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Tips on Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey

Smoking is now recognized by most major health organizations as the cause of many major health problems, including cancer. It is advisable that for someone who smokes to kick the habit. Some people quit smoking by gradually decreasing the amount of cigarettes they smoke, but others take a cold turkey approach and completely stop smoking cigarettes immediately. For the latter group, there are a few tips that may be helpful for successfully quitting cold turkey.

  1. Routine

    • Shake up the day and avoid the same old routine. It's very easy to do the same things every day, especially when most people have to go to the same places at the same time every day (e.g., work or school). Routine makes it easy to light up at the same time each day, too, such as during a work break. If you always step outside at break time to light up, try going for a walk around the inside of the building instead, or make a quick phone call to a friend or relative. If you always go out with the same friends to the same places after work, try going to some new restaurants or engaging in other activities. You can also attend some festivals or fairs to meet new people. This doesn't mean you have to leave your old friends and activities entirely behind---it simply means you are attempting to avoid the familiarity associated with your smoking habit.

    Support

    • Get support. People who understand what you are trying to do or who have been through it before can offer you words of encouragement as you work through withdrawal symptoms. They also provide a listening ear for you when you become anxious or doubt your ability to quit. This makes it much more likely that your attempt at quitting cold turkey will be successful. In fact, the support of friends and family members, when coupled with education about smoking, triples the odds of success, which is just 10 percent without support. Therefore, find friends or family members who can be cheerleaders for you and who can help you beat back cravings.

    Perspective

    • Get perspective about your cravings. Cravings can be difficult to overcome, but the fact is, they don't last forever. The average craving lasts only about 3 minutes. After that, it is more about familiarity of the habit---it's a mental fight more than a physical one. On average, people who are trying to quit cold turkey have only about 36 minutes of real physical fight, based on an average of 12 cravings a day. Take each of those cravings one at a time, and focus on the fact that you will have 1,404 minutes that you don't crave a cigarette. Also recognize that you are already able to remain smoke-free for the majority of the day and use the success of that to motivate you for those additional 36 minutes.

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