Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Stay mentally strong
• Method 2 of 3: Live a busy and active life
• Method 3 of 3: Respond appropriately to a relapse
• Tips

To quit smoking all at once you need a lot of dedication and perseverance. If you want to quit smoking without help, you need to be mentally strong, keep yourself busy and active, and respond appropriately when you relapse. If you want to know how to quit smoking all at once, follow these steps.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Stay mentally strong

1. Understand the pros and cons of quitting all at once. Quitting all at once means that you no longer smoke at all without the help of nicotine substitutes or medicines. This requires persistence and independence. Only 3-10% of smokers are able to quit smoking completely in one sitting, because of the drastic changes it brings in their lives. Before you try to quit all at once, you need to understand the pros and cons of this process.
   • Benefits:
     • If you quit because you have a serious health problem from smoking, quitting all at once will be the fastest way to improve your health or limit further damage. You will also be more motivated to do this on your own if your health is seriously compromised.
     • You will have more pain, but it will last less. Instead of taking medications or taking nicotine substitutes for months or even a year, you'll overcome your addiction a lot faster if you succeed.
   • Cons:
     • You can have severe and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as depression, insomnia, irritability and anxiety.
     • You are less likely to succeed if you quit all at once than if you use a combination of other methods.
2. Make a plan of action. If you have a plan, you will be stronger behind your decision and you will be more committed. Put a date on the calendar that you are going to quit, and check off any day you have not smoked. Take a time in a week or month when you expect little stress, because at those times you crave a cigarette more strongly.
   • Know your stimuli. Write down the stimuli that lead to smoking, be it drinking a glass of wine, going to a party, or even listening to certain music at home. Check out how to avoid these stimuli.
   • Remind yourself why you want to quit. Once you start your plan, keep telling yourself you're doing it for your health, for your family, and for your friends. You can even write a note with your motivations for yourself and keep it in your wallet.
   • Know that the first days are the hardest. Calculate this in your plan. Reward yourself if you got through the first days or weeks well.
   • Keep a journal where you can share your thoughts and feelings. Make a commitment to write at least once every day so that you better understand how your body and mind react.
3. Reduce stress. If you reduce stress, you will have less of a tendency to want to smoke. You may even smoke just to cope with the stress, so it's important to find other ways to deal with your stress so that you don't fall back into your old habit. Here are some great ways to deal with stress so that your mind is calm while trying to quit:
   • Reflect. Write down all the factors in your life that cause stress and think about how you can limit them. If you can reduce or turn off certain sources before you quit, it will make the process a lot easier.
   • Do things that calm you. Try meditation, yoga, long walks, or listen to soothing music.
   • Get plenty of rest. You will be better able to cope with stressful situations if you go to bed and get up around the same time every day and if your body gets enough sleep.
   • Talk to a friend about your feelings. You will feel much calmer if you are not alone in your decision to quit smoking.

