Quit Smoking in 21 days, Using Home Remedies !!

Quit Smoking in 21 days, Using Home Remedies !!

83% of the smokers are not been able to quit smoking because they feel urges when they sit idle or they do not have anything to do for small amount of time.

In those small time breaks, mind needs some activity to stay active and that is when high urges for smoke takes place.

Mind is a fool. If you make it believe that a glass of plain hot water is green tea, then it will release the senses and test buds of green tea. Same way for nicotine need, it can be fooled with a substitute.

The substitute i am talking about which helps to Quit Smoking you can find at home and in regular use. 

CLOVE

People who are addicted to smoking, need to carry a small case containing cloves. 

For every two hours they should keep one clove in their mouth and do not chew it, you may feel the spice working on you if you chew it, so just keep it in your mouth and play with it till it becomes very soggy and starts dissolving it. Once you feel like it is dissolving you can chew it.

For first day consume only 2 cloves as excessive use might give you sores and then from next day onward you can increase the consumption to 4 and so on. Maximum  cloves you can consume per day should range between 6-8.

For first 2-3 days you should try not to consume any tobacco item, but if you still have to have it then you can use only 1 or two at max. From 3rd day onward till 7th day you should not consume any tobacco.

From 7th day onward increase the water consumption intake and you will be good to go. 

From 15th day onward you will not feel like having any smoke.

On 21st day you will be making sure, how effective a simple home remedy can make you Quit Smoking. No Hard way !!!

All the Best.

Post your experiences below in comments.

Why Quit Smoking Young

Photo © Kerri R. When I was a smoker, I had every excuse in the book to continue to be one, but my favorite one to pull out of my hat was my youth. I would say, "My uncle Arthur smoked from the time he was 16 to the day he died at age 80. My aunt Del has been smoking since she was a teenager. Nothing is going to happen to me now, only during the BAD part of my life, the end part!"

So I continued to smoke. I LOVED to smoke. It was a huge part of my social life, my alone time, my escape. But being an active young person with a family, my limitations were becoming more and more painfully apparent. I couldn't chaperone field trips. I couldn't go to more than one store and bring my kids. I couldn't go to the movies. I couldn't race my kids down the street or even toss a Frisbee for any length of time. Not only that, my circle of friends didn't really smoke anymore, so I found myself either sneaking or just turning down evenings out for fear of being the "odd man out".

Then one day, my son heard me coming home from Happy Hour with my co-workers. I was greeted with,

"I knew you were home mom. I recognized your cough."

At 31, I had recognizable cough. A nagging and obvious cough is not a natural occurrence for a 31-year-old woman.

I did finally make the leap into freedom on January 8th, 2004. I started reading more and more into other people's stories, finding myself fixating on others who were my age. I found a library of them at whyquit.com. There is Noni, who died at 33, when her son was only months old. Her husband celebrated their child's first birthday without her. She was a victim of small cell lung cancer.

In her 30's????

Impossible.
It must have been a fluke, bad genes, just one of those things.
Unfortunately not.

Then there was the story about a 34 year old father who died of lung cancer, leaving his little boy without a father. A tough guy; a construction worker, who had smoked since he was 14, reduced to a mere shell of a man.

Yet another story is about a woman by the name of Barb Tarbox. Barb tells a tragic tale of smoking to fit in as a teenager, never thinking anything bad would happen, especially while she was young. Barb got lung cancer at 41 and was suddenly faced with having to cause enormous pain to her daughter, leaving her without a mother - watching her suffer while she died.

What drove me to write this was a chance meeting I had the other day with a 31 year old woman who shares the same name as me. Talk about spooky fate. Kery was just diagnosed with the early stages of emphysema. She HAS to quit if she is to have a chance at life. She is MY AGE! She has 3 children. Emphysema could suffocate her to death right in front of them. It's not cancer, it's another lung disease this time.

I have been one of the lucky ones. I don't know if I would have been one of the tragic stories above or if I would be blessed with a long life like my Uncle Arthur. What if I wasn't? Would I want to be the one to sit my young children down and explain to them that they were going to have to find their own way in the world because I was dying due to a poison I couldn't resist?

I quit smoking 18 months ago. I find the sheer freedom of it exhilarating. And because I quit young, I have the rest of my life to do WHATEVER I want, breathing with ease the whole time, without slavery, living my long life the way I CHOOSE, not chained to an addiction. I can run, I can swim, I can be as active or as inactive as I want. I gave myself ME back and I have my whole life to enjoy that feeling.

I still have to worry if I quit in time, but not nearly as much as I would worry if I waited another 10, 20, or 30 years to quit. The thing about this addiction is that it doesn't just lose its grip eventually. Quitting is a choice you HAVE to make. It will cling on even while you are dying of cancer. Bryan, as mentioned above, smoked up to 1 week before he died. He gave himself only one week of freedom.

We have the choice to make for ourselves. This is not a dress rehearsal, this is the only YOU you will ever get. Do you want to purposefully risk cutting it short or live a long life full of excitement, freedom and loved ones?

It CAN happen to you. You always think it's on the other side of the fence, but not this time. Cigarettes do not kill a specific group of people. No one is immune to the hazards of tobacco...not celebrities, the young or the old. Even non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke are at risk.

Love this life you've been given. Love yourself. Appreciate the fact that others love you and don't play Russian roulette with yourself.

~Kerri~

More from Kerri:
Kerri's Quit Story
5 Months and a Sock
Kerri's 6 Month Milestone
Kerri Reaches One Year Smoke Free
Kerri's 2 Year Smoke Free Milestone

Last Updated: 2-5-2006

View the original article here

Smoking Cessation Moderators

Forum ID:MICHELL15437
Nickname: Mic
Quit Date: January 13, 2002
Michelle's Quit Story

Michelle found the About.com Smoking Cessation forum a full year into her quit program. Her first online support experience was at another site run by former Guide to About.com Smoking Cessation, Christine Rowley. That site was called The No Smoke Cafe, and when it folded, Michelle joined us here. She has been with us ever since (and will be forevermore if I have anything to say about it!).

Michelle is one of those rare people who quit smoking on the first try. She used the nicotine patch, online support, and plenty of faith. Her posts are insightful, compassionate and always worth reading. She is a glass half-full kind of person whose big heart and ability to empathize are a blessing for the people of this forum.

Michelle suffers from degenerative disc disease, a painful condition that she manages with grace. Smoking is a risk for this disease, and she has written about her journey with it, along with several other essays geared toward helping others quit smoking. They can all be accessed through the link to her quit smoking story above.

View the original article here

Smoking Statistics

After the entry of foreign multinational tobacco firms into Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, youth and female smoking rose significantly.

