If you are thinking about quitting, it helps to prepare.
This information is also available in our booklet, "Need Help Putting Out That Cigarette?" here.
What are your reasons for quitting? Make a list of your reasons.
When do you smoke? Think about when you typically smoke. For example: when drinking coffee, after a meal, when talking on the phone, after finishing a chore, when watching TV. Make a list of the situations when you often smoke.
It also helps to change your daily habits:
Make a list of 3 daily habits you can change to reduce your chances of smoking.
Examples of possible changes:
| If you smoke when you: |
Try doing this: |
| Drink coffee |
Have hot chocolate or herbal tea |
| Finish a meal |
Get right up, take a walk, or go into another room |
| Watch TV |
Do something else with your hands (start a craft) and mouth (chew gum; eat a hard candy) |
Keeping your hands and mouth busy
Make a list of 4 things you can do with your hands and mouth instead of smoking.
Examples of ways to keep your hands and mouth busy:
| Your hands: |
Your mouth: |
| Knit or sew |
Chew gum |
| Play with a rubber band |
Eat some fresh fruit |
| Hold a pen or pencil |
Use a straw or toothpick |
| Draw or doodle |
Suck on hard candy |
| Squeeze a rubber ball |
Try a cinnamon stick |
| Work on a craft project |
Sip water or juice |