11 steps to successfully quit smoking and start living

Successfully Quit Smoking

Change isn’t easy and it’s rarely fast. A recent study found that of the nearly 70 percent of smokers who resolved to quit, only 4 percent were smoke-free one year later. The CDC names smoking the single largest preventable cause of death in the US, killing 480,000 Americans each year–so why is it so hard to quit? Most smokers have been told to quit by friends, family, and doctors alike, but they’re rarely told how. Until now. In their New York Times #1 bestseller Switch, authors Chip and Dan Heath outline the 11 steps of how to embrace, accept, and create change when it’s most difficult. Because Orlin & Cohen cares about your health, we’re happy to share them with you.

1. Three Surprises About Change

• Real change only comes about when someone starts acting differently. It’s not enough to want to quit smoking, you have to change your situation first.
• You may be returning to smoking after you’ve quit from the sheer exhaustion of resisting a cigarette.
• You must have a sense of clarity and understand exactly what your goals are. Is it to quit cold turkey? To smoke less frequently? Make sure you understand what you’re working toward.

2. Find the Bright Spots. Instead of feeling disappointed in yourself for having a cigarette after two weeks without, celebrate the two weeks you succeeded.

3. Script the Critical Moves. Remove the ambiguity around your attempts to quit and make concrete, clear plans. Cut three cigarettes from your routine each day, and by the end of the week you’ll have smoked one less pack than usual. Now create your next goal to hold yourself accountable.

4. Point to the Destination. Set reasonable expectations of yourself and your goals and stick to them. It’s not realistic to assume you can quit cold turkey and never smoke again. Instead, plan to be smoke-free in the next six months or year. If you don’t know where the finish line is, you’ll never cross it.

5. Find the Feeling. Pay attention to your internal feelings when you smoke and work to find a new way to achieve the same result.

6. Shrink the Change. Set milestones—quitting an addictive habit is a marathon, not a sprint. If it feels like you’ll never make it to your next milestone, set them even closer. Whatever it takes to make you feel secure in your progress.

7. Grow Your People. Be the person you want other people to aspire to be. Take a look at your behavior throughout the quitting process and ask yourself if others would react similarly. If not, it’s time to make a change.

8. Tweak the Environment. If you’re experiencing difficulty quitting, take a look at your environment. Are you surrounded by other smokers? Do you always associate smoking with your first cup of coffee? Change the environment, change your failures.

9. Build Habits. You built habits when you started smoking, now it’s time to build ones around quitting. Going outside at work every three hours for a smoke break is a habit. Instead, fill that time with something positive, like a brisk walk, and reward yourself for keeping it.

10. Rally the Herd. Take your cues from others. If you’re unsure how to cope with this lifestyle and health change, join a smokers’ support group and look to others’ behavior.

11. Keep the Switch Going. Take the authors’ advice, “The first thing to do is to recognize and celebrate that first step… you’ve shaped the path—and now you’re moving.”

Good health is something that should never be taken for granted, and shouldn’t be compromised by something as preventable as smoking. Take the first step today and plan for your next step tomorrow.