*The 37 countries and areas comprising the WHO Western Pacific Region are: American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao (China), Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Wallis and Futuna.

Source: World Health Organization - Smoking Statistics

View the original article here

Don't Start Smoking

When my kids were 8 and 10, they would ask me if I would quit, and I knew I should if I did not want them to start. But I kept on smoking. Even when my son who was only eight was walking around with pens or licorice pretending to smoke, and my 10-year-old daughter was saying that she could not wait until she got older so she could smoke just like me. That did not drive it in me to quit! It was too easy to keep smoking; eventually though, everything you start must come to an end.

The addiction to cigarettes is as strong as any illegal drug. In order to quit, the person has to really want to quit. I had always heard how hard it was to quit smoking, and that scared me. I think one of the greatest lies ever told is that quitting smoking is hard to do. Quitting smoking is not what is hard - it is making the decision to quit that is hard.

I knew that if I wanted to keep breathing, I had to do something with my life. So, after having the same cold leave and come back for two months, I decided it was time to stop smoking - better to do it when I was sick. And guess what? Not smoking was not as hard as I thought it would be. There is nicotine withdrawal; it is a drug, and that is not pleasant to go through, but it was not impossible. Not that it is easy to stop once you start; it is very much not easy, and takes a lot of work and willpower to quit. I would not wish that on someone I did not like!

I would say it took about 4 or 5 months before the cravings to smoke stopped totally, and another 2 or 3 months after that before I felt totally comfortable not smoking. I still get thoughts occasionally about having one, so I would not say I am totally free of the "habit" or addiction. I don't have to struggle with myself about buying them anymore, and I can shrug off the thought of smoking, but I can never let my guard down because all it would take would be "just one" and I would be back to smoking a pack a day before a week was over. People who are addicted to illegal drugs also have to exercise that kind of caution, though I think it is easier for them to change their life style and whom they know to stay away from concerning drugs. There will always be with me a risk of a relapse though, and I know this. All it takes is one drag off a cigarette and if it does not taste good, maybe the next drag will. I say that because cigarettes are everywhere, and legal to buy. You can get them at almost any store.

There is a great deal more information available now that was not around when I started smoking. It was suggested that, over time, cigarettes could be bad for your health. Now it is loudly proclaimed how bad smoking is for you. Still, knowing all the risks involved, a great many people start smoking every year.

To avoid becoming another tobacco addict, remember, it is not just tobacco you are inhaling. Even the so-called "natural" cigarettes have additives in them. Cigarettes do not make anyone look older or cooler. They will damage your health, change your appearance, and can make it hard to breathe though.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death among smokers. Smoking is hard on the heart. It beats out deaths by drug overdose, suicide, AIDS, and accidents combined. You can say "we all have to die somehow," but you do not have to make that somehow be sooner than it needs to be.

Ellen's One Year Smoke Free Milestone

View the original article here

10 Great Quit Smoking Stories

There is no better teacher than the voice of experience, and when it comes to quitting tobacco, members of the About.com Smoking Cessation forum have valuable insights to share. An important resource for the new quitter, their stories are full of practical tips about what works when we quit smoking and the benefits we might expect to enjoy.

If you are still smoking, the following personal accounts may help you find the motivation to start your own journey to freedom from nicotine addiction. So, settle in and do some reading -- these real life stories are sure to inspire you.

LeslyFrom Lesly:

"Three years ago I was a desperate woman. I was desperate to quit smoking -– I was desperate to smoke. I was sick to death of smoking –- I loved to smoke. I hated how I smelled –- I loved the smell of my smokes. I hated the burn holes, fears, sickness -– I loved the rituals. I hated being told I should quit -- I knew I should quit. Most of all, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I hated feeling stupid. Bottom line."

zSB(3,3)JaneFrom Jane:

"For 37 years I had one last cigarette before turning in for the night, every night. On August 5, 2006, I had one last cigarette that I hoped and prayed with all my heart would be the last cigarette of my life."

MichelleFrom Michelle:

"People invest in savings and retirement accounts and IRA's, and rightly so, but none of these will matter if a smoking-related illness claims your life before you can enjoy the benefits of your other investments. Smoking cessation is worth every minute you invest and more. The freedom that awaits you is nearly indescribable, and with each passing year, as my gratitude continues to grow, so does my hope that more and more people will decide to reclaim the lives they were meant to live."

DeeFrom Dee:

"With an almost 2-pack-a-day addiction; with a chest cold and horrible coughing that suggested that someone needed to take pity on me and make an immediate call to an ambulance service; there I was sitting on the side of the bed with a cigarette dangling from my mouth and lighter in hand trying to breath shallow little breaths so I wouldn’t cough my fool head off while lighting my first cigarette of the day. Something snapped. I took a long hard look at the cigarette and lighter and threw them across the room."

MaryFrom Mary:

"Today I'm a nonsmoker. I don't think of myself as an exsmoker, because that was a different Mary. That Mary reached for a smoke at the first sign of stress. That Mary couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without hacking up a lung. This Mary has a whole new outlook on life — a whole new life, period. This Mary is an athlete who runs five days a week and can bench press 115 pounds. This Mary can now say, I will never smoke again."

BellaFrom Bella:

"What a difference a year can make. I think back to when I rang in 2006 and I was feeling nothing less than desperation. My throat was raw day and night, my voice was weak and I was completely afraid. "You have to get a handle on this, girl," was what I thought, "or it’s over for you. There might be something wrong with you already. It’s time to make some significant changes."

LarryFrom Larry:

"One year ago today I thought I had pneumonia. It turned out to be yet another greeting by the grim reaper we nicotine addicts know intimately as "smoking-related illness." It wasn't pneumonia, only a severe case of bronchitis and undeniable worsening of the early stages of emphysema -- an inability to breathe on my own. I dreaded going to bed at night and have my wife hear me coughing, wheezing, struggling for every breath, but I was in denial. I knew what was causing my breathing problems, yet felt powerless to stop the slow, agonizing process of killing myself with cigarettes."

LeoFrom Leo:

"I recently celebrated my 2-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Well, of finally quitting. Like most smokers, I had tried to quit smoking many times and failed. But this quit attempt stuck, and I'd like to share the top 10 things that made this quit successful when the others failed."

zSB(1,2)KevinFrom Kevin:

"I hope that all smokers can one day enjoy their lungs the way they did in their smokeless childhoods. One of the ways I convinced myself to finally quit involved reminiscences of my own childhood lungs, their indefatigable prowess, how deeply I was able to breathe while rounding the bases after smashing a line drive into left/center, or the massive huffs of air I’d take every third stroke while competing in a freestyle race. My lungs, I would dream 30 years into smoking, never fought back when I was a child. And every time I dreamed of those easier times, the more I wanted those times back."

