The 3 Stages Involved to Quit Smoking

When a person starts smoking, the challenges they’ve experienced are nothing compared to what they have to go through when they decide to quit. It’s a tough process that requires effort to succeed and be realized in the end.

Quitting is a systematic procedure with several stages focused on helping smokers, from the time they make the decision to when they actually quit. If you’re quitting smoking, here are the stages you might go through:

Deciding to quit

This starts from the point when the thought to get over your smoking habit crosses your mind. At this point, you also need to be clear on why you are making the decision and what you want to achieve in the end. In short, you need a goal in mind.

Taking action

This involves two things — identifying what drives you to smoke and the physical attempt to quit smoking.

People crave for the nicotine in cigarettes, and this leads to reasons that are almost related. It can be as a result of pressure or stress, a break between working or learning hours, idleness, and many other events. Once you identify what drives you, countering this is possible by being engaged in other activities and avoiding any tempting situation or environment.

Commitment to quitting

This requires you not only to pick a day when you will stop the habit, but also involving those around you. When you do this, the date will be registered at the back of your mind and those around you will help observe you closely and intervene whenever you need help in honoring your commitment. For it to be successful, you might likewise want to seek professional help.

Quitting is a step-by-step process aimed to help smokers find their path to abstinence. This is not possible without the support of those around them, so make sure you inform other people — a professional, your partner, your relatives, and your family members.