So you’ve made the decision to quit smoking – great news! Lucky for you, there are lots of options, which is good because what works for one person may not work for you. You need to find something that works for you!
Make a plan
It’s often easier to quit if you follow a plan. GoSmokeFree has a step-by-step guide to help you quit.
A summary of the steps are:
- Think about why you want to quit
- Ask your doctor about nicotine replacements and other cessation products
- Choose a method that will best help you quit
- Know your strengths and weaknesses. Understanding why and when you smoke can help you avoid tempting situations (i.e. a smoke with coffee, a smoke after dinner, etc.)
- Set a quit date and tell your friends
- Face your concerns about quitting (ie. will I gain weight, can I handle the withdrawal, will it still be difficult to hang out with my friends who still smoke?)
- Be prepared to be grumpy, irritable, anxious and restless. These are all common withdrawal symptoms
- Be aware about ‘trigger situations’; i.e. if you hope to quit you must be prepared to be in those situations in which you’d normally be smoking or others around you will be smoking, and how to respond to that pressure
- Mentally prepare yourself the day before you quit and remember not to buy any more smokes.
- It’s quitting day!
Want something a little more interactive? The Smoking Zine can help you develop your own plan to quit. Take the ‘Why I smoke quiz’. Using your answers from the quiz you’ll be given tips on how to deal with your temptations and withdrawal symptoms. Finish off with a ‘Quit Smoking Contract you’ll make with yourself.
Coping with Withdrawal Symptoms
A smoker’s body often becomes dependant on nicotine. When you quit, your body goes through a series of changes. These are called “withdrawal symptoms”. Sometimes these symptoms can be hard to deal with - especially when you come across “triggers”. Triggers are situations where you feel you need a cigarette more than normal, such as waiting for the bus, during a break at work, at a party, etc. Know your triggers and be extra cautious when you’re in a situation like that again. If possible, avoid those situations completely until you feel confident enough to cope with it. Stress itself is often a trigger for a lot of people. Learning how to cope with stress in more healthy ways like exercise, deep breathing, and others can help you be successful in quitting. Health Canada’s Quit4Life have a few suggestions on how to cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Who can help?
Encouraging support is very important. You can get support from friends, family or a health professional such as a nurse, counselor, or doctor. You can find someone who has already quit and ask them what the experience was like and what worked for them.
There are also many online resources and tools that will provide you with support CyberIsle's forum [HotTalk] allows you to speak with other youth and Health Canada’s eQuit is a free service that provides email support.
Tips to remain Smoke-free
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- Think about the reasons why you quit in the first place
- Don’t tempt yourself. Don’t even have ‘just a drag’ off someone’s cigarette. One drag eventually turns into a cigarette and soon you’ll be back where you started.
And if you go back smoking?
REMEMBER!! It often takes people several tries before they quit for good. If you go back to smoking, consider the Smoking Zine “R.E.D.”.
Remember why you wanted to quit in the first place. You are still quitting and should continue with your plan.
Examine why you slipped and learn from the experience. Look at what worked and what didn’t to help you in the future.
Don’t give up! You are still one step closer than you were before!
How can you support someone who is quitting?
- Congratulate the person
- Support and praise their decision to quit
- Offer to do things together in a smoke-free environment
- If that person begins to smoke again, encourage them to try again but don’t nag!
Useful resources to look up
- step-by-step guide to help you quit
- develop your own quit plan [the Smoking Zine]
- withdrawal symptoms
- how to cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms
- HotTalk [CyberIsle]
- eQuit [Health Canada]
Reward yourself! Get yourself something with the money you’ve saved