TammyFrom Tammy:

"How many times have I thought about quitting? How many times have I tried to quit? The answer is…I don’t have a clue. I really really wanted to quit smoking and I really thought that I could whenever I felt like it. I thought that it would be easy if I really wanted it bad enough. It wasn’t easy."

if(zSbL

View the original article here

Cigarette Smoking and Cancer

A.D.A.M. Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking alone is directly responsible for approximately 30% of all cancer deaths annually in the United States(1). Cigarette smoking also contributes to lung disease, heart disease, stroke, and the development of low birth weight babies(2).Quitting smoking can significantly reduce a person's risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and diseases of the lung, and can limit adverse health effects on children.

What are the effects of cigarette smoking on cancer rates?

Cigarette smoking causes 87% of lung cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women(1). Smoking is also responsible for most cancers of the: larynx oral cavity esophagus bladderIn addition, it is highly associated with the development of, and deaths from, kidney, pancreatic, and cervical cancers(2,3).

Are there any health risks for nonsmokers?

The health risks caused by cigarette smoking are not limited to smokers - exposure to secondhand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke ETS, significantly increases a nonsmoker's risk of developing lung cancer(1,2). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), exposure to secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers and is responsible for lower respiratory tract infections in an estimated 300,000 children each year(3). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) released a risk assessment report in December 1992 that classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen - a category reserved for only the most dangerous cancer-causing agents(4,5).

What harmful chemicals are found in cigarette smoke?

Cigarette smoke contains about 4000 chemical agents, including over 60 substances that are known to cause cancer in humans(carcinogens)(3). In addition, many of these substances, such as carbon monoxide, tar, arsenic, and lead, are poisonous and toxic to the human body. Nicotine is a drug that is naturally present in the tobacco plant and is primarily responsible for a person's addiction to tobacco products, including cigarettes. During smoking, nicotine is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and travels to the brain in a matter of seconds. Nicotine causes addiction to cigarettes and other tobacco products that is similar to the addiction produced by using heroin and cocaine(6).

How does exposure to tobacco smoke affect the cigarette smoker?

The risk of developing smoking-related diseases, such as lung and other cancers, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory illnesses, is related to total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke(7). This includes: the number of cigarettes a person smokes each day the intensity of smoking(i.e., the size and frequency of puffs) the age at which smoking began the number of years a person has smoked the smoker's exposure to secondhand smoke.

How would quitting smoking affect the risk of developing cancer and other diseases?

Smokers who quit live longer than those who continue to smoke. In addition, the earlier smokers quit, the greater the health benefit(1). Quitting smoking reduces a person's risk of dying from smoking-related cancers and other diseases(1). The extent to which this risk is reduced depends on: the number of years a person smoked the number of cigarettes smoked per day the age at which smoking began the presence or absence of illness at the time of quittingResearch has shown that people who quit before age 35 reduce their risk of developing a tobacco-related disease by 90 percent(1). Even smokers who quit before age 50 significantly reduce their risk of dying from a tobacco-related disease(1).

View the original article here

Quit Smoking Coping Skills

5. Reward Yourself!
Every single day you complete smoke free early on is a VICTORY, plain and simple. You may not think so, but every day you put between you and that last cigarette you smoked is working to strengthen your resolve. Little by little, you’re teaching yourself how to live without cigarettes. Honor that effort daily for the first month or so and pamper yourself! Don’t wait for others to pat you on the back - do it for yourself. Your rewards don’t need to be elaborate. Something simple like time alone to relax with a good book, or a hot bath at the end of the day can go a long way toward helping you feel good about the work you’re putting into smoking cessation. If you can choose rewards that also help you release tension, all the better.

6. If You Want to Change Your Life, Change Your Mind.
It has been said that the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts a day. Our minds are constantly active, and you’d be surprised at how many of the things we think are negative thoughts directed at ourselves. And most of us repeat those self-defeating thoughts over and over and over again. Give yourself a break and get out of the rut! Begin to pay attention to what you’re thinking. Replace thoughts of I can’t with statements of I can and I am. Plant seeds using your thoughts of the outcome you want. Give yourself positive cues. For example, you may think:

"I feel miserable without my cigarettes! I'll never stop missing them."

That is NOT a thought that will help you achieve success with quitting smoking. As soon as you are aware of it, take action to mentally modify the negative thought. Say to yourself instead something like this:

"I know that the discomforts I'm feeling are signs that my body is recovering from the addiction to nicotine. I also know it won't last forever, and that much better days are ahead, once I'm free."

The life you want begins with your thoughts. Don't buy into negative, self-defeating thinking - you're capable of so much more! Train your mind to help you. If you want to change your life, change your mind. Change what smoking means to you and you will find your freedom. Read Commit to Quit! Developing the Will to Quit Smoking for more on how to condition your mind to help you get the results you want most in life.

7. Use Patience and Time as Quit Buddies..
People who quit smoking want to have all of the discomforts associated with recovery from nicotine addiction to be over with quickly. It’s understandable, but not realistic. Recovery from this habit that held us hostage for so long takes time, and the more you can relax and use time to your advantage, the better you’ll do. Be patient with yourself and understand that you’re going through a healing process that is very personal. How long it takes you to put smoking behind you shouldn’t be compared with anyone else. Trust in the process and give yourself the time you need to heal. Get up every day determined not to smoke and be grateful and proud of every smoke free day you complete. Time will take you further and further away from the familiarity of smoking, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.
~Thoreau~

View the original article here

Cyndie's Quit Smoking Story

Happy New Year 2003. It was a quiet Christmas, my first one ever without my family, the first time I ever put up my own tree, my first as a married woman, my last without children, and my last as a smoker. Little do I know it, but by the end of this cold January, I will be growing a precious miracle; I will not discover this for awhile longer.

Early February I am getting ready for a night on the town. I have washed my favorite jeans and tank top and have my hair and nails all sexed up. My jeans feel tight; this will depress me for most of the night. For some reason I am not in the party mood anyway. The beer tastes like bog water, and I wind up heading home early. This is a strange month, everything is off. My favorite foods are less than desirable, I am sleeping particularly good (did I mention I am a diagnosed insomniac?), I am gaining weight, I am moody....I become suspicious.

