6 Things To Do When You Quit Smoking

1. Follow your plan.

When you wake up on your Quit Day, go right into your plan. Don't let yourself even think about putting it off. As triggers come up, use the strategies you planned to deal with them.

2. Think over how well your strategies are working.  Change them if needed.

Take a good look at your plan, at least once a day in the first week. Did the triggers you expected come up? If so, did you use your strategies? Ask yourself how well they're working and whether you need to change them. For some situations, you may need to add new strategies. If so, put them into your plan.  

3. Try to think of any new triggers that might come up.  Plan for them.

Look ahead at the days to come. Are any new things coming up that might make you want to smoke? If so, plan for them, as you did for the other triggers. Put them into your plan too.

4. Use your new strategies.

As trigger situations come up, put your new plan into action.  And use old strategies that are still working.

5. Remind yourself why you're quitting.

When triggers and withdrawal symptoms hit, it's easy to lose sight of why you're quitting. Keep your motivation up by saying your main reason, over and over.

6. Reward yourself!

Give yourself something for each goal you pass. It can be big or small-it just needs to mean something to you. What kind of reward will help you feel proud of yourself?  Treat yourself well. Here are some ideas:

At the end of each day, I took a nice long bath and thought about the success I had during the last 24 hours. Alycia, 46

I downloaded a new game on my one-week anniversary. Michael, 21

My daughter and I baked a cake to celebrate two weeks smoke-free. Luz, 27

After one month I took a friend out to dinner to celebrate. Jian, 53