Heart Disease

Before the day you have chosen to quit smoking arrives, you can change your smoking habits in several ways, to ease yourself into becoming a former smoker.

Make smoking inconvenient. Stop buying cigarettes by the carton. Wait until one pack is empty before buying another. Stop carrying the pack with you to work or at home — will make getting to them difficult.

Instead of automatically reaching for a cigarette, smoke only when you really want one. Catch yourself before lighting up purely out of habit. Make yourself aware of each cigarette by using the opposite hand or putting them in an unfamiliar location, to break the automatic reach. Try looking in the mirror each time you light a cigarette — you may decide you do not need it. And if you do not empty your ashtrays, you will have a strong reminder of how many cigarettes you have smoked each day. The sight and the smell of the stale cigarette butts will be very unpleasant!

Try cutting down on the number of cigarettes you smoke. Decide how many cigarettes you will smoke each day, and when. Postpone your first cigarette of the day by one hour. Then, smoke only half of each cigarette. Change your eating habits to avoid smoking. For example, if you usually smoke when having a cup of coffee, try drinking juice or water instead.

Try switching to a brand of cigarettes that does not taste as good to you as your current brand. Then, a few weeks before your target date, switch to a brand that is low in tar and nicotine. This will help to change your smoking behaviour. Do not, however, smoke more cigarettes, inhale them more often or more deeply, or place your fingertips over the holes in the filters! The idea is to decrease your nicotine intake, to get your body used to the idea of functioning without nicotine.