Saturday, February 28th, I wake at 10am and tip toe to the bathroom and dig out "The Test" and do the deed. I proceed to the kitchen to make my tea and then smoke a few cigarettes waiting for the result. I couldn't be. I am 27 years old, I am a newlywed, I haven't taken my honeymoon. We weren't trying. The doctor said it would take longer than this. I just bought a brand new computer system with kick a$$ party speakers. I have no room for a crib. I don't even like babies. I've never changed a diaper...5 minutes have passed.

I crush out my cigarette and make my way back to the bathroom...think calm thoughts...there it is, sitting on the sink staring back at me. 2 LINES!!! I sat down on the toilet and just flipped the stick over and over in my hand...well now...this does change my summer plans doesn't it? I was cool and collected, numb and very white! I wake my husband (of 5 months) and say, "look in the bathroom"...he says, "Oh, so we're going to have a baby, huh?" I fall apart.

We go to the doctor and he offers the text book CONGRATULATIONS. Then he bombards me with 1001 questions. "Was this planned?" NO. "Will you be keeping this child?" Ummmmmm YES. "Do you know who the father is?" HELLO??? "First pregnancy?" YUP. "Do you smoke?"...silence...bows head...YES!! He sits back in his chair and looks at me. "Well, you'll need to quit TODAY!" Oh yeah, sure, today, of course, make it sound a little easier. We went home and Paul says while smoking a cigarette, "you have to quit!" I agree and light one up.

A week and a half go by and I cut back significantly to about 10 a day. A grand accomplishment for me but not enough I understood. I was more embarrassed than ever to be a smoker now but of course I kept on smoking.

On Thursday, March 12th, 2003, I got up for work at 10am, and before I lit my morning cigarette, I went to use the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, I am in emergency and the doctors and nurses are thick as thieves and Paul is sitting there holding his head. I felt like I was hit by another car. I felt no physical pain, but my heart was twisting and aching, and dear God, there are no words for that day. I am 7 weeks pregnant, and I am losing my baby.

When I went to bed last night, I was wondering if I was ready to be a parent. Pondering if this was really what I wanted. Suddenly, in that moment in the hospital bed, I realized it was too late to choose. I am already a mother. I cried so hard that I lost my breath and Paul stood by me silent and still, and rubbed my hair back over and over again. One nurse said " Sweetie, there will be other babies"...Other? I wanted THIS one. I began, trying to make deals with the big man upstairs. Dear God, I will be a better person. I will curb my temper. I will be more patient. I will stop swearing. I WILL STOP SMOKING FOR AS LONG AS I CARRY THIS CHILD...please don't take my baby.

View the original article here

Don't Start Smoking

When my kids were 8 and 10, they would ask me if I would quit, and I knew I should if I did not want them to start. But I kept on smoking. Even when my son who was only eight was walking around with pens or licorice pretending to smoke, and my 10-year-old daughter was saying that she could not wait until she got older so she could smoke just like me. That did not drive it in me to quit! It was too easy to keep smoking; eventually though, everything you start must come to an end.

The addiction to cigarettes is as strong as any illegal drug. In order to quit, the person has to really want to quit. I had always heard how hard it was to quit smoking, and that scared me. I think one of the greatest lies ever told is that quitting smoking is hard to do. Quitting smoking is not what is hard - it is making the decision to quit that is hard.

I knew that if I wanted to keep breathing, I had to do something with my life. So, after having the same cold leave and come back for two months, I decided it was time to stop smoking - better to do it when I was sick. And guess what? Not smoking was not as hard as I thought it would be. There is nicotine withdrawal; it is a drug, and that is not pleasant to go through, but it was not impossible. Not that it is easy to stop once you start; it is very much not easy, and takes a lot of work and willpower to quit. I would not wish that on someone I did not like!

I would say it took about 4 or 5 months before the cravings to smoke stopped totally, and another 2 or 3 months after that before I felt totally comfortable not smoking. I still get thoughts occasionally about having one, so I would not say I am totally free of the "habit" or addiction. I don't have to struggle with myself about buying them anymore, and I can shrug off the thought of smoking, but I can never let my guard down because all it would take would be "just one" and I would be back to smoking a pack a day before a week was over. People who are addicted to illegal drugs also have to exercise that kind of caution, though I think it is easier for them to change their life style and whom they know to stay away from concerning drugs. There will always be with me a risk of a relapse though, and I know this. All it takes is one drag off a cigarette and if it does not taste good, maybe the next drag will. I say that because cigarettes are everywhere, and legal to buy. You can get them at almost any store.

There is a great deal more information available now that was not around when I started smoking. It was suggested that, over time, cigarettes could be bad for your health. Now it is loudly proclaimed how bad smoking is for you. Still, knowing all the risks involved, a great many people start smoking every year.

To avoid becoming another tobacco addict, remember, it is not just tobacco you are inhaling. Even the so-called "natural" cigarettes have additives in them. Cigarettes do not make anyone look older or cooler. They will damage your health, change your appearance, and can make it hard to breathe though.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death among smokers. Smoking is hard on the heart. It beats out deaths by drug overdose, suicide, AIDS, and accidents combined. You can say "we all have to die somehow," but you do not have to make that somehow be sooner than it needs to be.

Ellen's One Year Smoke Free Milestone

View the original article here

Prepare to Quit Smoking

Preparing yourself for what lies ahead when you quit smoking will add to your ability to make a success of your efforts. Preparation puts you into the driver's seat when you quit smoking, and will help you get your mind geared up for the big day. It's a good idea to plan your quit date no more than a week or two ahead of time. Any more than that, and you're likely to lose momentum. Read, read, read, and read some more. Use the library here at About.com Smoking Cessation to learn as much as you can about nicotine addiction and how it affects your body. From what to expect when you quit smoking, to ways to deal with recovery, education is a vital part of a successful quit program. It forces us to take the blinders off - most smokers avoid reading and thinking too much about the dangers of what they're doing. It's called denial, and the sooner you remove it, the quicker you'll be on the road to recovery. Understanding Nicotine Addiction How Smoking Harms Us - From Head to Toe This little tool is a terrific quit aid. Use it initially for your list of reasons to quit smoking. Follow up with some other lists of things that have meaning for you. Suggestions include: pros and cons of smoking goals you have in your life benefits you can envision as a nonsmokerOnce you quit smoking, use that journal to log your daily progress. Make an effort to write in it at the very least, once a day, and more if you feel the need. Weeks down the road, you may have a bad day when thoughts of smoking are at the front of your mind. Taking a look back at week one and getting perspective on just how far you've come could be the boost you need to get over that hump. The Pros and Cons of Smoking EB's List of Reasons to Quit Smoking Make an appointment with your physician for a physical and let him/her know that you're going to quit smoking. It's a great time to discuss quit smoking aids, and get advice on what may be best suited for you. Ask your doctor whether you might benefit from a vitamin supplement. Smoking depletes nutrients from our bodies, and a multi-vitamin can give you a head start on rebuilding your health.

