How to Develop a Mindset to Help You Quit Smoking

How to Develop a Mindset to Help You Quit Smoking Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit Print How to Develop a Mindset to Help You Quit Smoking By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Updated on January 08, 2020  10000 Hours/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking-Related Diseases The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. For some people, there is that magical click when everything falls into place before quitting or just after, but for most of us, reshaping our attitude into a winning mindset comes gradually, one day at a time. Practice Makes Perfect Make up your mind to settle in and apply yourself to the task of breaking the links in the chains that bind you to nicotine addiction, one at a time, however long that might take. Feed your quit program with daily doses of education and support, making a point to end every day on a note of gratitude. Incorporating these things into your life until they become a natural part of your daily routine took work, but are stepping stones to the mindset youre trying to developâ€"one that will permanently take you away from smoking. How to Beat Mind Games When You Quit Smoking Knowledge Is Power Education is a powerful tool that can help us change how we think about smoking. Start reading everything you can find about nicotine addiction, withdrawal, and the recovery process. When you know what to expect and have a plan in place to manage the bumps in the road, those bumps are less likely to trip you up. Education takes you out of the role of being a helpless victim of addiction and puts you in the driver’s seat with your quit program. Changing Your Relationship to Smoking Facing nicotine addiction head-on has another significant benefit. By looking closely at the scope of the damage and death smoking causes, we begin to think differently about our buddy, the cigarette, and we start to change our relationship with smoking. How can something that kills so many so ruthlessly be a friend? Education will help you take the blinders off, and that is a very good thing. The Power of Now Our power to affect change in our lives  always lies in the present. What we do today has great influence over our tomorrowsâ€"an important thing to remember in this process. Keep your eye on the prize and stay firmly planted in the day you have in front of you only. Recovery from nicotine addiction is a process, not an event. It takes education, support, and patience. Anything Worth Having Is Worth Working For Yes, quitting tobacco is hard work at times, especially early on, but dig your feet in and take it on. Remind yourself daily about why you want to quit smoking, and picture yourself as a contented nonsmoker, free of the need to light up every hour on the hour. It’s not a  far-fetched conceptâ€"it’s doable, and you have the ability to make it happen, right now. Believe it and believe in yourself. The rewards far outweigh the work it takes to achieve freedom from nicotine addiction. What to Expect When You Quit Smoking