Method 2 of 3: Live a busy and active life

1. Keep your body moving. If you want to quit smoking, you need to keep your body active so that it has less time to crave cigarettes. If you exercise a lot you will not only feel healthier, but you can replace the smoking habit with other habits. Here's what you can do:
   • Keep your mouth busy. Drink plenty of water, tea, juice or anything else to keep your mouth busy. Chew gum or mints as needed.
   • Keep your hands busy. Squeeze a stress ball, scribble a drawing on a piece of paper, play with your phone, or find another way to keep your hands busy so you don't reach for a cigarette.
   • Exercise. If you don't play sports yet, get started. By exercising for only 30 minutes a day, you ensure that your body and mind are fitter and more relaxed.
   • Go for a walk. This is great, especially if you feel like a cigarette.
2. Be socially active. If you are trying to quit smoking it is not good to lock yourself in your room, it is much more difficult to take your mind off that cigarette. Take this opportunity to spend more time with your family and friends and you'll not only have a distraction, but you'll also feel happier.
   • Accept more invitations. See this as an opportunity to attend more events, even if you never did before.
   • Invite a friend for a cup of coffee, a walk or a drink. Turn a vague acquaintance into a good friend by taking the time to talk to him. Try to invite them to an activity that doesn't encourage you to smoke.
   • Tell your friends or family that you are trying to quit when meeting them. That way you feel less alone and you get support.
   • Do something fun that requires you to be active. Take a friend to yoga class, dance, take a long hike, or swim in the sea.
   • Avoid being tempted while doing social things. Don't go to parties where everyone smokes and don't just meet up with friends who are chain smokers themselves, as this will make you more likely to want to smoke yourself. Find new ways to engage in social activities as needed.
3. Avoid temptation. This is very important. Once you know what makes you want a cigarette, it's important to avoid all situations that could lead to relapses or keep you thinking about smoking. Here's how to do that:
   • Try to spend as little time with other smokers as possible. Of course, if one of your best friends is a smoker, you just have to talk about it seriously, and make sure you're not around when they actually light a cigarette.
   • Avoid the places where you used to buy cigarettes. If you can't walk or drive past the supermarket or newsagent without wanting to buy a pack of cigarettes, avoid your usual route and look for new stores.
4. Find a new hobby or interest. Find a new healthy "addiction" to replace smoking. This allows you to focus your energy on other things and feel aroused by your new routine instead of having to drag yourself through the day without smoking. Here are some fun hobbies or interests to get you started:
   • Do something with your hands. Try writing a short story or poem, or take a pottery or drawing class.
   • Try to run. If you set yourself the goal of running 5 or 10 kilometers, you will be so focused on your new training plan that you will no longer have time to think about smoking.
   • Be adventurous. Try hiking or mountain biking. Do something you would never normally do to take your mind off the cigarettes.
   • Discover how delicious food can be. While you shouldn't replace your cigarette cravings with food cravings, you should take the time to appreciate good food and perhaps learn how to cook properly. Notice how better everything tastes now that you no longer smoke.

Method 3 of 3: Respond appropriately to a relapse

1. Reflect after each relapse. If you've had a relapse, be it that one cigarette at that party or an entire pack on a rough day, sit back and ask yourself why that happened. If you understand why you had a relapse, you can better prevent it in the future. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
   • Did you relapse because you were tense? If so, you need to think about how to reduce your stress or how to avoid certain stressful situations. For example, if you smoked a cigarette because you were stressed at work, you need to find a way to deal with the next stressful day at work, such as having an ice cream or watching your favorite movie when you leave work coming.
   • Did you relapse because you were in a situation where you wanted to smoke? If you smoked a cigarette at your girlfriend's party because you associate her parties with a nice cigarette in the garden, you should avoid her parties for now, or make sure to replace the cigarette with gum, a dessert, or a game of tendency to resist smoking.
   • What did you feel right before you went wrong? Recognizing these feelings will help you resist them in the future.
2. Get back to your routine. This is an important point. Just because you happened to have smoked one cigarette, or went wrong all day, doesn't mean you're a failure and have to give up altogether. Don't use the relapse as an excuse to start smoking again. Because you have had a moment of weakness you are not a queaser and you are still able to stop.
   • Just get back to what you did. If you've been trying to quit for a while, your body will crave less than usual for cigarettes, even if you've relapsed for a while.
   • Be extra vigilant after the relapse. For the week after the relapse, try to keep yourself extra hard and active to avoid temptation and to manage your stress.
3. Know when to try other methods of quitting. There is a reason that only 3 to 10% of people can successfully quit smoking at one time. It is very difficult. If you've been trying to quit without help for months or even years, but always fall back into your old habit, this may not be the best method for you. Here are some other great methods to try:
   • Behavioral Therapy. A behavioral therapist can help you look for your stimuli, give you support, and help you find the best method to quit.
   • Nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine patches, gum, lozenges and sprays are made to give your body nicotine without the tobacco. This is a good way to slowly get your body weaned off nicotine instead of stopping all at once.
   • Medicines. See your doctor for a prescription to help you quit smoking.
   • Combination therapy. It may be best for you to really quit smoking once and for all if you combine behavioral therapy, nicotine replacement therapy and medications, and the support of friends and family.

Tips

• If you keep craving a cigarette, sunflower seeds can be a great alternative. Make sure you always have a bag of seeds with you, it really works.
• Do not meet up with friends who smoke for the time being.
• Clean your house and all areas where you smoked. Clean up all the ashtrays.
• If you can't stop all at once, try cutting down. Instead of buying whole cartons, buy individual packs and limit yourself to a few cigarettes a day.
• Write down 5 reasons why you shouldn't smoke and stick it on the back of your cell phone.
• Friends are your best help when dealing with serious things like these.
• Try nicotine gum. There is a little bit of nicotine in it that will quench your cravings.