Quit Smoking Supplies

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The Will to Quit Smoking

A part of me desperately wants to quit smoking, and I know I should quit smoking, but do I feel I must quit. Truthfully, I love smoking, and know that I'll be miserable without my cigarettes. They've become a part of me, and I almost can't bear the thought of giving them up. Yet I know I have to...

Sound familiar? Does your mind bounce back and forth on the issue of smoking cessation? Or do you quit, only to find yourself smoking again within days, or at most, a few weeks? Does your smoking habit make you feel weak? Powerless? Do you wonder if you'll ever find a way to quit smoking for good?

You're not alone.

Nicotine addiction is powerful, and smoking cessation involves a lot of work for most people -- it's not handed to us on a silver platter. You can, however, quit smoking successfully, and the good news is that thousands of people do just that every year. They've found their way out of the prison of nicotine addiction. And most of them thought, just as you do, that they couldn't quit.

How did they do it?

How did they turn a feeling of should into the certainty of must? How did they turn dreams of quitting into a reality in their lives?

While there is no magic bullet that makes smoking cessation easy and pain free, there are steps you can take to develop the commitment necessary to quit smoking permanently.

As smokers, we often think of lighting up as an enjoyable pastime. Cigarettes offer comfort, entertainment and companionship -- or so we think. At the same time, we relate smoking cessation to feelings of pain, misery and sacrifice, and for most of us, these opposing feelings exist and are reinforced on a subconscious level. They're below the surface of our thoughts, and the result is that we adopt unhealthy and inaccurate beliefs as facts of life when in reality they are only our distorted perceptions of the truth.

It’s been said that the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts a day; a significant percentage of those thoughts are negative and usually directed at ourselves. We're almost always our own worst critics. A first step in successfully developing the will it takes to quit smoking involves learning how to pay attention to what we tell ourselves and correct false statements as soon as they occur. It takes practice and patience, but if you keep at it, listening in consciously on the thoughts that go through your mind on a daily basis will become second nature, as will correcting those that don't serve you.

Just as we condition our bodies to build strength and endurance, conditioning our minds is an exercise in building new associations that will help us put smoking permanently in the past.

Work with the thoughts that don't serve your best interests, and do it as soon as they crop up. Change the language. Restructure your thoughts in terms that will help you. For instance, if you tell yourself: "I won't enjoy the party, because I can't smoke. I'll be miserable and hate every minute of it. In fact, I'm already miserable just thinking about it."What will be the result? At a minimum, you'll feel deprived and unhappy at the party. The stage is set for a smoking relapse, because on a subconscious level, you are giving yourself the message that smoking cessation is a sacrifice. Shift your focus and correct the language by countering with something, such as this: "Going to the party smoke-free will be a challenge, and I may feel uncomfortable, but it will provide me with the practice I need to learn how to live my life without leaning on cigarettes. After all, practice makes perfect. I know these discomforts are a temporary stage of healing from nicotine addiction."Positive self-talk is a stepping stone to positive action. Once you manage the event without smoking, you'll find it easier to believe the positive corrections you're making the next time around.

When you say: "My friends get to smoke; why I can't I?"Remind yourself that your friends don't get to smoke, they have to smoke because they're addicted to nicotine. Give yourself a positive mental cue by counteracting your feelings of self-pity with: "My friends wish they could quit smoking like I have. I remember how desperately I wanted to quit every time I lit up. It was a vicious cycle that I'm free of now."Or when you start reflecting fondly on your old smoking habit with thoughts, such as: "I'm bored without my cigarettes. Life isn't fun without them."Adjust your mind-set by looking at it from another angle: "At 10 minutes smoking time per cigarette, I used to waste nearly 3 hours every single day smoking! It's no wonder I feel a little fidgety and empty. I'll take up a hobby and do something productive with the time I used to spend smoking."And, when you're feeling the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal, be careful to reinforce that the pain you're feeling is because of smoking, not quitting: "I feel so irritable without my smokes. I'm impatient and angry without cigarettes."Reinforce this way: "Cigarettes did this to me. Once I’m free of this addiction, I’m never going back to the slavery that nicotine forced me in to again."Or if you say: "I think about smoking nonstop! My day feels like one long, incessant craving!"Add this statement: "I know that nicotine withdrawal is a temporary phase of the recovery process. The discomforts won't last forever. I'm growing stronger with every smoke-free day."You get the idea. Replace thoughts that don't help you with ones that do. Train yourself to change the way you think and feel about smoking. If you persist and work with yourself enough, consciously trained thoughts will ultimately lead you to a new set of beliefs, and from there, you can make changes that will stick -- permanently.

Quit Aids and Support

Fortify the resolve you're working to build by considering one of the many quit aids available today and by connecting with like-minded people at the About.com Smoking Cessation support forum.

Smoking cessation is a gift that will reward you with benefits far beyond what you can probably imagine, so be patient and do the work to change your mind about smoking. Believe in yourself. You can do it!

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Tips for Quitting Smoking

Nicotine is a powerful addiction. If you have tried to quit, you know how hard it can be. People who are trying to quit smoking go through both physical and psychological withdrawal. Here are some tips for quitting.

Cravings

Drink a lot of liquids, especially water. Try herbal teas or fruit juices. Limit coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol - they can increase your urge to smoke.

Avoid sugar and fatty food. Try low-calorie foods for snacking - carrots and other vegetables, sugarless gum, air-popped popcorn, or low-fat cottage cheese. Don't skip meals.

Exercise regularly and moderately. Regular exercise helps. Joining an exercise group provides a healthy activity and a new routine.

Get more sleep. Try to go to sleep earlier and get more rest.

Take deep breaths. Distract yourself. When cravings hit, do something else immediately, such as talking to someone, getting busy with a task, or taking deep breaths.

Change your habits. Use a different route to work, eat breakfast in a different place, or get up from the table right away after eating.

Do something to reduce your stress. Take a hot shower, read a book, or exercise.

Psychological Needs Remind yourself every day why you are quitting. Avoid places you connect with smoking. Develop a plan for relieving stress. Listen to relaxing music. Watch a funny movie. Take your mind off a problem and come back to it later. Rely on your friends, family, and support group for help. Avoid alcohol. It lowers your chances for success.Tips for the First Week, You Can Quit Smoking.March 2001. United States Public Health Service - Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention.

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Why Quit Smoking

Most people who smoke wish they didn't. They live with a hatred for the habit they can't seem to do without. The fear of serious illness is usually there too, lurking in the background, and always that awful feeling of being powerless to quit.

