MHVI Owners Manual . Lifestyle Management . Smoking Cessation . Tips to Help You Stop Smoking

Quitting smoking will be one of the most important decisions you ever make about your health and well-being. We urge you to "just do it!"

Whatever method appeals most to you, here are some tips to help you through the process:

Before you actually stop smoking, spend a week or two monitoring when and why you smoke. Keep a thorough record that lists the time of day, what you were doing, who you were with, and why you wanted each cigarette. Even if you find this exercise a bother, do it anyway. It really helps you to understand your smoking habits.
Enlist some support from nonsmoking family, friends, and coworkers. Let at least two or more key people in your life know that you plan to quit and ask them to be available if you need them. You may want to join a smoking cessation program or a support group. You could be surprised at how much it can help to share your experiences with others who are going through the same process, or have stopped smoking successfully.
When you are ready, set an actual quit date. Plan for it. When the day arrives, get rid of all your cigarettes and ashtrays-don't save any! Treat the day as a very special holiday and treat yourself to something that is especially meaningful to you.
Learn some strategies for coping with the stress of the cravings that will accompany nicotine withdrawal. Some that work well are centered breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization. Exercise is also a great help. The information on stress management described next in this manual provides you with specific instructions for these techniques.

There are wonderful programs available to help you quit smoking. These include:

Choose a topic at left and click for more information on Smoking Cessation.