How to Stop Smoking in a Week

According to the website AmericanHeart, " In the United States, an estimated 26.2 million men and 20.9 million women are smokers." Smokers are more vulnerable to heart disease and stroke. The most detrimental aspect of smoking is the addiction smokers develop. How do smokers get hooked? The website Cancer reports that, "nicotine causes pleasant feelings that make the smoker want to smoke more." Smoking is one of the hardest habits to kick, but with the right approach it can be ceased in no time.

Instructions

• 1

  Throw away all of your cigarettes. Dispose of them outside of your home, so you will not be tempted to retrieve them.

• 2

  Devise a seven-day plan detailing your actions to quit smoking. Itemize alternative activities you can do to replace the times when you usually smoke. List hobbies and interests.

• 3

  Inform your family and friends that you plan to quit smoking within a week. Spend as much time with nonsmokers as possible. This does not mean that you have to cut off your friends that smoke, but constantly remind yourself of your goal of quitting within a week.

• 4

  Join a support group. Consult a program like Nicotine Anonymous. These groups give you helpful ways of kicking your smoking habit. Look for support groups at work, through hospitals and through health-insurance companies.

• 5

  Tell the support group that you intend to cease smoking within a week. Request more attention and longer session times.

• 6

  Purchase 24-hour nicotine patches to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. These patches give constant doses of nicotine, which allays withdrawal symptoms.

• 7

  Buy other nicotine-replacement products such as gum, lozenges and nasal spray. With these alternatives you will not have the typical withdrawal behaviors. Targeting the addiction aspect of smoking will allow you quit smoking in less than a week.

• 8

  Avoid stressful situations that drive you to smoke. Develop hobbies and habits, such as exercising or drawing, that take your mind off smoking.