Have you tried to stop smoking without cutting back first, only to smoke again a day or even minutes later? Many health practitioners will tell you that cold turkey is the only way to quit smoking. But when cold-turkey does not work for you, then what? You must locate a way to quit smoking that you like and can do successfully.
Have you tried gradually cutting back a single cigarette at a time, over a period of days or weeks? Reducing smoking in this way allows you to acclimate your body to less nicotine. In addition you will take control of your habit by smoking with specific purpose.
Here’s how to make a gradual smoking cessation schedule for yourself:
Step 1. Estimate the number of cigarettes you normally use every day.
Step 2. Decide the number of cigarettes you can reduce from your daily allowance. I suggest the number to use is 2 per day. I will call this the Daily Reduction Number.
Step 3. Divide #1 by #2. For example, if you smoke 30 cigarettes daily, divided by 2, you get the number 15. This is the number of days it will take you to eliminate your smoking.
Step 4. Take some paper and on the left-hand side write the number of days you just determined you need in step 3. For example, if your result was 25, write Day 25. Now below that write Day 24, Day 23, Day 22, and so forth until you reach Day 1.
Step 5. Starting from the bottom of the list (Day 1) write in the Daily Reduction Number from step 2 (“2” in our example). On the line for Day 2, add the Daily Reduction Number to the number on Day 1. In our example, you would write 4 on Day 2. On Day 3 you add the Daily Reduction Number to the result on Day 2. Continue adding until you add up to the top of your list of Days. You are now that many days away from quitting smoking!
Once you make these calculations you are now ready to gradually cut back on your cigarette smoking. Carry your “reduction plan” with you at all times. You may want to rubber band it to your pack of cigarettes.
Start by smoking the number of cigarettes on the beginning date of your plan. Whenever you smoke, put a check next to the current day. When the number of marks equals the number of cigarettes specified for that day, you are finished smoking for the day. Take care not to smoke all your cigarettes early in the day.
Here’s a tip that will make this method 100% more effective by keeping you honest. As with most anything worthwhile it requires some effort (but very little). Every day, gather together all the cigarettes you will be smoking that day. Since you can see exactly how many cigarettes you will be smoking that day, you can more easily judge how to pace your smoking. By the way, if you get to the end of the day with cigarettes remaining, don’t add them to the next day’s allotment. Instead, pat yourself on the back for smoking less than your allotment.
Use this formula to compute your smoking reduction plan:
(Average Number of Cigarettes Smoked Daily) ____ / ____ (Daily Reduction Number) = ____ days
(for example 40 cigarettes / 2 less cigarettes each day = 20 days)
Print this chart for your own quit smoking plan:
Day 30 _____
Day 29 _____
Day 28 _____
Day 27 _____
Day 26 _____
Day 25 _____
Day 24 _____
Day 23 _____
Day 22 _____
Day 21 _____
Day 20 _____
Day 19 _____
Day 18 _____
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Day 16 _____
Day 15 _____
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Day 13 _____
Day 12 _____
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Day 5 _____
Day 4 _____
Day 3 _____
Day 2 _____
Day 1 _____
The plan as outlined above is just one alternative of the weaning method. Adjust the plan to suit your own situation, if this exact process doesn’t fit for you.
Weaning yourself from cigarettes over a few weeks can be a highly effective way to end a smoking habit. By weaning yourself from the addiction of nicotine, and taking control of your habit, you make stopping much more do-able. Start cutting back today!