Why Quit Smoking?

Depending on which source you read there could be anywhere from five to twelve quit smoking stages a smoker contends with in the process of breaking the habit. The question is how many will you go through? Most medical experts stick with five stages as stated by the American Cancer Society, but various stop smoking groups tack on a few extra as they see fit. The basic five stages seem to encompass just about anything a smoker goes through on the road to becoming a non-smoker. Consider these stages as you create your own quit smoking plan.

1. Thinking about it stage: You know you need to quit but you may be using excuses such as fear of failure or even the possibility of gaining weight. You may even to decide to try and quit when it is a less stressful time in your life, but as you know, that is not likely going to happen! Some people, myself included, think about quitting for years before they get serious about it. Unfortunately, the delay may result in unnecessary damage to health and wellbeing.
2. Deliberation stage: Finally, you are ready to get serious about quitting. You are almost ready to make a commitment to create a game plan. During this time, you may look into different smoking cessation products, natural solutions and even talk to ex-smokers to see how they kicked the nicotine habit.
3. Laying the groundwork: Of all the quit smoking stages, this is one of the most critical as you are setting the stage to quit and even set a date to do so. It is helpful to create a contract with yourself. Scheduling a reward or treat for each day, week, or month you manage to remain smoke-free provides a much needed incentive to keep your resolve. Put the money you would ordinarily spend on cigarettes into a bank account to be used for a special reward at the end of a long period of living smoke-free.
4. Springing into action: This is the quit smoking stage that will truly test your willpower. It is the one where you banish every tobacco product and piece of paraphernalia related to smoking in your life and actually stop smoking. You try to avoid smoking areas of public places and divert your attention to other things when the craving for nicotine is strong. The first six months are usually the hardest to stay smoke free but the good news is that you will feel more energetic and healthier in just a few days.
5. Safeguarding your smoke-free life: Maintaining your smoke free life is the longest of all quit smoking stages as it could last for the rest of your life. It could take a few years before your body stops “hungering” for nicotine and all the entrapments it entails. Many ex-smokers say that on occasion, they crave a cigarette, even twenty years after quitting! It is all about recognizing the signs and taking steps to bypass those feelings.

Quitting smoking is a process. You may set a quit date and stop smoking on that day, but for many of us the effort to stay smoke-free is an ongoing one. You can’t succeed until you try, so move through the stages at your own pace, but keep moving.