There is no exact science of knowing when to quit cigarette smoking. Your best gauge is you. Only you will know when you have hit your personal rock bottom. At that time you will suddenly feel beyond a shadow of a doubt it is YOUR time to quit.
So how do you know when you are there?
Be it a medical concern, condition or maybe you want to set an example for your children or your family – whatever motivates You will be the ultimate sign it is YOUR time to quit. When you know you are ready then the process of quitting smoking will become a much easier task than you ever imagined. The best answer I can give here is you will know because the idea of successful quitting far out weighs the desire to light another ciggy.
Most smokers have tried to quit or, at the very least, curtail their smoking activity. There is some positive personal feedback that will result for having modified your smoking habits. But ultimately you are still smoking.
I think one of the first things a smoker should admit to themselves is that they are weak when it comes to power of having a cigarette. Just admit you are powerless and cigarettes own you whether you like to admit or not! When it comes down to it on day three or four or ten or whatever…don't you usually wind up convincing yourself this isn't your time to quit? And once again, the cigarette wins! So just admit your are powerless and let's move onto the next step!
Remember one valuable thing about quitting. It is different and unique for each of us. Sort of like a lock and key effect. Just because someone you know quit using a certain method does not mean it will work for you.
Next, decide how you want to go about your method for quitting. Using a patch or maybe winding down your habit one cigarette at a time. Maybe joining forces with another smoker might be your thing? However, I would caution against using the buddy system because if one of you "cheats" and doesn't tell the other about your faux pas, then when they eventually find out you lied – where does that leave in your honesty to them and to yourself? It sort of creates a bad scenario between smoking friends. This is why knowing beyong your reasonable doubt will be the only true and accurate way to begin a successful non-smoking campaign.
For me when I quit smoking I visualized myself driving down the road – out of cigarettes – then driving past the convenience store and replenishing my supplies. Somehow that visual gave me strength plus it served as a form of entertainment for me at the same time! But the whole visual was a scenario of bravado that also inspired me because I already knew driving past the store and needing cigarettes somehow, someway didn't seem like a "normal sequence" for me!
Once you find your reasoning to quit, then the next step is to begin at the pace you feel most comfortable.
The rewards of a non-smoker are what you have already heard they will become. Your food tastes better. Your sense of smell returns. Your clothes smell and feel fresher. And your weekly budget suddenly allows for more important things in life that are positive – like manicures and massages! And we didn't touch on the health factor…yet! But it is ture that you will be able to climb stairs and go for longer walks than ever before without getting winded!
Smoking is as much a mental addiction as it is a physical addiction. Go find your reasons to quit and write them down. You will soon learn you have a lot more to live for and a lot more reasons to quit than you ever imagined…