Making a quit smoking plan !!

[monky]

I think its very important to make a quit plan, so that you are ready for when that flippin mr nic comes a calling

Firstly, sit yourself down and write out all the WHY'S you want to quit smoking and be specific, not just, I want to be healthy but why you want to be healthy If you have a printer, then print some copy's off and make them colourful so they stand out maybe, stick some around the house where you think you may need them, like in your bedroom, so when you first get up in the mornings, their it is to remind you or in the kitchen perhaps, for when you have that first cuppa etc Keep a list in your handbag or pocket so if you get tempted and your out and about, then you can just have a read through your list to help you Set your quit date and prepare yourself for it cos if you dont set a date and just say you will quit tomorrow BUT, tomorrow never comes

Secondly, how are you going to quit ? Cold turkey ? or are you going to be using some form of NRT ? (Nicotine Replacement Therapy ) like patches or gum etc ? Do your doctors, local chemist etc have quit smoking cessations in place ? if so, maybe join one of them

Thirdly, think of times you really want a cig, write it down, as in first thing in the morning, just after a meal, driving your car, on your breaks at work etc etc. Then think of how you can alter the way you do things at these certain times of the day, like after a meal, sip a glass of water, go for a walk, have a go at one of Emjay's breathing exercises on your breaks at work, go somewhere you cant smoke and tell your work colleagues that you dont smoke any more, you never know, one of them might want to quit too eh so you could perhaps become quit buddies and help each other Drink plenty of water and exercise if you can, I truly beleave that exercise has helped me tremendously through my quit ok, its hard to start with, but then it sort of becomes the norm and you start to reap the benefits and just feel great

Fourthly, tell your family and all your friends that your going to quit and the date your going to quit, cos I tell you, this really does help you, it gives you more incentive to stay quit, cos every time you see one of your family or friends, they will ask you how you are getting on with your quit, this is what people do and I tell you, its a great feeling, erm, boooooost in your ego when you can say NO I dont smoke any more

Fifthly and most important, is you have to believe in yourself, have no doubts in your mind what so ever that you cant do this Hold that little white stick up to your face and tell it, you CAN BEAT it and you WILL BEAT it cos if you do have any doubts, then thats when mr nic steps in and gives you hell you have to really want to quit, keep reminding yourself WHY you want to quit and be FREE of that little white stick that you thought was your friend, BUT really he is trying very hard to kill you !! and has succeeded to kill so many of his friends WHO NEEDS a friend like that ??

Think about the financial and health benefits of quitting The financial gains to quitting is quite unbelievable. Smoking is so costly these days. A 20-a-day smoker can save over £2,000 a year. However, the health gains are amazing and you definitely couldn't put a price on these benefits. Physically and mentally, the benefits are endless. Physically, the way your body makes a speedy recovery from the damage that smoking does to it is unbelievable. Within 20 minutes things start to happen for the better

Thinking about stopping smoking and staying stopped, it really can be just as simple or as hard as you make it Just the way you 'think' about it can determine how your journey goes

We can and you can BEAT that little white stick if we really want to, BUT we have to WANT to

PS, I'm open to any suggestions that you would like to add to it

[Briarwood Administrator Ducky]

Great advice for CiggieStardust and others, thanks monky👍xx