•  Why do you want to quit? Write down your reasons and post them in your home and office.

  

•  If you need help, call the Delaware Quitline.
•  Build a support network of family, friends, and coworkers.
•  Set a “Quit Day” and stick to it.
•  Before your Quit Day, throw away all your cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and promotional items.
•  Clean and air out your house and car; get rid of as much of the tobacco smell as possible.
•  Make a dental appointment to have your teeth cleaned.
•  Avoid alcohol while you’re quitting.
•  Learn to relax and manage your stress.
•  Keep something handy to replace the cigarette in your fingers: hold a pencil, play with a paper clip, or a rubber band.
•  Be more active — work on projects, hobbies, or house/yard work. Avoid watching television or just sitting

  

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•  Be physically active every day.
•  The urge to smoke will soon go away, whether you smoke or not. Distract yourself by focusing on something else.
•  List situations which trigger you to light up a cigarette—and try to avoid those situations.
•  If you know other people who smoke, ask them not to smoke around you.
• Keep track of how much you spend on cigarettes. Put your daily cigarette money into a savings account and use it to buy a reward for yourself after your first smoke-free year.

You will likely have withdrawal symptoms, because nicotine is addicting. Symptoms may include nervousness, irritability, temporary depression, dry mouth, cough. Remember that these withdrawal symptoms are temporary, and will go away in a few weeks.

Take it one day at a time. If you slip, you are not a failure. If you smoke today, tell yourself you will quit again tomorrow.

Studies show the more often you try to quit, the more likely you are to quit permanently. Using two methods at once also increases your likelihood of success. For example, you may want to join a smoking cessation class, and use nicotine gum or the nicotine patch at the same time.