Quit Smoking and Breathe Easy
If you do slip and have a cigarette, it’s not the end. You can get back on track by putting out the cigarette and walking away from the situation that got you smoking in the first place. Then, think about why you lit up and what you will do differently the next time. Refer back to your reasons for quitting, and remind yourself that you can and will succeed.
You can also celebrate your achievements. “Whole families should really celebrate a family member’s success in quitting,” says LaChance. Sharing the excitement of your success is rewarding for both you and them. Whether it is spending a fun day together at a park or the movies, or even going on a vacation to celebrate a milestone after a certain number of days being smoke-free, it’s important to experience the joy during this time as well.
“The biggest reward for me in quitting smoking was knowing that I had a second chance at living a healthier life,” Colette says. “I certainly didn’t expect to have a heart attack so young, and I knew that I was really lucky to have a second chance. For me, quitting wasn’t punishment; I was grateful to have had the opportunity.”
* name(s) changed.
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Posted: 2/12/08





Today is my quit date set a couple of weeks ago. I've planned for it, but have had a hard time sticking to my plan the last week, so I don't really feel as prepared for today as I'd like to be, but I'm going for it today anyway. I look at it this way: "If not now, then when?" I've put up affirmation signs like that to encourage myself and I appreciate this help here and would like some friends to support me.
I find this article to be very positive and it has some very helpful suggestions - things that are common sense that I never had thought of. I am a smoker of 36 years and really know I need to quit, and almost want to quit completely. With suggestions from this article I believe that it may be a bit easier or at least tolerable to quit. I have printed this article to share with my husband who also wants to quit, he and I both have tried and failed in the past to quit. Once again, I apprieciate the positive nature of this piece and will utilize its suggestions when I quit, which will be sooner than later. Thank you for providing this service.