How to Develop the Mindset to Quit Smoking

The time of year has come when little running animals want to work at themelves again. Most of us have resolutions for the new year. Some of the little running rats, rabbits and rhinos may want to quit smoking to become a cheetah finally.

I also smoked for a very long time. 10 years to be exact.

Often I tried to quit. I never made it longer than two months.

I am sure that many others have the same problems. Why is that? What makes quitting such an awful habit so difficult?

I noticed some strong influences: First of all it is your environment. Do your  family, friends or collegues smoke? Are you maybe allowed to smoke at work? Worst case and ancient, too! Actually, I feel with the non-smokers at your work or in your family. You should do something for them and persuade your boss (or your mother) to forbid smoking at work (or in ther house). Smokers belong outside or in a seperate room. They shouldn't risk the health of all the other non-smokers. It's just unfair.

What about your mindset? Are you afraid of quitting? Do you think it will be awfully difficult? Do you think you'll suffer? NO. To quit is simple as that! With the mind set of a non-smoker it won't be difficult at all. You only need to want it. Desire to be a non-smoker. The best thing would be to have a strong motivator.

But how do you get there? You should start with reading. Maybe you read some wikipedia first. Of course you can as well find thousands of different informative pages on the internet or you buy non-smoking books. Read stories from people who made it! Get courage. Believe that you can make it. Believe in yourself. Believe in your strong will. Make an affirmation, write it down and put it in a place where you see it daily and as often as possible. Think about how free you will feel if you don't have to smoke anymore, how fit and healthy you will feel. Think about this as often and as long as you can. I mean: meditate over these thoughts. Go to bed while day dreaming of being a non-smoker and wake up with it. You need to persuade your mind that you are can make it. The more time you invest the easier it will be.

The next step would be to cut back. I think that this will be easier for heavy smokers and people who are really addicted. Start like I did.


In short: Try to change your environment in a way that makes it easier for you to quit. Avoid places with smokers and smokein general. Think about not smoking as often as you can. Make an affirmation that you won't smoke anymore. Than cut back. And finally just quit. 
It's now the very best time to start your change. Stop smoking in 2010! I would wish you luck but you won't need it. Intead I wish you a successful and smoke-free new year!

How I quit smoking

This will be the story how I quit a sick-making habit.

A lot of people, even sportive ones, do smoke. I started in school just like probably everyone else. That's the time when you need friends and want to belong to a group. Health is not interesting if it comes to the gorgeous guy over there. And it's so much cooler to ask for a cigarette first than for the time or something. You'll never get a date if you're not cool.

10 years later you notice this inexplainable coughing when rising. Certainly because you need a cigarette. What else would it be. Even while you're ill and your body needs all power and vitamines you can't stop. Illnesses take much longer this way.

At this point in my life I also started running. And in the end sport was my wonder wall.
It still took a while (you know I'm not that fast) but at a point I didn't want to smoke anymore. That was not the point when I threw the stuff in the bin or anything. Nooooooo. It still took more time. I still didn't want anymore. But you are used to it. You love it. You're bored while waiting if you can't smoke. What would you do if you wouldn't smoke while drinking coffee??

But I tell you something: it's all in your head! That's why I wrote a little (huuuuge) note and pinned it where I saw it every two seconds (my mirror). It says: I won't smoke anymore (Yes, it's still there). I read it over and over and over. Daily. For weeks, months. The thoughts about quiting became manifest.
Meanwhile I also read on a (German) non-smoking-page. This one was nice. They didn't tell you you'd have to stop. In a test they told me that I wasn't even addicted. Hm. Then it should be easy actually.
So I followed some advise how to smoke less (I also would save so much money!). I didn't buy new packages anymore at once when I noticed they're about to get empty. Didn't smoke while biking anymore. Stoped smoking in my boyfriend's appartement. Didn't use the breaks at work for smoking. Didn't smoke while walking. Didn't smoke at home anymore.
When I felt ready I dismissed one after the other habit. Step by step. One by one. I took my time.
Eventually I left the cigarettes at home when I went out.
Then I also stoped smoking at home. So I really had no places left. Therefore, I also dismissed the one or two sickarettes I used to smoke with my morning coffee and before sleeping.

One or two days I struggeled. But not nearly as hard as I used to when I tried to quit just like that.
I still have some ciggis in my drawer. And I would be allowed if I liked to smoke them. Sometimes I even smoked while dancing and going out for a while. But that was rather seldom and I just hate the smell and the taste by now (you should see my disgusted face while I think of it).

Boyfriend#1 tells me when I'm whiny about anything I didn't make: Your will is a muscle. Train it just like you would with your body. And that's what I did. And you can make it, too. The only thing you need is as always: motivation.

I just won't smoke anymore (Not: I don't want to. I won't.) Don't leave yourself loopholes.