Quit Tips

Your favourite quit tips - Archive

"If you like vegetables, make a soup. The work involved in chopping up the cabbage, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and any other vegetable you like keeps you busy for hours, and the soup helps to make you healthy all that much faster."

"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! "

" You have to really want to quit."

" I stopped smoking three weeks ago and I can tell you that it is not always easy, especially for my morale. When this happens, I munch on a big piece of celery. No kidding! It calms my nerves, and it's good for my health! Good luck to those of you who have stopped smoking or who want to stop. My husband and children are very proud of my decision to QUIT SMOKING!"

" Having stopped smoking, I found that I missed being outdoors. I had always smoked outside of the house so as not to force my bad habit on family and friends. To replace that enjoyment of being outside with a smoke, I started taking a walk every evening. The walk is what I believe helped me stop a horrible habit. Good luck."

" I always had a cigarette first thing in the morning - now I have orange juice, a banana and a vanilla yogurt smoothie instead, and I find it really helps."

"The best way to quit is to believe you can do it."

"Since coffee and cigarettes usually go together, give up or limit the amount of coffee you drink. If you can't give up on everything at once, it may help to have your coffee in an environment that does not allow smoking."

"If you are expecting a major change in your life, such as a new job or moving, consider quitting smoking. Not only will you have other things to think about, but you will get a chance to develop new routines that don't involve smoking."

"Try brushing your teeth - nobody wants a smoke when their teeth are clean and their breath is fresh."

"When I have an intense craving, if I am not alone, I talk about it with the people around me. Otherwise, if I have time, I take a short walk outside."

"I bought three new CDs of my favourite bands so I could sing along instead of smoking while I drive. Now I just concentrate on the music and my craving passes."

" Drinking water is good, but just having a bottle of water in my hands helped even more. I would take sips and just hold it. It kept my hands busy - and was good for me!"

"I think, if you want to quit smoking, you should avoid places where people smoke. When you feel like smoking, pretend there are no cigarettes available. To quit smoking, you must really want to do it."

"Do you have grandchildren? If so, put them at the top of priorities for quitting. Their lungs are more precious and more costly than a cigarette!"

"I have just recently quit smoking. I'm currently on day 3. It's not easy, BUT to help, I drink a lot of water, eat sunflower seeds, and of course, chew gum. These things do help, and when in doubt, I go to a mirror & tell myself, "YOU CAN DO IT!". I sure am giving it my best shot. Good luck to all who are gearing up to quit - you can do it!"

"When you live as a couple and you are both smokers, it is important to consider quitting at the same time. It is a good motivation, but be careful! You may become anxious and quarrelsome. Try to use humour!"

"I always used to smoke in the car while driving. Now I bring a water bottle and a pack of gum with me while driving to control the urge to smoke."

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.