Nicotine addiction does that to a person.

As smokers, we live in denial about what cigarettes are doing to us. We have to, otherwise there would be no comfort in smoking, no relief...no pleasure.

Yes, we know that smoking causes cancer and emphysema - we know smoking kills and that we're playing roulette with our health. However, we also know that most smoking-related diseases take years to develop, so we tell ourselves we have time, that nothing will happen to us. Besides, the bad stuff always happens to other people anyway, right?

Right?

Wrong. With upwards of 5 million people dying on this planet every year from tobacco use, chances are more than good that we'll end up a tragic addition to those statistics if we continue smoking.

Every additional year we invest in smoking compromises our chances for survival all the more. Eventually, there comes a time for most smokers when the "smokescreen" starts to wear thin. And when it does, smoking loses its luster; its ability to soothe. Instead, smoking becomes a fearful, anxiety-ridden activity that has little to do with pleasure or relaxation, and we find ourselves thinking about quitting with every cigarette we light. The fact that you're here reading this article is a good sign. You're probably sick of smoking, and unhappy enough to be seeking out some help. Good for you, because when it comes to overcoming the addiction to nicotine, education is key. The more you understand about how smoking affects you and what to expect as you wean yourself away from it, the better prepared you'll be for success. What are the reasons behind your desire to quit smoking? Sit down with paper and pen, and list them out. Include every single thing you can think of, from the largest, most obvious of reasons, to the smallest. My own 26 year addiction turned me into a person I didn't much like. I was fearful that a smoking-related disease would catch up with me before I found a way to quit smoking. I was worried sick, so to speak.I hated the smell, the embarrassment, and the need. I especially resented the need. Nicotine dependency made me feel weak and helpless.These were some of the first items I put on my own list of reasons, and it didn't take long to add a long line of other things I hated about smoking as well.

Think about the pros and cons of smoking as you compose your list, and when you're done, make a copy to carry with you. Add to it when more reasons come to mind, and read it when your resolve is at a low ebb. It will quickly help you get your priorites back in order and keep you on track with your quit program. Think of your list of reasons as a cornerstone in the foundation you're building for smoking cessation.

Much of the process of release from nicotine addiction comes down to plain old practice. We taught ourselves to smoke one day at a time until it was interwoven into just about every activity in our lives. It only makes sense then, that we should allow ourselves the time it takes to retrain old habits into newer, healthier ones that don't involve smoking. Arm yourself with knowledge and support, and be patient. You'll grow stronger by the day.

Success always starts in our minds. Once we get our thoughts moving in the right direction, taking positive action comes more easily.

It's like a snowball rolling downhill. Channel your thoughts onto that sheet of paper, and you'll begin to gain momentum. Once you start the snowball rolling, you'll be amazed at what you can do to change your life for the better.

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Why Quit Smoking Young

Photo © Kerri R. When I was a smoker, I had every excuse in the book to continue to be one, but my favorite one to pull out of my hat was my youth. I would say, "My uncle Arthur smoked from the time he was 16 to the day he died at age 80. My aunt Del has been smoking since she was a teenager. Nothing is going to happen to me now, only during the BAD part of my life, the end part!"

So I continued to smoke. I LOVED to smoke. It was a huge part of my social life, my alone time, my escape. But being an active young person with a family, my limitations were becoming more and more painfully apparent. I couldn't chaperone field trips. I couldn't go to more than one store and bring my kids. I couldn't go to the movies. I couldn't race my kids down the street or even toss a Frisbee for any length of time. Not only that, my circle of friends didn't really smoke anymore, so I found myself either sneaking or just turning down evenings out for fear of being the "odd man out".

Then one day, my son heard me coming home from Happy Hour with my co-workers. I was greeted with,

"I knew you were home mom. I recognized your cough."

At 31, I had recognizable cough. A nagging and obvious cough is not a natural occurrence for a 31-year-old woman.

I did finally make the leap into freedom on January 8th, 2004. I started reading more and more into other people's stories, finding myself fixating on others who were my age. I found a library of them at whyquit.com. There is Noni, who died at 33, when her son was only months old. Her husband celebrated their child's first birthday without her. She was a victim of small cell lung cancer.

In her 30's????

Impossible.
It must have been a fluke, bad genes, just one of those things.
Unfortunately not.

Then there was the story about a 34 year old father who died of lung cancer, leaving his little boy without a father. A tough guy; a construction worker, who had smoked since he was 14, reduced to a mere shell of a man.

Yet another story is about a woman by the name of Barb Tarbox. Barb tells a tragic tale of smoking to fit in as a teenager, never thinking anything bad would happen, especially while she was young. Barb got lung cancer at 41 and was suddenly faced with having to cause enormous pain to her daughter, leaving her without a mother - watching her suffer while she died.

What drove me to write this was a chance meeting I had the other day with a 31 year old woman who shares the same name as me. Talk about spooky fate. Kery was just diagnosed with the early stages of emphysema. She HAS to quit if she is to have a chance at life. She is MY AGE! She has 3 children. Emphysema could suffocate her to death right in front of them. It's not cancer, it's another lung disease this time.

I have been one of the lucky ones. I don't know if I would have been one of the tragic stories above or if I would be blessed with a long life like my Uncle Arthur. What if I wasn't? Would I want to be the one to sit my young children down and explain to them that they were going to have to find their own way in the world because I was dying due to a poison I couldn't resist?

I quit smoking 18 months ago. I find the sheer freedom of it exhilarating. And because I quit young, I have the rest of my life to do WHATEVER I want, breathing with ease the whole time, without slavery, living my long life the way I CHOOSE, not chained to an addiction. I can run, I can swim, I can be as active or as inactive as I want. I gave myself ME back and I have my whole life to enjoy that feeling.

I still have to worry if I quit in time, but not nearly as much as I would worry if I waited another 10, 20, or 30 years to quit. The thing about this addiction is that it doesn't just lose its grip eventually. Quitting is a choice you HAVE to make. It will cling on even while you are dying of cancer. Bryan, as mentioned above, smoked up to 1 week before he died. He gave himself only one week of freedom.

We have the choice to make for ourselves. This is not a dress rehearsal, this is the only YOU you will ever get. Do you want to purposefully risk cutting it short or live a long life full of excitement, freedom and loved ones?

It CAN happen to you. You always think it's on the other side of the fence, but not this time. Cigarettes do not kill a specific group of people. No one is immune to the hazards of tobacco...not celebrities, the young or the old. Even non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke are at risk.

