The Beginners Guide to Quitting Smoking

"Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you will ever do".

If you have been a smoker for any length of time, I'm sure you've heard this many, many times before.

The fact of the matter is, this is nothing more than a myth. A very dangerous one. It is dangerous because too many of us believe it to be true.

Unfortunately, this way of thinking prevents many of us from successfully quitting smoking. I know this, because I was one of them.

If you wish to quit smoking, there is one thing you must have. That one thing is belief. If you believe you can quit, than you can. If you don't, you are already on the path to failure. I failed to quit numerous times because I didn't have self-belief.

It comes down to the age old adage, 'Whether you believe that you can, or believe you can't, either way you are right.'

If you want to quit and believe that you can, then make a firm decision. Quitting smoking takes 100% commitment, nothing less. If you go into the process thinking, "I'm not sure I can quit but I will give it a go," then I'm not sure you should bother trying . You have pretty much convinced yourself you can't do it before you have even begun.

Set yourself a quit date and stick to it. Give yourself time to think it over and prepare mentally. If you reach your quit date and still believe 100% that you can do it, then the time to quit has come.

Here are some tips to help you out in the early stages.

• On your quit date get rid of everything that reminds you of smoking. This includes all your cigarettes/tobacco, lighters, matches, ash trays, etc.
• For the 2-4 weeks try to avoid all smokers and smoking areas. This may mean staying low for a while. Seeing and being around other smokers is the worst thing you can do early on.
• Stay positive throughout. Always think about the reasons why you have decided to quit. Keeping these thoughts in your head will help keep motivation high and willpower strong. Quitting smoking is one of the most positive moves you can make, always remember this.

Throughout the quitting process, always believe in yourself and your abilities. The longer you stick at it, the easier it becomes.

Smoking is far, far more a mental addiction than it is a physical one. The more you believe you can quit, the easier the quitting process becomes.

If you believe you can quit smoking, then you can. It really is that simple.

Todd Williams is a reformed smoker who wants to help you quit smoking. Chat to him in the quit smoking forum at his website. Follow this link for more free tips on stopping smoking and to download his informative free eBook. For more free information on how to quit smoking please visit the blog.