Many people think that they are all powerful and have total control over their lives, but this is not always the case. It is great that you have decided to quit smoking, but you should not be overly confident in your abilities. It is definitely a good thing to be determined, but you also have to be prepared for the difficulties that will inevitably come. In order to make every aspect of the transition process go more smoothly and with the least negative side effects you will need a quit smoking plan. This can vary from person to person, but there are some general rules that you need to follow in order to succeed.
It is best to write your quit smoking plan down. In this way it can become your guide book and the first resort of help in emergency situations when all you will want will be a cigarette. The first thing to include in the plan is the list of the reasons you have for quitting. Try to write them in an honest and personal fashion and do not miss to include non-health related ones. It is also a good idea to put some long term benefits from smoking cessation as well as the obvious short term ones.
Decide firmly on the date on which you are going to stop. It is best if it is during the weekend so that you can spend the most difficult initial days with your loved ones in a less stressful atmosphere. Also, choose a close date – the longer you postpone the quitting for, the less likely you will be to initiate it. Before starting the transition process make sure you get rid of all smoking related objects – through away all cigarette packs, lighters, ashtrays and even pictures on which you can see yourself smoking.
When preparing your quit smoking plan it is essential for you to figure out what factor urges you to smoke. In this way you will determine an adequate replacer for the habit of lighting up a cigarette. If you feel that you need to light up a cigarette when you are anxious, you can replace this habit with the simple chewing of gum. If you do this primarily when you are stressed you can arrange for some relaxing activities such as having a massage or taking yoga classes. Those who find that they smoke simply because it has become a natural action will find it useful to use a fake cigarette to put in their mouth whenever they feel a craving.
When preparing your plan include as many social events in it as possible. It is best if these include meeting your friends and family and spending more time in a company of non smokers. You will get understanding and support plus you will be diverted from your worries and nicotine craving. You might also want to find a new hobby and meet more new people.
Last, but not least provide for rewards for every milestone you reach in your quit smoking plan. For every month without smoking you can get a present or any kind of spoil.
Jack Sillow is an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) expert who specializes in quit smoking treatments for normal people. He runs the site http://QuitGuide.net where he has posted a comprehensive quit smoking plan. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/how-to-prepare-a-reliable-quit-smoking-plan-1618706.html