Love this life you've been given. Love yourself. Appreciate the fact that others love you and don't play Russian roulette with yourself.

~Kerri~

More from Kerri:
Kerri's Quit Story
5 Months and a Sock
Kerri's 6 Month Milestone
Kerri Reaches One Year Smoke Free
Kerri's 2 Year Smoke Free Milestone

Last Updated: 2-5-2006

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Zyban as a Quit Smoking Aid

Zyban® and Wellbutrin® are both brand names for the generic drug, bupropion hydrochloride. While bupropion is not for everyone, it does have the advantage of lessening the discomforts associated with nicotine withdrawal. This can make cessation much more manageable for those people who haven't been able to successfully quit smoking using other methods.

Originally marketed as an anti-depressant drug, bupropion is available by prescription only. Its effectiveness as a quit smoking aid was discovered when smokers using it to treat depression also lost interest in smoking. People not planning to quit smoking found themselves stopping with relative ease. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms usually associated with quitting smoking were minimal.

In 1997, the FDA approved Zyban to be used as a quit smoking aid, and since then, bupropion has become a popular method to help smokers kick the habit. Bupropion, when used in combination with other nicotine replacement therapies (NRT's), such as the nicotine patch or nicotine gum, increase the chances for long term success with smoking cessation. dry mouth dizziness insomnia change in appetite agitation headachesMore serious side effects, such as seizures, while rare, can occur.

Bupropion is not for everyone. Listed below are conditions under which taking this drug would not be recommended. You are taking Wellbutrin or Wellbutrin SR (both are bupropion HCl) You are taking any other medicine containing bupropion HCl You have or have had a seizure disorder You have or have had an eating disorder You are abruptly discontinuing use of alcohol or sedatives(including benzodiazepines) You are currently taking or have recently taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor(MAOI) You are allergic to bupropion HCl You are pregnant or nursing.Note: It is important to have a thorough discussion with your doctor about using bupropion as a quit smoking aid. He/she will know your medical history and be able to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.

Brand names for bupropion are: Zyban®
Wellbutrin®
Wellbutrin® SR
Wellbutrin® XLSee Also: Zyban Patient Information

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Will I Miss Smoking Forever?

I quit smoking seven months ago. I do feel better, and I don't struggle all of the time now, but I still have days when I find myself missing my cigarettes. I sometimes wish I could have just one now and then. At times, the urge to smoke is so intense. I wonder if I'll ever be free of this habit? Will I miss smoking forever?Answer: Think for a moment of your life as a tightly woven piece of fabric. Each thread represents your life events and experiences. And running alongside all of the many "life" threads are threads of a finer gauge. They are so fine in fact, they're impossible to see with the naked eye. Those threads are your smoking habit, and they've become so thoroughly interwoven in the fabric of your life, you find you can't do anything without thinking about how smoking will fit into it.

The associations that we build up over time between the activities in our lives and smoking are closely knit. Once you quit smoking, your job becomes one of unraveling those smoking threads, or associations, one by one. How does that happen? And how long does it take?

Recovery from nicotine addiction is a process of gradual release over time.

Every smoke-free day you complete is teaching you how to live your life without cigarettes. Bit by bit, you're reprogramming your responses to the daily events that trigger the urge to smoke. The more practice you get, the less cravings will plague you. Over the course of your first smoke-free year, you'll encounter and have a chance to clear most of the events and situations in your daily life that you associate with smoking.

Some smoking triggers are seasonal in nature and can create strong urges to smoke months into your quit program. For instance, if you quit smoking during the winter and you're an avid gardener, you could find yourself craving a smoke break the first time you're out digging dirt the following Spring. Thoughts of smoking may hit you with an intensity you haven't felt in months. Don't worry. Once you make your way through the trigger smoke-free, you'll move on with ease.

The first year is all about firsts...experiencing the many daily events in your life smoke free for the first time. And it's all about practice. You built your smoking habit through years of practice. Now, build the nonsmoking you the same way. Practice is a necessary part of recovery from nicotine addiction, so try to relax and let time help you. The more of it you put between yourself and that last cigarette you smoked, the stronger you'll become.

There's another step in finding permanent freedom from nicotine addiction that is just as important as practice and time. It involves your attitude. I'm sure you've heard about people who still struggle years and years after quitting. They're the ones who say they "still miss smoking" 20 years down the road. That's a frightening thing to hear, but don't let it throw you. The reason they are in that position has to do with the fact that they never did the work to change what cigarettes meant to them.

Along with using patience and time to help you reprogram your associations with smoking, you must also alter the way you think about your cigarettes. The path to permanent freedom has to do with changing the relationship you have to smoking, and the way to make that mental shift is through education.

As the saying goes...

...and it's the truth when it comes to recovering from nicotine addiction. Educate yourself by reading everything you can find about how tobacco harms us from head to toe. It will open your eyes, but more importantly, it will help you start to change the meaning that cigarettes have for you. Once you do that, the mental chains of this addiction will begin to break down for good. You'll truly be free, and believe me, it's a great place to be.

I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever - I will never smoke again. How can I be so sure? I've changed what cigarettes mean to me. Tobacco is now synonymous with death and slavery in my mind. Smoking has lost its luster completely.

Be patient with yourself and allow for as much time as you need to heal from this addiction. There is no set formula for recovery; we're all unique in how we move through the process. Read about nicotine addiction and do the work to change the way you perceive cigarettes. They are instruments of death. They deserve nothing more than your disdain.

Don't look at quitting tobacco as a sacrifice. You're not giving up anything of value. Your quit program is a gift. Change your attitude and you'll find your freedom.

Cessation is doable, and your precious life is worth the work it takes to achieve.

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10 Tips to Quit Smoking

Leo, a member of the About.com Smoking Cessation forum, wrote these tips up to share with the readers from his excellent blog, Zenhabits. Geared toward helping people help themselves, Leo's site does a fine job of inspiring a person to try, and the quit tips below reflect his ability to motivate. Thanks for sharing, Leo.

I recently celebrated my 2-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Well, of finally quitting. Like most smokers, I had tried to quit smoking many times and failed. But this quit attempt stuck, and I'd like to share the top 10 things that made this quit successful when the others failed.

