New Year Resolution - Quit Smoking

This is New Year time again. People begin to think about the New Year and the changes it will bring. Many will make New Year's resolutions to lose weight, get a better job, get married, or simply to get a life. Millions of people will also make the resolution to quit smoking. Tens of millions want to quit but only a fraction actually succeeds. The reason is that most people simply don't know how to go about quitting.

Studies on smokers who successfully quit smoking, show that most important behaviors of a successful quitter is that their self-belief. Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will automatically guide to quite this dangerous habit. If you believe something strongly your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief. Create a quit plan for smoking. Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to Quit Smoking. Don't try to quit until you feel you are ready. Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your "quit date." Make sure your quit date comes after you have completed step as described above. Also, choose a quit date that occurs during a relatively low stress time. Quitting on a specific date is preferable after you slowly reduce the number of cigarettes that you smoke.

Sometimes our family and friends can be our worst enemies when we are attempting something very difficult or "different." If your family or friends don't smoke, they may not understand your problems of quitting. If your family and friends do smoke, they may have attempted to quit themselves, but failed. Or they may not want to quit at all, thereby placing pressure on you not to quit also. Human nature causes people to try to "hold others back" when someone close to them begins to move in a direction different from the norm. If you quit, you will place pressure and the spotlight on family and friends who are still smoking. Research shows that smokers who quit with assistance and support from a physician have higher rates of success. Even patients who received only minimal instruction and encouragement from their doctor showed improved "quitting" results.

Exercise is an excellent method for reducing stress. Exercise also can play an important role in helping you to quit smoking. Research shows that smokers who take up a regular exercise program have a much higher Quit Smoking success rate. The higher is the level of activity, the higher will be the success rate. Smoking and exercise simply aren't compatible.

The beginning of a new year is a wonderful time to decide or "resolve" to quit smoking. Many smokers who have successfully given up cigarettes have made several attempts to quit before they finally kicked the habit. If you quit for a short time then resume smoking, you are one step closer to quitting for good. Just quit again. Keep doing it at every New Year until win and good by smoking forever.