I smoked for 14 years, was on 2 packs a day and I gave up 3 years ago, piece of piss really, just stop that’s all you have to do, for me it was about being in the right frame of mind.
I had tried giving up loads of times before but deep down I did not really want too, I enjoyed it too much.
When I did give up I had made that decision to stop I had 100 reasons to quit and none to continue.
What really helped for me was the realisation that you should never deprive yourself of something, this is of big physiological importance in quitting the cigs.
If you say to yourself “I must never smoke ever again” You are depriving yourself and this makes it difficult.
Better to tell yourself “I can smoke if I want too but I choose not too” You are no longer depriving yourself the option of a cigarette, but you are simply choosing not to have one.
Make it a personal challenge, the first 3 weeks of me giving up I was in Greece with my wife’s family, where most evenings would be spent with 15-30 people all night at a restaurant and most of them chain smoked.
I almost relished the challenge of not smoking under such difficult circumstances.
Also make sure you have lot’s of people around you telling you how great you are doing, and tell yourself this too.
Do not expect major life changes, like I said I smoked loads and after 3 years of stopping I swear I feel no different at all.
Also one last point, patches are essential, you must use nicotine replacement therapy, this will help your body ease itself off the physical side of craving nicotine while you deal with the physiological aspect of not having a cigarette in your hand.
Also get a load of Gum to chew too.
