Quitting smoking is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. If you have decided to quit smoking starting next year, look at these quit tips that will help you to make your determination last.
Reward Yourself
Now that you’ve worked at your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, it is time for a reward. Because buying tobacco is burning a hole in your pocket, it can be quite surprising how much money you can actually save. Use that to treat yourself for your accomplished efforts.
Make Plans and Take Notes
Buy a diary to write down your quitting goals. Make them clear, relevant and time-bound. Planning will help you keep track of your steps, and support long-term success in quitting smoking. Somewhere along the line you will look back and see what you have already accomplished. Make a list of your motivations to quit. In addition, you can check out our Quit Tips for inspiration.
Don’t Have Too Many Expectations
When you are making your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, it is very tempting to tell yourself: “I will never have any cigarette after 1st of January.” And although quitting cold turkey may work for many, sometimes it can be too overwhelming and as a result, we can feel like our goal is too hard to manage and stop in our efforts. Instead of doing all at once, try to break your journey into bite-sized portions. If you are a heavy smoker, maybe start with lowering the number of cigarettes you smoke per day.
Put Yourself In Charge
While people around you such as friends and family can help you, it is you who decided to give up smoking. Maybe one of your reasons to quit was that you didn’t want the addiction to control your life? Did you also know that smokers die on average 10 years earlier than non-smokers? If you wonder how being smokefree will change your body, check out our quitting timeline. Any amount of days that you have managed not to smoke is already doing good for your health. The responsibility for your future is in your own hands.
Don’t Give Up
Someone once said “It is not a shame to fall down. It is a shame not to get back up.” Some ups and downs will be inevitable and any change in life seems like a lot to manage in the beginning. Maybe you will not always stick to the plan completely. But don’t let this be a reason to stop trying altogether. Forgive yourself, get up and try again.
