Do you think wake up in the morning and think of cigarettes before anything else? Do you have trouble catching your breath after performing simple tasks? Does your home stink like an ashtray? Questions like these make you wonder why you started smoking in the first place, and haven’t quit yet. I’m not going to bore you with statistics that im sure you’ve already seen and heard. Instead i’m going to tell you a story. This is a story about my Father.

Having started when he was 15, my dad smoked a half a pack a day for over 30 years. He loved living and cared for his family even more. My fondest memories when i was young were those of me and my dad playing football in the back yard. As the years went by, i noticed that he was stopping to catch his breath more and more. I started to get concerned. Being stubborn as a mule, he would never listen when i pleaded with him to quit smoking. This went on for many years. 3 years ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer. I was devastated. He was and always will be the most important factor in my life.

It was only when faced with his own demise that i was finally able to convince him to stop smoking. Unfortunately for everyone who knew him, it was too late. Lung cancer took his life and a part of me along with it last year.

I started doing research on smoking and made it my personal mission to make sure noone else had to experience what i went through. In the past year i learned alot, but just knowing isn’t enough. I now sit writing several tips on how to quit smoking in hopes that i can save at least one person. Will it be you? You’ve already taken the first step by reading this article.

1.Don’t try to quit alone. Many people who have tried to quit in the past and failed did so becuase they had no support system. Even one person that you can call in moments of weakness can mean all the difference.

2.Take a deep breath. Whenever you feel the urge to smoke a cigarette, stop and inhale a lungfull of nice fresh air. Let it out slowly by pursing your lips. As you exhale in this manner, let yourself relax. Let all your worries and stresses leave your body with the air now leaving your chest. Do this three times whenever your tempted.

3.Try to avoid alcohol, sugar, and coffee for the first week or more. These tend to stimulate your desire for a cigarette. Also avoid fatty foods as quitting smoking lowers your metabolism a bit. This can help you avoid gaining weight while starting on your way to a healthier you. Hey, noone said changing habits was easy, but trust me, its well worth it.

4.Keep a pack of chewing gum or a toothpick on hand. One of the biggest obstacles in quitting can be overcoming the oral fixation, or being use to having something in your mouth. When the urge hits, these can be very helpful to keep your mouth occupied. Some have reported success using a rolled cinnamon stick they purchased at any grocery store. being hollow, these can be treated as a cigarette and give your breath a freshening at the same time.

5.Hide all ashtrays and destroy all leftover cigarettes with water to prevent leaving anything thats smokable. This is very important. Think “out of sight, out of mind”

This is just the beginning of the wealth of knowledge thats available to you if you just take the time to look. Many people employ several techniques before they’re actually successful in kicking the habit. If these methods don’t work for you, by all means search for others, or even develop your own. Above all remember this, “Noah didn’t build the Ark in one day”. Stick to it and you will be smokefree and healthier in no time.

Tags: quit smoking, howto, quit, addiction