Daily Zey

According tho WHO, each year more than 8 million people die prematurely from tobacco use. It takes approximately 10 years of off your life, and if you quit before 40 years old, you can reverse the damage by 90%. So take it as an intervention: it’s time to get rid of it.

Now, I know there is so much talk around quitting smoking: medicines, alternative nicotine sources, hypnosis (?). I have come up with a way – that worked out pretty well for me, which I haven’t seen anywhere yet.

Before we start, I want to acknowledge that everyone has their unique case when it comes to health and psychology. Withdrawal symptoms, triggers, support system are some of key variables that make a huge difference in this journey. I simply want to put my own method out there, hoping it could help you too.

STEP 1: Understand yourself

To quit a habit in general, it’s important to analyze how it started and evolved over time. It almost never starts as intense as it gets towards the end. In case of cigarettes, it might start one or two in a week, then quickly turn to five or six when you’re upset and half a pack along with alcohol. Like a virus, it spreads and increases its radius exponentially. Understanding the path it takes towards gaining more control over your life gives you your starting point.

You need to understand how did you get here – and where you want to go next. Here are some questions to make your job easier.

• How did you start?
• When did it become an actual habit?
• Why do you want to quit?
• What to you associate with smoking?
• When do you crave it the most? With which friends, places, feelings?

You are your cure. Study yourself like a lecture. Aim for A+.

Step 2: Decide on your boundaries

This step is the most overlooked yet important one. A lot of the times people who try quitting fail because they lack boundaries, both with themselves and other people.

What I mean by this is, before you quit, you need to have some ground rules. Are you okay with being surrounded by smokers – or do you need some space for a while? What will you do when a friend offers you a cigarette, then maybe insist a little? Are you okay with having one or two or will you be sworn off of it for good?

Because trust me, life and people will test you in every way there is. So practice ahead, give yourself some rules to rely on. Here are mine when I first did it:

• I won’t smoke, even 1 cigarette is off limits.
• Any other forms of smoking, like vaping etc is also no.
• Any person insisting on someone else smoking is a red flag.

Step 3: Create a unique strategy that is tailored for you

You need 3 things for your game plan:

1. A dopamine replacement that’s easy to access any time
2. A bingo card & a tracker for your progress
3. Support system

Step 4: Control your narrative

Please, don’t yearn for nicotine once it’s out of your life.

When you talk to smokers, you might realize there is a romanticizing going on with smoking. – and it’s not their fault.

Smoking was eased in our lives for years, through ads, movies, celebrities… Generations one after the other manipulated into thinking it is cool, or deep. In early cinemas there would be broody cowboys smoking one, looking far away, being all manly and sh*t. Then when the male smokers market reached its limit, they started targeting women. There was even a period where doctors suggested smoking for its health benefits. Slowly but surely, cigarette was implemented in your subconscious way before you started smoking. You have to unlearn all the associations that you made over the years.

I talked with my friends a lot about quitting, for some it is a way of not feeling lonely or passing time. Like when you’re waiting for a bus or in your room listening to your favorite music, a smoke is like an accompaniment for them. For others, it’s a way of self-regulating: when they are stressed at work, or anxious about an upcoming thesis presentation. And unfortunately for some, it is a way of keeping your weight in check – since it soothes cravings. The common denominator of all these is, smoking is a psychological replacement for most of us. It is easier to reach out to your pack instead of sitting down with hard emotions, or manage cravings etc. It is a way-out in the short term, only to cause you nothing but increased stress, risk of health issues and damaged psychological wellbeing.

Change your narrative. Control it, and keep controlling it.

It’s not “a bad habit that’s just fun” or “part of you”. It is dried herbs with some chemicals rolled into one, it does nothing. You are putting all these meanings to it, and you can take it back.

Step 5: Try as many times as you need

There is so much shame around “failing to quit”. I hear people say “oh you try to quit once a year, I’m sure you’ll start again.” Like… really?

If you spend 9 months without smoking then started again, those 9 months still matter. It is still a success. Your lungs healed a lot, you saw that you can do without it. You practically made it. Even if you smoked again, it doesn’t mean you have to go back to how it was. It just means you have to quit it one more time.

Again and again until it sticks.

Don’t let fear of failure stop you from trying to take such an important step for your health. Let them talk, or even better, quit without them knowing. That way you are safe from sabotage.

Here are some resources that can inspire you to take the next step:

1. How Cigarettes Took Over The World
2. Smoking Effects on Body – TED-Ed animation
3. What Happens When You Quit Smoking
4. CDC Quit Smoking Contents

Stay healthy, with love,