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  • Your Psychological Loss
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  • Setting Your Quit Date
  • How To Beat Nicotine Withdrawal
  • Tip: Keep A Craving Journal
  • You Have To Quit For You!
  • One Great Reason To Quit Smoking
  • The Positives of Quitting
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Setting a quit date is often a hard task because it's your first opportunity to fail yourself in your quest to stop smoking. However, if a date is not set, you become one of those people who say, "I'm going to stop smoking, it just isn't the right time in my life yet." Guess what? It's never going to be the right time. So set a date.

An important thing to realize is this: A goal without a date is just a fantasy.

If you have a craving journal (great idea!) be sure to refer back to this when choosing your date. For instance, if one of your primary smoking sessions is at work, then you should choose a weekend day. If you feel as if you need more than two days to be away from that environment, take a couple of vacation days which will toughen your resolve.

The next thing to do after setting a quit date is telling the people around you that quit date. Use the people in your life as a source of support, especially the ones that will really encourage you to kick the habit (You want positive encouragement here, so don't tell the naggers or people who will rake you over the coals if you slip up).

• Explain that you will be grumpy, depressed and irritable and ask them to bear with you.
• If someone that you're close to is a smoker, ask them not do it around you if possible.
• Get support from other people that are trying to quit smoking by subscribing the on-line support groups, phone support groups or a one-on-one with someone you trust.

The more you prepare for you quit date by setting the date and informing everyone in your life, the more you set yourself up for success in the long run.

Now you have set your quit date. After all, you don't want to be just entertaining the fantasy that you will quit. By setting your quit date, you have more chances of making it a reality. Also tell a friend so that they will hold you to it.

Next, start to notice when you smoke. Analyze your daily routines, notice the places you smoke and then change your routine. For instance, if you always smoke after dinner on the back porch, change your location, keep your cigarettes in a different place, and try smoking with the opposite hand. More importantly, don't multi-talk while you are smoking. Think about why you are doing it, what you are feeling and the reasons that you want to quit.

Limit your smoking to specific places only, like outside. You will thereby limit the number of cigarettes your smoking if you can't smoke in the car or house anymore. Another technique to use is for when a craving comes on to smoke. Wait for a couple of minutes and think of a substitute for a cigarette. Like what will you do when this happens and you really have quit? Go ahead a start stockpiling gum, plastic straws, sugar-free candy, "stress balls" and similar items.

Try to only buy one pack of cigarettes at a time and change the brand of cigarettes to something you dislike.

Incorporate as many of these practices as you can for several weeks before your quit date to get you mentally prepared for the change you are about to make in your life. These small changes may make quitting smoking just a little bit easier.