4 tips to help you quit smoking

Thousands of people have successfully quit smoking. Now it's your turn. Here are three practical tips you can use in your everyday life to ensure that you quit smoking for good. 

1. Be practical, be prepared
Smoking is an addiction, so you need to be ready now that you've decided to quit. Choose a date or a day that is as stress-free as possible – not when you're moving house or starting a new job. Avoid temptation by making sure that you don't have cigarettes or a lighter on you, and don't sit in the smoking section of any restaurants or food courts. 

2. Occupy your mind
Quitting smoking is often seen as more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Many smokers can come to see cigarettes as a ‘crutch' to lean on, but don't worry; we've got some great tips on how to focus your mind. Try talking to a friend or family member about your favourite subjects – a good conversation is great at distracting you from any cigarette cravings. Similarly, moving around or being active is a very effective way of keeping yourself occupied, whether that's playing a game on your phone or going for a quick walk. 

3. Get support
You don't have to quit smoking alone. Ask friends and family to support you, they'll be glad to lend a helping hand. Talk to your local GP or a medical professional about medicines that can help with nicotine withdrawal. Professional advisors can customise a no-smoking plan according to your lifestyle, and offer you useful advice and support during your journey. In fact, according to Singapore's Health Promotion Board, professional help and support actually increases your likelihood of quitting by as much as four times! 

4. Get a pocket companion
You can also download a number of different apps to help you quit smoking. For example, Stop Smoking - Mindfulness Meditation App to cessation smoking provides you with guided meditation sessions that are designed to reduce the stress of addiction. The first five-minute session is free. Another useful apps is tweetsmoking, which allows you to share your quit smoking-journey with other Twitter users. For every day you don't smoke, the app's rose graphic will bloom. 

So what are you waiting for? Get together with like-minded friends that want to stop and help each other to quit. If you need some more motivation click here to find out how just one session of hypnosis helped one man kick the habit.