5 Strategies That Help You Stop Smoking for Good

                                BAM VP - Be A More Vibrant Person in 2012
A is for Affirmations.  Positive thoughts about yourself to yourself will lift your spirits and strengthen your resolve.  Take a look at the tasks ahead of you this day.  State your intention to succeed in all your challenges.  Make your affirmations fit your lifestyle.  Make a daily commitment to BAM VP every day and rediscover your joy of living.  Seize the day!
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                 5 Strategies That Help You Stop Smoking for Good

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goal, adjust the action steps." - Confucius

You resolved to stop smoking in 2012.  Here it is week two and you haven't had a cigarette.  Congratulations!  It's no secret that stopping is one of the most challenging things you will ever do.  According to the National Institutes of Health an estimated 85 percent of smokers have tried to quit or would like to quit.  So when you find your resolve wavering, don't give in.  Just recheck your strategy.


Understand Why You Smoke

There are many reasons why people smoke.  Some say it is relaxing, or creates a sense of comfort from anxiety or boredom, helps gain acceptance with peers, or they love the rush euphoria smoking provides.  So why do you want to stop?  Write down all the reasons you don't like smoking.  Then add this to your stop smoking list, "Because I know that one day this habit will betray me and destroy my health."

Replace the Smoking Habit with a Healthy Habit

When you stop smoking you take away a familiar routine you have lived with for some time. You leave a void that cigarette smoking will quickly reclaim if you don't find a replacement.

Take the initiative and identify healthy alternatives that work for you.  For example, the person who gets a rush from smoking can get that euphoric feeling from exercising, jogging, brisk walks or playing sports.   The bored person needs activities that stimulate the mind such as puzzles, games of strategy, Sudoku, educational pursuits or creative interests.  The healthy alternative for the person who smokes to relax is obvious.  The *BAM VP relaxation techniques are the most effective way to relax muscle tension and produce feelings of serenity and calm.

Change Your Routine and Cigarette Associations

To quit successfully you have to change the connections you associate with smoking.  For example, if you associate the first breath of the morning with a cigarette, or you enjoy a cigarette with your coffee, what will you do to change?  One suggestion is to drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning.  Take your coffee on the patio instead of the kitchen.  Small changes break your routine.  It is up to you to have choices available to create these new connections.

Reward Yourself Often Throughout Your Stop Smoking Campaign
Link some pleasure and excitement to your campaign to stop smoking by rewarding yourself every time your reach a milestone.  Think of a treat you really want - and get it.  New shoes, jewelry, a new putter, movie, CD, book, spa treatment.  The best part is you will be using the money you saved not buying cigarettes!

Don't Let Other People's Smoke Bother You
If seeing other people smoke is your trigger then this advice may seem contradictory.  But in order to quit for good you have to face your fear of temptation.   At some point deliberately expose yourself to other people's smoke. You know by now that cigarette smoke smells a lot better than it tastes going down your lungs.  Use your stop smoking list to arm yourself with strong convictions and affirmations.  Recognize that this is a test that you are determined to ace.  By actively courting each temptation and winning you be adding new strategies that strengthen your resolve to quit.  You will become more confident with each victory and prepared for the next test of your will.

Mercifully after the ten days or so the urge to smoke will come less frequently.  But it will pounce out of the blue when you least expect it.  And when it does you will be a formidable foe with all the strategies and coping skills you need to handle and defeat these last remnants of the urge to smoke.
These are the strategies that worked for me and I have not had a cigarette nor desire for over 20 years!

If you need additional help quitting there are on-line stop smoking programs, like QuitNet and The American Lung Associations that provide free help for people trying to kick the habit.

*BAM VP - Breath work, Affirmations, Meditation, Visualization, Progressive Relaxation. See 11/2/10 blog, "Be A More Vibrant Person: How To Fit Relaxation Into Your Busy Day"