How People Quit Smoking

It’s rare for a smoker to wake up one day and put down cigarettes for good.  Smokers usually take smaller steps to become a nonsmoker. 

To understand how people quit smoking think about these things:

Quitting happens over time.

Most smokers try many times before quitting for good.  Every  day, week, or month without smoking is a success, not a failure.  The more people try, the more they learn about how to quit and the closer they get to their goal. 

Motivation and planning are important.

Smokers can quit even without strong willpower.  The real keys to success are finding a strong reason to quit (Motivation) and coming up with ideas on how to beat urges to smoke (Planning).

Slips and relapses are normal.

People often slip (smoke, but get back on track) or relapse (start smoking regularly again).  Smoking again is not a sign of weakness.  It may just mean that the smoker needs to do more planning.

It takes awhile to think like a nonsmoker.

When people first quit, they still think like smokers.  Every day they have to decide whether or not to smoke.  Nonsmokers decide once and for all: no smoking, no matter what.  When people change their thinking like this they have a better chance of quitting for good.