Looking back on the quits that failed, I know I was only half into it. I told myself I wanted to quit smoking, but I always felt in the back of my mind that I'd fail. I didn't write anything down. I didn't tell everybody (maybe my wife, but just her). This time, I wrote it down. I wrote down a quit plan. I blogged about it. I made a vow to my daughter. I told family and friends I was quitting. I went online and joined a smoking cessation support forum. I had rewards. Many of these will be in the following tips, but the point is that I fully committed, and there was no turning back. I didn't make it easy for myself to fail. You can't just up and say, "I'm gonna quit today." You have to prepare yourself: Plan it out. Have a system of rewards, a support system, a person to call if you're in trouble. Write down what you'll do when you get an urge to smoke. Print it out. Post it up on your wall, at home and at work. If you wait until you get the urge to figure out what you're going to do, you've already lost. You have to be ready when those urges come. When the urge comes, your mind will rationalize. "What's the harm?" And you'll forget why you're doing this. Know why you're doing this before that urge comes. Is it for your kids? For your wife? For you health? So you can run? Because the girl you like doesn't like smokers? Have a very good reason or reasons for quitting. List them out. Print them out. Put it on a wall, and remind yourself of those reasons every time the urge to smoke hits. The mind is a tricky thing. It will tell you that one cigarette won't hurt, and it's hard to argue with that logic, especially when you're in the middle of an urge. And those urges are super hard to argue with. Don't give in. Tell yourself, before the urges come, that you will not smoke a single puff, ever again. Because the truth is, one puff will hurt. One puff leads to a second, and a third, and soon you're not quitting, you're smoking. Don't fool yourself. A single puff will almost always lead to a recession. Do not take a single puff! One of the things that helped the most in this quit was an online forum for people quitting tobacco. You won't feel so alone when you're miserable. Misery loves company, after all. Go online, introduce yourself, get to know others who are going through the exact same thing, post about your crappy experience and read about others who are even worse than you. Best rule: Post before you smoke. If you set this rule and stick to it, you will make it through your smoking urge. Others will talk you through it, and they'll celebrate with you when you make it through your first day, day two, three, four, week one and beyond. It's great fun.

Page 2: Leo's Quit Tips 6 to 10

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101 Ways to Avoid Smoking

61. Make a puzzle.
62. Organize your boxes of pictures.
63. Alphabetize your CD rack.
64. Come here and read and post.
65. Go to miniclip.com and PLAY GAMES.
66. Do your nails. Hard to smoke with wet nails. I've tried.
67. Take a shower.
68. Take a candle-lit bath.
69. Clean out a messy drawer.
70. Take a day trip.
71. Try making home-made candles or soap.
72. Run in place.
73. Do some jumping jacks.
74. Start a reward fund - put away the amount you spend on smokes every day and use it to treat yourself once in awhile.
75. Write a poem.
76. Go antique shopping.
77. Go plant a flower for every negative thought.
78. Go to church/talk to God.
79. Let your husband cook supper for you.
80. Call your Grandmother!
81. Paint a room.
82. Eat a hot fudge sundae.
83. Go play mini-golf.
84. Clean the basement or garage.
85. Wax the car.
86. Make love with your significant other.
87. Scrub the floor.
88. Treat yourself to a massage.
89. Chop up some veggies for a stir-fry - keep your hands busy!
90. Clean out the litter box.
91. Check your car's tire pressure.
92. Call a radio show and request a song.
93. Go ride a few rollercoasters.
94. Take a walk in nature.
95. Watch the sun set.
96. Write a goodbye letter to cigarettes
97. Donate blood.
98. Color your hair.
99. Make a greeting card.
100. Write a list of things you are grateful for.

The final suggestion in our list comes in the form of a story...

101. Run around in the sand in your socks!

From KERRIR: One of the things I couldn't do before was take the kids to the beach. I couldn't go long enough without smoking and there's nowhere to hide either!

My 3 year old asked me today if we could go to the beach...someone at his daycare had mentioned it. It was a really cold day, so I said no, we couldn't. Well, he asked me if it was really far and it dawned on me how much I had actually been depriving this child. We live 2 miles away from 2 miles of beautiful beaches. So, I scooped him up in just his jammies and socks and down to the beach we went.

I told him we couldn't get out of the car because he wasn't dress, but then said, what the heck. We got out and cuddled and listened to the waves and he just looked at me and said, "The beach is great, Mom." I put him down in the sand and let him run around in his socks.

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Avoid Holiday Smoking

I quit smoking a month ago. I'll be going to a couple of holiday parties this month where there will be alcohol and I'm scared to death that I'll smoke when I drink. Smoking and drinking go hand-in-hand for me. What can I do to make sure I don't end up smoking at the parties I attend this year?Answer: You're smart to be concerned. Alcohol lowers inhibitions, and that's not a good thing for a person who is working to quit smoking. While under the influence of alcohol, it's common to think that smoking just one or just for tonight is okay and that we can resume our quit programs tomorrow...

Such has been the ruin of many a good quit.

There is no such thing as "just one" cigarette when it comes to nicotine addiction.

Look ahead at what you may be faced with when attending holiday events this year and plan a strategy to manage them smoke-free. Preparation fortifies resolve and will allow you to meet the challenges that come with confidence.

The obvious first choice is simple: Avoid alcohol entirely. Drink cranberry juice with seltzer water or another non-alcoholic beverage of choice. No one but you and the bartender will know the difference. If you do drink alcohol, be careful. Limit the amount of alcohol you consume and don't overdo it. Substitute every other drink with a glass of spring water and lemon. It will dilute the alcohol you've consumed, keep you hydrated, and will give you something to sip on while socializing. If people are smoking close by and it begins to bother you, have a plan of action in mind. Can you explain that you've recently quit smoking and ask them to refrain? If not, excuse yourself for a few minutes and go to the bathroom or step outside for some fresh air. When cravings to smoke hit, the key is to quickly change your focus. Interrupt your thoughts and you'll snap yourself out of junkie thinking. If you're worried about maintaining your quit program at the holiday party this year, consider simply not going. No, I'm not advocating avoiding life, I'm encouraging you to remember your priorities. Think of it this way...early on, smoking cessation takes a lot of effort and focus for most people. In order to succeed, your quit program must be in the top slot of your priority list for as long as it takes.

If you fear the temptation to drink will be more than you can handle, don't push yourself. There will be more parties next year. Give yourself the time you need to heal from this addiction. Do the work now to change your relationship to smoking, and the day will come when drinking alcohol no longer triggers the urge to smoke.

Quitting smoking is not a sacrifice, it's a gift. You're moving toward a better life, one that is free of addiction and all of the strife that goes with it. Smoking cessation is your path to a healthier and happier you, and the benefits awaiting you are beyond what you can imagine. Alcohol and early smoking cessation are not a good mix. It's important to maintain control of our senses when we're learning how to live a smoke-free life, and alcohol puts us at risk.

Provide yourself with the best possible environment for success that you can as you move through the holiday season. Keep your quit progam in focus and do whatever you need to do to protect and nurture it. Period!

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