another 15, then again, until your craving goes.

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Adopt a step-by-step philosophy

Forever seems a long time, so take it slowly, setting small manageable goals like not smoking before breakfast, or quitting for a week, then two, and so on.

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Review your treatment options

A doctor or healthcare professional can help you understand the various options as you begin your quit attempt, some of which are only available through them.

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Make an Appointment

There may be some quitting options that you aren’t aware of, so chat with an expert – a doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional.

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Keep a daily smoking diary

To successfully quit it helps to understand your smoking triggers; the times and situations that prompt you to light up.

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Assess Your Smoking Status

Knowing what kind of smoker you are helps you to assess the right approach or medication to take to help increase your chances of success.

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Understand the Role of Willpower

It’s not impossible to quit using willpower alone, however those who consult a healthcare professional are four times more likely to quit.

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Prepare a Baby Friendly Environment

You don’t want to bring a baby into a smoke-stained house so give everything, from the car to the curtains, a good steam clean.

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Freshen Up Your Home

Freshen up the fabrics in your house and car. Your curtains, favourite smoking chair and cushions could all do with a good steam clean.

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Take Time off Work

Smoking is often part of a routine which involves commuting and lighting up during breaks. For the first few days, it may be easier to change your environment.

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Whats next?

Personalise Your Quit Smoking Plan

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Continue to Day 1

Help me to stop smoking

Healthcare professionals are trained to help people quit smoking and can advise you on the most suitable methods to use. You’re up to four times more likely to give up smoking with help from a healthcare professional than going it alone.

What next?

Quit smoking Plan

How to quit smoking

Prepare to quit smoking

Understanding the facts

Quit smoking tips

Whats next?

Personalise Your Quit Smoking Plan

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Help me to stop smoking