How to Quit Smoking: Action Plan

The prospect of quitting smoking seems daunting for the millions of people who smoke, and particularly for those that have been smoking for some time. No one will argue that an addiction to nicotine is a serious one and it is also multifaceted: indeed, there is a physical component to it since your body craves the nicotine the cigarettes contain, and there's the psychological one, in that many habits and situations become associated with cigarettes for the smoker. Consequently, in order to quit smoking, it is important that you come up with a plan of attack: if the cold-turkey technique works for some people, the vast majority of smokers will succeed only with the help of a more comprehensive plan.

The first time you will consider the prospect of quitting smoking, it's probably going to seem far fetched. However, I want you to keep in mind that thousands of people - people just like you - quit smoking every year. If they can do it, there's no reason that you can't do it too. Also, many smokers also feel that it is "too-late" to quit smoking after a certain age. Simply put, this isn't true, and you should not use that as an excuse to avoid an attempt to quit smoking: the health benefits of quitting smoking will begin the very day you will stop.

Begin to build up your willpower before you actually have your last cigarette. Your willpower will become your most important tool in quitting. In fact, it's very unlikely that you will be successful without it. The first thing you should do is spend some time thinking of the reasons you want to quit smoking. Do some research do learn about the health benefits of quitting, for both yourself and the people around you. The most encouraging step you can take is to do some math and write down some figures for the amount of money you'll be able to save by not buying cigarettes. Then think of how you'll use that money for. Will it be a trip to celebrate? A nice dinner in a fancy restaurant?

Once your willpower is built up, it's time to have your last cigarette. You first need to understand that the human body is extremely resilient if your want to keep your spirits up. However, bear in mind that your health will improve as soon as you stop smoking - and I mean literally. Only 8 hours after your last cigarette, oxygen levels and carbon monoxide levels in your blood stream will go back to what they're supposed to. Did you know that you statistically reduce your chance of a heart attack merely 24 hours after your last cigarette? Furthermore, after only 48 hours of smoking your last cigarette, your sense of smell and taste will improve as your nerve endings will start growing.

In order to keep your willpower up, think of the longer-term benefits to quitting smoking as you continue to stay smoke free: your lung power will begin to increase after only 2 weeks and will continue to do so over time. Of course, other aspects of your health will improve in various ways continuously. I think that the ultimate motivator should lie in the knowledge that 15 years after quitting smoking, your risk of death is almost identical as someone who has never smoked. Don't you think that this illustrates remarkably well how the human body's can restore itself.

There's no doubt that developing a concrete action plan to quit smoking will increase tremendously your chances of success. What is crucial in this process is for you to understand that your willpower play an important role and that planning weeks ahead before you attempt to quit smoking will help you build up your willpower. Once you've quit smoking you have to keep this willpower strong, and to achieve this, always remind yourself of the many benefits to your health you will be privy to the second after butting out that last cigarette.