[EN] How to stop smoking

Smoking can easily turn from a rebellious social pleasure to an expensive unhealthy burden for its consumers.

Actually, smokers understand quickly that this habit hadn’t made them happy not even in the first second. That’s when they decide to quit smoking. And then they have to realize that they don’t need to just stop smoking and move on, they must begin a new healthy life, free of cigarettes worry.

I have tried to quit smoking for half of the time that I actually smoked. This means 6 years out of 12. I’ve tried patches, chewing gum, herbal cigarettes, even a book. Everything was failing, while I was searching for something that could teach me how to stop smoking. Meanwhile, I was finding excuses not to do it, such as the large number of smokers in my entourage, the few healthy smokers and the even fewer frustrated friends that have tried to stop smoking and failed.

In a short while, I realized that smoking is a psychological issue and has to be dealt with as such. So, I started so see cigarettes as they really are: an ugly smelly thing that burns my precious youth. I’ve noticed how hideous middle aged smokers look and how they always complain about having lost a huge amount of money and now are unable to quit smoking, because they're too old.

I had forgotten how life without cigarettes was, so I went to a place where cigarettes were forbidden and stayed there for three days – just enough to learn how to quit smoking. There, I’ve come to see that I had to deal with two addictions: nicotine and other cigarettes related habits.

The first days after I decided to stop smoking were awesome and full of long forgotten miracles: the easy lungs feeling, fresh air, the refreshing taste of water. I wanted this new life, where non-smokers where optimistic, where I could run for more than one minute without getting tired and the fresh smell of my clothes.

I cleaned up my house and, in order to keep my thoughts busy, I began a new fight: against the extra kilograms that were to come. I drank a lot of natural juice and tea instead of eating, I ran in the park when I wanted to smoke, I took deep breaths of air when I felt the need to count the days since I had quit smoking.    

After approximately two months of a cigarettes free life, I am able to give you a few short pieces of advice on how to quit smoking:

• Don’t just quit smoking, using a specific method. Work on rediscovering yourself.
• Be careful to keep yourself motivated. After three or four weeks, you may want to forget that you wanted to stop smoking, but if you don’t give up, you’ll succeed.
• Avoid smokers, smoking places and occasions. Facing them is not a solution.
• Search withing you for the main reason you like cigarettes and, then, discover its inconvenients.
• Keep your time and thoughts busy. And clean up that house full of smoke.

This being said, good luck, smoker! Let yourself live.