You have to be mentally ready, before you stop smoking. If you are not ready, it will be waste of energy and time to try.

One thing is the mentally part; another is the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. So it might be a good idea to prepare yourself for this part as well.

If you really have the willpower, it is possible to stop smoking without any help; but if you are like most people, you will probably need some help. Today there are a number of nicotine products (e.g. from Nicorette and Nicotinell), which can remove the worst urge to smoke.

Nicotine plaster and nicotine chewing gum are the two most popular nicotine products. Other options are nicotine inhaler, nicotine nasal spray and nicotine tablets.

When you smoke, it is probably often more a matter of habit than a desire. So do you really want that cigarette at the bus stop or after lunch? Or has it just become a really bad habit?

Take a critical look at all the situations, where you smoke. If you do so, you will be able to reduce your cigarette consumption radically. So if you smoke, it will be a deliberated choice.

Do you have any dreams that you cannot afford today? If it is within reasonable limits, you will probably be able to afford it if you quit smoking.

A good way to keep the motivation is to reward yourself (or your family), when you haven’t smoked for a week, a month, a year etc. It will give you the necessary motivation, if you are about to quit the project.

A smoking cessation piggy bank can be a great way to make the reward present. Every evening you put the money, which you normally would have spent on cigarettes, in the piggy bank. Then you can see the result; and soon you will be able to break it and go on a nice vacation.

It might also be a good idea to write down your thoughts down, before you quit smoking. Write about why you have decided to stop, what you think might be the hardest part etc.

When the crisis comes (and it probably will sooner or later), you can read to what you’ve written to get a little encouragement and new motivation. You can also write a quit smoking diary, where you confidentially can write about your ups and downs.

Martin Elmer is writing about quitting your cigarettes on the website rygeafvaenning. You can also learn how to minimize your nicotine withdrawal symptoms in the section stop rygning.

Tags: cigarettes, diary, habits, health, Health and Well Being, Motivation, Nicorette, nicotine, Nicotinell, quit smoking, smoking, smoking cessation, stop smoking, withdrawal symptoms