Quitting Smoking

Poll

	|   |

Author:
Aki Desorcy

If you’re a smoker, chances are you’ve tried to quit many times or deep down inside you’ve felt you should quit for obvious reasons pertaining to your health, but have no idea where to start.

I’ve smoked for 22 years and spent over 10,000 dollars trying to quit smoking and finally I am proud to say, I am a “non-smoker.” Yes, there is hope for you!

Let the truth be known; it’s very hard! However, it can be done with the right tools and strategies. There is no way I can share everything I used to help me kick a 22 year smoking habit but what I can do for sure, is share one major tip/strategy I used and use to this day to live a smoke free life.

Start a journal. This can be an online journal such as a blog or a paper journal which happens to be my weapon of choice. I know, I know, every self-help guru says keep a journal. Well I’m not a Guru and it’s working for me so please stay with me here.

I know, everyone says “keep a journal” but not many go into details about the “why and how” so we really don’t feel motivated to start recording our life. This is one of the key distinctions I’ve made in the past. I also noticed that it was a big reason for not starting my journal. So keep reading because I’m going to help you over the “journal hump.”

Say you’re thinking right now about wanting to quit smoking, along comes other thoughts like “I’m too stressed to think about that now. Oh, God, where would I start, but what will I do if I can’t, what if I get fat?” These thoughts are clouded emotions that push your first thought of quitting smoking further and further away.

Keeping a journal will help you take all the emotion out of your daily thoughts and help you get really clear on what you want and how you’re going to get it.

It’s ok to have all kinds of thoughts associated to your quit smoking thoughts; you’ll just want to write them all down in your journal. Then go through the list of thoughts and ask yourself, Are these real concerns that need to be thought out and taken seriously, or, are they just excuses my mind is playing on me to protect me from experiencing the pain that comes with quitting smoking?” That’s right; your mind will come up with all kinds of excuses to avoid quitting and to protect you! Just say “thank you for sharing!”

A paper journal is a black and white, pure logic system and why I like it. This is exactly what is needed when taking on such an outrageous task such as quitting smoking.

There are tons of books and seminars on keeping a journal so let’s keep it really simple. For now, grab a note pad and start a list of why you need to stop smoking. As you write, remember you’re mind will start playing games by coming up with excuses, but don’t give in! You may want to write at the top of the note pad, “My Why Reasons I’m quitting smoking.” Everything I’ve studied about getting your outcomes in life stress the “why” first not the how so write as much as you can.

There are many ways and steps to quit smoking and I hope you will start your own journal as your first step! If you need help, just ask.

Aki Desorcy is the webmaster for a variety of resource websites. She is currently working on a blog to help people quit smoking. To read more about keeping a journal to quit smoking please visit http://quitsmoking.effective-info.com

Copyright2006 Aki Desorcy

This article may be distributed and used by anyone as long as this resource box stays with the body and all hyperlinks stay active.

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Smoking... Do You Want to Quit Smoking? There is a wide range of ages for smokers today and about as wide a range of reasons they smoke. However, smoking is increasingly becoming more unpopular in our culture and as more and more smokers experience the discrimination perpetrated by the anti-smoking movement, they might begin seeking help to quit smoking. As those numbers have increased, more alternatives for quit smoking help have also become available. It seems many people are looking for some easy way to quit smoking or some magical stop smoking aid. If that describes you, I hate to burst your bubble... but it's not going to be easy! You likely developed your smoking habit over many years and it will take time to learn the new habit of not smoking. Your journey to quit smoking will likely require a multi-faceted approach, and if you want to succeed you'll need to... Help Yourself First and foremost you are the only one who can choose to quit smoking. You must have a strong will and you also have to be very motivated. Dig deep into yourself to find that motivation and you'll take a huge step to quit smoking. Nobody else knows or wants what is best for yourself but you. Begin by making a list of the advantages and disadvantages of giving up smoking and you may discover some powerful reasons to support your decision to quit smoking. Ask for Help If you think you're not strong enough to quit smoking on your own, then you must ask others to help you. Ask your family and friends to provide assistance - to be around when you feel the need to smoke, especially during the first days after quitting. Besides the help of the friends and family, there are other alternatives that are more organized. There is the option for asking stop smoking help from professionals. Don’t hesitate to rely on the...