TIPS TO QUIT SMOKING

#10 -- HATE CIGARETTES BEFORE YOU QUIT - You can only truly quit if you hate cigarettes to begin with. If you love it, then why quit? You won't.

You can't go into Day 1 thinking you don't really want to stop, or it's not quite time yet, or there's a big party coming up.

YOU HAVE TO HATE IT!

You have to hate it so much that it becomes your #1 priority in life. It has to come before anything else. If other things start to become more important to you, you'll be caught off guard, and end up relapsing.

It will make quitting much more doable if you rid yourself of something you absolutely hate. Once you quit and you're not smoking, you'll be excited! You'll have channeled that hatred into making a real honest effort in doing something good for yourself.

If you go into it scared, or worrying about the future, you're bound to relaspe. Why?

You didn't hate it enough. You weren't ready.

#11 -- SET THE DATE - It's never a good idea to quit on a whim. I know there are some theories behind it, but in my case, there needs to be some planning involved.

I would strongly advise not quitting before a concert, or a camping trip. Know what's in your immediate future and plan accordingly. Give some room of about 1 or 2 months. That way, there won't be any excuses. You need a timeline.

You won't be able to say "Well I have this coming up" and stuff like that. Now you should never look too far into the future, but you should definitely take into account what's going on in your life in the next month, but most importantly in the next 3 weeks.

You're going to need alone time anyways, so try and put that time into the best place possible. If you don't plan ahead, you may slip up, and you don't want that to happen. If you plan a date and stick to it, and make an honest effort from that point forward, you'll be one step ahead of the game.

#12 -- QUIT ON YOUR DAY OFF - There are some different theories about this, too, but I strongly suggest to quit on your day off. You need as few obstacles that first day as possible.

If you add stress and anxiety into the mix right off the bat, you'll likely be overpowered and convinced to light up.

I've tried both methods, and I do feel it's best to do on your day off, and that will lead to a more successful attempt. There is just too much pressure those first few days. The less stress the better.

I would almost advise having the next 2 days off in a row. Then there won't be any outside interference and you can just concentrate and focus on your goals.

Why do I encourage all this? Because sometimes you just have to lock yourself inside your house. It's gonna be tough, and if you add the stresses of work, it will be incredibly tough.

I'm not saying you can't successfully quit and work on Day 1 at the same time, but again, I'm just trying to set you up for the best chance of success. Remember, I've done all the dirty work, so I know what I'm talking about.

#13 -- KEEP BUSY - Nothing is worse than sitting around and pondering the thought of puffing away. You'll go crazy!

You need to keep busy. If you've planned ahead accordingly, you should have a complete list of things to do for the first few days.

Clean the house, start a hobby, go for walks, do things outside, and focus on keeping your mind off smoking and onto things more productive. Make a garden! It's actually quite fun! You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. I bet you'll do things you would've NEVER done before. Enjoy the fresh air outside and breathe it in. Make a nice meal for yourself. Enjoy the taste of food.

It's a life-changing moment. Learn to keep busy and after a while, it will come naturally to you. You'll never want to be lazy ever again.

#14 -- DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE - This is a big one. You're going to worry about not having the next one. Your mind is going to play tricks on you whether you hate it or not. You just need to know it's going to happen and there is no way around it.

Don't worry about work, or the bars, or your friends, or how much pain there will be. You'll go nuts! Your mind will try to convince you it's impossible to do those things without lighting up. It will tell you to smoke one last time and quit tomorrow. It will tell you the same thing the next day. If the cycle continues, the next day never arrives.

If you can somehow acknowledge the fact that your mind is just playing tricks on you, you'll be so much further ahead than someone who has no idea what is in store for them. If you can rise above those thoughts and win every argument you're having with yourself, then that is half the battle.

Getting over the physical is relatively easy, it's the mental game that's the most challenging. Just accept the fact the first 3 weeks are going to be crazy times and you won't be thinking clearly. This is why you should avoid a lot of things and have 3 weeks of alone time. You're not going to be your normal self.

But that's ok, everyone goes through it. You are not the only one.

#15 -- YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MOOD SWINGS - There are times when you're going to be happy, and there are times you're going to be depressed. Addiction can do that to you. Having a positive mindset will help.

But there are going to be times when you're feeling regretful. You'll hate the fact you've given it all up. Your mind will convince you to think like that anyways. Don't let it!

Instead of focusing on the negative thoughts and feelings associated with it all, think about how good you actually feel underneath those negative feelings. After the first day or so, I was in such pain, but I knew underneath that pain I was feeling better than ever. I was breathing better and sleeping better. I knew I was in pain, but I also knew it wouldn't last long.

Conquer your mood swings by focusing on how good you feel underneath the physical and mental withdrawal.