If you are currently a smoker but you wish you were one, you are among many people out there who are stuck with this habit that they are addicted to and have no clue on how to stop it. Almost every smoker in the world is a fully paid-up member of the club of people who don’t want to smoke, and yet addiction is complicated and you can’t help it.

If you are at the stage where you have admitted that you don’t want to smoke anymore, it’s good news. This means that you are ready to turn around your life and get your money back, because let’s be real here, smoking is expensive! You’ve already researched Delta 8 Vapes and you’ve done some research on the best doctors to help you to quit, but there are some things that you can do to get started with quitting and letting go of this habit by yourself. Don’t panic, it doesn’t have to be too difficult. Take a look at our tips below to help you.

Image source: Pexels

  • Set a date and time you are going to stop. If you set yourself a limit for when you are going to stop smoking, you will continue to smoke until that day. That’s OK! The point here is that if you smoke and carry on smoking right up until that time, you will be doing the right thing to let it go. Don’t try to cut down before this time, don’t try to withdraw how much you smoke. The date you decide to stop smoking is an important one, so make sure that you set it in the calendar and you have it on alarm.
  • Don’t look at buyers’ remorse. As with anything, it can be difficult to give something up. But The thing is you are not going up anything because cigarettes are not doing anything for you. All they are doing is reducing your life expectancy and damaging your health. Yes, nicotine does make your brain feel good, but do you really want to continue to be a slave to it? You need to get it clear in your mind that by giving up cigarettes you are not losing anything. You are making an excellent gain in your health and your energy as well as your money because you are choosing to stop. You are going to enjoy being a non-smoker right from the moment you put out the very last cigarette you will ever smoke.
  • Make sure you have just one more. When you get to that last cigarette in the packet on the date that you set, like that final cigarette and make a vow that this is the very last one. This is one of the most important decisions that you are going to make for your health, and even though you are going to crave cigarettes, this is the last one you’re going to have so think of the taste and remember the taste because it won’t be happening again. Remember, this is a decision that you are making for yourself, the addiction side of things is the other half of the battle.
  • Find a crutch. You don’t want to swap one addiction for another, so you need to figure out how you can avoid picking up a cigarette again. Is the issue the comfort that it gives you in your hand? Do you like holding something in your mouth? Some people like to hold lollipops or pens just to be able to have something in their hand instead of picking up a cigarette. You need to find a way to keep yourself busy so that you don’t look for another one. The nicotine withdrawal is not going to be necessarily easy, but if you have something in your hands you are less likely to reach for a cigarette.

Image source: Pexels

  • Be cool about withdrawal that’s about to happen. Associate that cigarette with coffee or tea. You would have your coffee or you have your tea and you would move on. Instead of thinking you can’t have a cigarette, think about isn’t this great I don’t have to stand in the cigarette stand anymore, I can enjoy a coffee with friends. You don’t have to live your life taking breaks outside of cafes or restaurants anymore. Instead, you can continue the conversation and socialize with your friends without having to have a break.
  • Keep socializing. You won’t be craving cigarettes anymore, so there’s no need to avoid smokers around you. You can’t avoid smoking situations because if you just leave your home you will find people who are smoking. You can opt out of life. Going out and enjoying social occasions right from the beginning is a good way to keep yourself strong. Don’t envy people holding a cigarette, remember exactly why you chose to let them go.
  • Don’t fall into the trap of just one. There is no such thing as just one cigarette. Years ago you had just one cigarette and then you became addicted to nicotine and have been smoking against your budget for years. If you do this, you’re going to find yourself back in that trap in no time. Don’t think about things in terms of just one cigarette, but think about the whole filthy lifetimes chain. There is no such thing as just one cigarette.
  • Get rid of the rest. If you reach your giving up date and you find you still have some cigarettes left in the packet, it’s time to break them in half and put them in the bin. Don’t keep cigarettes on you or anywhere else at work, in the car or in the house. There is no need to keep on the back as an emergency or adjusting case. If you do keep it back you are going to be putting your decision in doubt from day one. Non smokers do not need to keep cigarettes stashed around and you are a non-smoker now. The moment you put out your final cigarette you are a non smoker and the health benefits are going to be immediate.

Sign up to receive the most diverting fiction, essays, analyses and news across Africa in your inbox, on Monday every week.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.