Quit Smoking Tips:
7 Proven Ways to Resist the Urge to Smoke

When you decide to stop smoking the most difficult part is to resist the urges. It doesn't matter that each craving lasts only 3-5 minutes. It's still the whole 5 minutes to battle with your willpower! These 7 tips will help you to resist the urge to smoke one urge at a time.

1. Remind Yourself Why You Quit

Every time you experience a craving remind yourself why you quit. It is an excellent idea to take a blank index card and list all the reasons why you decided to quit smoking. List as many as you can, the more the better. If necessary, take the second index card. Carry them with you all the time. Every time you feel the urge to smoke take the index card and slowly read all your reasons why you decided to stop. After you finish reading your urge will pass! (If not, read them one more time or come up with more reasons.)

2. Reward Yourself

Make it a habit to reward yourself at the end of each nonsmoking week. Think of something you want (it doesn’t have to be something expensive, a nice home made meal or hot bath will work). Take the index card and write down what would you give yourself at the end of the week. When the urge comes, take a look at the index card with your reward. Isn't it worth coping for 3 minutes?

3. Be Prepared for Your Urges!

Get yourself prepared for the urge to smoke in advance. In most cases something triggers the craving (certain feelings, people, or places). You have to know what triggers the urge.

Let’s do a really quick exercise. Take a blank piece of paper and divide it into 2 columns. On the one side list your triggers (like “stuck in traffic”, “drinking morning coffee”, “arguing with colleague”...) and in the second column write down the alternative course of action.

For example, instead of smoking while drinking your morning coffee you could read a newspaper. Instead of smoking after the hot argument with your colleague you could take a walk around the block or write down everything you think about this person, then tear this piece of paper in shreds and throw it away. Don't be lazy, write it down! This exercise really works!

4. Call Your Friend

This method works great. Call someone who can support you, who can talk with you for a couple of minutes. You can call your nonsmoking friend, or someone who's trying to quit smoking too.

5. Distract Yourself with a Quick Task

Think of a small task you have to do, something that would take you 5-10 minutes. Make a call, send a fax, make yourself a cup of coffee, water the plant in your office. Anything! Your task is to distract yourself until the urge will pass. (Hint: Try to find an activity that makes smoking impossible!)

6. Drink a Glass of Water

Take a glass of water and drink it with a straw. First of all having something in your mouth to chew on will help, second it will take you a couple of minutes to drink the whole glass and the urge will pass. Plus, don't forget that you're supposed to drink 8 glasses of water every day!

7. Power Tip

That’s the disgusting one, but it often works. Print a small picture of a smoker's lungs and put it somewhere in your wallet. I know the view is not pretty, but something like this can stop you dead in your tracks from lighting up. Take a look! Really! THIS could be your lungs! You love yourself, and you respect your body. Why harm yourself?

About The Author
Arina is the owner of http://www.how-to-quit-smoking.net — the website where you can learn how to quit smoking — for life — without patches, pills and gums! Fully guaranteed by one of the most trusted entrepreneurs on the Internet (and a former 39-year smoker who quit by using this very program)!

RESOURCES:

What Are Some Benefits for Quitting Smoking?
There are immediate benefits from quitting smoking. Within eight hours after you quit, the level of dangerous carbon monoxide gas in the blood returns to normal. Also, within the next 24 hours, your chances of having a heart attack begin to decrease dramatically. Read more…

What Good is it to Quit Smoking if I Have Smoked for Years?
I often hear people say that they have smoked for so long that they can’t see what good it would do to quit now. So what is the big deal if you quit smoking? Will it do you any good or is it a pointless exercise in futility? Read more…

Quit Smoking: Some Tips on Stopping Smoking
Are you looking for tips on stopping smoking? And would you like to know what are some ways to help quit? Now let me remind you that when we come to the actual quitting process, that it is not going to be easy. Read more…

Guide for Quitting Smoking
The US Surgeon General has stated, “Smoking cessation (stopping smoking) represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives.” Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help. This document is intended to provide you with this information. Read more…

You Can Quit Smoking Consumer Guide
If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how hard it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a very addictive drug. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Quitting is hard. Usually people make 2 or 3 tries, or more, before finally being able to quit. Each time you try to quit, you can learn about what helps and what hurts. Read more…

Quit Smoking Cigarettes... Information about Tobacco
Cigarettes . . . one of the most addictive and destructive, over the counter drugs known to modern man. One of the few legal substances available in stores that can injure or kill when used as intended. Most rational people know this as a fact, yet many continue to smoke. Some smokers know, deep in their hearts, they want to quit. Others are quite content to keep on puffing because they think they enjoy it so much. Read more…

Dr Bob’s Quit Smoking Page
Helpful facts and tips on how and why to quit smoking prepared by Dr. Bob, a physician trained in both Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. Read more…