Quit Tips

Bob's favourite quit tips

Bob knew he needed more than willpower to quit for good. He needed additional help, including quit tips to help him through the difficult times. Below Bob shares some of the quit tips he found most helpful.

• At the beginning, I found it helpful to avoid the sight and smell of cigarettes, because without a doubt, it sparked a craving. If it was impossible to avoid such a situation, I used gum, candy, or something to keep my hands occupied to distract me.
• Drink water when a craving hits. Not only does it help with the craving, but it also flushes the toxins out of your body, which helps with the headaches.
• Write down the good things that have happened since quitting. I keep my list close by so I can read it often. My list includes being able to breathe easier, knowing how happy and proud my wife and kid's are of my quitting attempt, ability to taste food better, getting rid of my cough, and most recently, being able to play sports with my kids for longer. Every few days, I notice something else to add to the list. It's great!

Your favourite quit tips

Tell yourself that no one has ever died from NOT having a cigarette, but some have because they DID.

Leave bowls of your favourite candy around the house so that when you have a craving, you can always have candy instead.

As a former smoker, it helped to have substitutes for my addiction. They became replacements by association - no questions asked. EVERY SINGLE time I craved a cigarette, I popped a sugar-free gum into my mouth and convinced myself that it was a cigarette. After every single meal, I had a tea as my "cigarette".

Another pointer is to start thinking like a non-smoker. I had to re-create my self-image - I was now a non-smoker (something I had always dreaded!). The identity thing was a biggie. You have to start hanging out with non-smokers and start seeing smoking as an action - NOT as an identity.

Although I have quit smoking since December 02, 2003 , I have signed up for your e-mail support. I am working hard to reach my goal of being smoke-free for life and am hoping to get as much support as possible. I must admit that it is not easy after 33 years of smoking. I take it one day at a time - I get up in the morning hoping to make it through the day and so far it is working!

See more quit tips

Looking for more help?

Tips are important, but often smokers need additional tools to help in their attempt to quit. Click on the tool that you're most interested in using:

• Toll-free telephone helplines
• On the Road to Quitting, a step-by-step guide to quitting, available on-line or in print

I like to think of myself as an ex-smoker now. This simple thought reinforces what I've done and my ability to maintain this lifestyle change.