The 22 best ways to quit smoking

Draw a line down the centre of a piece of paper and write them on one side; on the other side, make a list of all the things you dislike, such as how it can interfere with your health, work, family, etc., suggests Dr Daniel Z. Lieberman, director of the Clinical Psychiatric Research Center at George Washington University Medical Center. Think about the list over time, and make changes. If you are brave enough, get feedback from family and friends about things they don’t like about your use of cigarettes. When the negative side outweighs the positive side, you are ready to quit smoking.

Be thorough, even if the list gets long and discouraging. Here’s the important part: next to each entry, list one or more options for overcoming that challenge, Dr Lieberman suggests. For instance, one item might be: “Nicotine is an addictive drug.” Your option might be: “Try a nicotine replacement alternative.” Another reason might be: “Smoking helps me deal with stress.” Your option might be: “Take five-minute walks instead.” The more you anticipate the challenges to quit smoking and their solutions, the better your chance of success.

Set a quit smoking date within the coming month. It can be a random date or perhaps one with special significance like your birthday or anniversary.

Then write all your reasons for quitting on an index card

Here are some to get you started: “My daughter, my granddaughter, my husband, my wife…” You get the idea. Keep your list of reasons near you at all times, in case you need a reminder.

Instead, only buy a pack at a time, and only carry two or three cigarettes with you. Eventually, you’ll find that when you want a smoke, you won’t have any immediately available, Dr Lieberman suggests. That will slowly wean you down to fewer cigarettes.

Keep a list of when you smoke for a week before quitting

Also note what you’re doing at the time and how bad the craving is to see if specific times of the day or activities increase your cravings, suggests Gaylene Mooney, a respiratory therapist.

Suggestions include: take a walk, drink a glass of water, kiss your partner or child, throw a ball to the dog, play a game, wash the car, clean out a cupboard, chew a piece of gum, wash your face, brush your teeth, take a nap, get a cup of coffee or tea, practise your deep breathing, light a candle. Make copies of the list and keep one with you at all times so when the craving hits, you can whip out the list and quickly do something from it. Your quit plan is key.

And quit when you’re in a good mood

Studies find that you’re less likely to be a successful quitter if you quit when you’re depressed or under a great deal of stress, Dr Lieberman says.

Did you know that nostalgic happy thoughts can boost your mood and make your healthier?

That includes all smoking paraphernalia – leftover cigarettes, matches, lighters, ashtrays, cigarette holders, even the lighter in your car.

Switch to decaf until you’ve been cigarette-free for two months

Too much caffeine while quitting can cause the jitters. This is another crucial tip.

You want to physically see how much you’ve been spending. Earmark that money for something you’ve always dreamed of doing, but never thought you could afford, be it a cruise or an international holiday.

Think of difficult things you have done in the past

Ask people who know you well to remind you of challenges you have successfully overcome, says Dr Lieberman. This will give you the necessary self-confidence to stick with your pledge not to smoke.

The act of brewing the tea and slowly sipping it as it cools will provide the same stress relief as a hit of nicotine. Or carry cinnamon-flavoured toothpicks and suck on one whenever a cig craving hits.

Find a healthy snack food you can carry with you

In place of smoking cigarettes, try sunflower seeds, sugar-free lollipops, gum, carrots or celery sticks if you’re concerned about weight gain. You can also switch your cigarette habit for a nut habit, and eat four nuts in their shell for every cigarette you want to smoke. This way, you’re using your hands and your mouth, getting the same physical and oral sensations you get from smoking.

If the fear of putting on weight is making you procrastinate, check out these 20 tricks to eating healthy while dining out.

It takes about the same time and is much more fun (although, like cigarettes, it can get addictive). If your company prohibits games like that, find another five-minute diversion: a phone call, a stroll, or eating a piece of fruit outdoors (but not where smokers congregate). These strategies can help you stay the course once you quit smoking.

To minimise cravings, change your routine

Sit in a different chair at breakfast or take a different route to work. If you usually have a drink and cigarette after work, change to a walk. If you’re used to a smoke with your morning coffee, switch to tea. Or stop at a smoke-free cafe for your cup of coffee.

Visualisation can help smokers become ex-smokers, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. Imagine yourself cigarette-free, or picture yourself playing a game of tennis without getting winded.

Post this list in a visible location in your house

Whenever you’re tempted to light up, take a look at all the ways smoking can damage your health:

• Increases risk of lung, bladder, pancreatic, mouth, oesophageal, and other cancers, including leukaemia
• Increases risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure
• Increases risk of diabetes
• Reduces levels of folate, low levels of which can increase the risk of heart disease, depression and Alzheimer’s disease
• Affects mental capacity and memory
• Contributes to thin bones
• Increases likelihood of impotence
• Reduces fertility
• Affects ability to smell and taste
• Results in low-birthweight, premature babies
• Increases risk of depression in adolescents
• Increases your child’s risk of obesity and diabetes later in life if you smoked while pregnant

You’ll also want to know these 5 surprising silent symptoms of clogged arteries.