First, try to smoke less throughout the day.
This will be a gradual process as I'm sure you are aware.
If in an average day you smoke 4-6 cigarettes an hour, then cut this down to 2 or 3 an hour.
As you do this more and more you will realize you are cutting back even if it's difficult at first.
But you will see progress.
Second, if you are a smoker then you are also most certainly a moderate to heavy coffee drinker.
Did you know that drinking coffee with a cigarette actually lessens the effect of nicotine absorption into your brain and chemical receptors? This is why when you smoke with coffee that you end up smoking more cigarettes than without.
If you have to have a cigarette, and remember this would be your 2 or 3 an hour since you are cutting back, then do not have it with coffee and also vice versa.
If you get a coffee then do not smoke at the same time.
They both go hand in hand if you are a smoker but try your best to keep them separated.
Third, and this is a very important one, when you are out socializing whether it be dinner with friends or at a bar or a club, the social stigma of numerous smokers is always there.
Peer pressure lasts for your entire life and this may even be what made you a smoker to begin with.
If you are out with friends and many of them are also smoking, think about how this is not helping you in your battle to quit smoking.
You can still enjoy your time with them but remember that you are trying to smoke less cigarettes in the day.
Just because you are out with friends does not mean that you are all of a sudden back to your previous amount of 4-6 cigarettes an hour.
A night out can easily become a chain smoking binge and this is not what you want to do to yourself.
Fourth, and this applies if you have children or a younger sibling or relatives.
If they see you smoke then this is going to influence them no matter how much you may try to not smoke in front of them or tell them it's bad for them or dangerous.
The mind of a child is like a sponge and they absorb and are influenced by anything and everything around them whether it be good or bad or in between.
If you have a puppy or dog for example and your child plays with them all the time then they will grow up to always love dogs and will ultimately have 1 or more dogs in the future.
Think about cutting back and eventually quitting altogether for their sake too because if you don't then they will most likely begin smoking at an early age, probably sooner than you did and will be on the same vicious cycle you find yourself in now.
Our Fifth one is one you may not have thought of but it will certainly help you I'm sure and may even surprise you if you put this into practice, even if you avoided this in the past.
I'm sure you have experienced many times when you are out whether it be walking down the street or coming out of the store or even when you are inside of a public place and someone comes up to you to ask you if you 'have a smoke' and is 'bumming' off of you.
I know that when this happens you do either one of 3 things: The first and most common is to say "no i'm sorry I don't have any.
" and if you are trying to keep your remaining cigs to yourself then you might even say.
"Sorry I don't smoke.
" NOW STOP RIGHT THERE.
IF you have said this then this is your subconscious grappling in one way or another with your inability to quit.
You don't WANT to smoke and the only time you say you are not a smoker is when SOMEONE ELSE ASKS YOU FOR A CIGARETTE.
Ironic isn't it? Now this is where this gets interesting.
The second thing you might do is say 'sure'.
and give them a cigarette.
If you just bought a pack and you can spare one then this is not a big deal to you because you're good for now.
If you only have a few left then no dice to the bummer and he is out of luck because you need your last few cigs for the night.
But let me now tell you your third option.
What if every time someone asked you for a cigarette that you ALWAYS said yes and ALWAYS gave one out? Never mind that you just bought a pack or are almost out.
You will be going by the law of averages, the more people ask you the more likely you are to give them away.
Do not be resistant.
What this does is take the addiction you have and you are sending it away.
Now it's obvious that you are in some ways supporting another's habit but at the same time you are lessening your own.