How to Quit Smoking Cold Turkey

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Understand the pros and cons of quitting cold turkey.

   Quitting cold turkey means deciding to quit smoking completely without the help of nicotine replacement therapy or drugs.
   
   This requires perseverance and independence.
   
   Only 3-10% of people have been able to successfully quit smoking cold turkey because of the drastic change this makes in their lives.
   
   Before you try quitting cold turkey, you should understand the advantages and disadvantages of the process.Advantages:
   If you have to quit because you have a serious health problem as a result of your smoking, quitting cold turkey will be the quickest way to improve your health or to keep it from further deteriorating.
   
   You will also be more motivated to do it on your own if you have a serious health risk.
   
   You may feel more pain, but you'll feel it for a shorter amount of time.
   
   Instead of spending months or even a year dealing with medication and nicotine therapy and slowly weaning your body off nicotine, you will be able to conquer your addiction more quickly if you do succeed.
   
   Disadvantages:
   You may experience intense and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as depression, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety.
   
   You have less of a chance of success if you quit cold turkey than if you try to use a combination of other methods.
2. 2

   Step 2: Make a game plan.

   Making a game plan will help you be more firm about your decision to quit, and will make you more committed to the process.
   
   You should pick a day on your calendar for starting to quit, and mark off every day that you have successfully gone without smoking.
   
   Pick a time of your week or month that will be the most stress-free, where you'll be less likely to break down and want a cigarette.
   
   Know your triggers.
   
   Write down the triggers that lead you to smoking, whether it's drinking whisky, going to parties, or even listening to jazz.
   
   Decide how you can avoid them.
   
   Keep reminding yourself why you want to quit.
   
   Once you start your plan, keep telling yourself that you want to quit for health reasons, for your family, and for your friends.
   
   You can even write a motivational note to yourself and keep it in your wallet.
   
   Remember that the first few days are the hardest.
   
   Factor this into your game plan.
   
   Reward yourself for getting through your first few days, or first few weeks, of quitting cold turkey.
   
   Keep a journal where you record your thoughts and feelings throughout the process.
   
   Make a plan to write in the journal at least once a day so you feel more in touch with how your mind and body are feeling. , If you manage your stress, you will be much less likely to keep smoking.
   
   You may even be using smoking as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, so it's important to find other ways of dealing with your stress so you're not tempted to relapse.
   
   Here are some great ways to manage your stress so your mind feels sound while you're trying to quit:
   Reflect.
   
   Write down all of the factors in your life that are leading to stress and figure out how you can minimize them.
   
   If you can eliminate or reduce any sources of stress before you start trying to quit, the process will be much easier.
   
   Do activities that calm you down.
   
   Try meditation, yoga, taking long walks, or listening to soothing music before bed.
   
   Get lots of rest.
   
   You will feel much more capable of dealing with stressful situations if you go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, and give your body enough time to sleep.
   
   Open up to a friend about your feelings.
   
   You will feel much more at ease if you don't feel so alone in your decision to quit smoking.
3. 3

   Step 3: Manage your stress.

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