While most smokers realize that smoking is a risky and unhealthy activity, many of them are unable to quit successfully.

Make your self a list of the reasons to and the reasons not to stop smoking. Putting the issue in writing will help you to see it more clearly. Use this as a source of motivation, and build your focus on your daily challenges.

If you want to quit smoking, the word for you is "No". Every time you're tempted you have to disallow yourself the ability to say "Yes" to a cigarette. If your only answer is "No" you'll find that you can't cave in to a craving. No cigarettes, no "Maybe", leads to no smoking!

If you're trying to quit smoking, stopping "cold turkey" is a bad idea. Quitting without a means of support for nicotine withdrawal is an uphill battle. Because nicotine is addictive, it's very easy to relapse without some form of support when quitting. It's best to use smoking cessation medicine, or some type of therapy when you're ready to quit.

Don't rush into quitting. Take it day-by-day. Take your journey day by day, focusing on the moment instead of the future. A short timeline can help you stay on track instead of worrying about what is coming next. Once you are committed to short term quitting, thinking about the long term will be easier.

Try to avoid alcohol if you're trying to quit smoking. Alcohol and cigarettes are naturally complimentary to each other. In addition, alcohol lowers your mental focus, meaning you are more likely to give in to temptation or peer pressure. Ifavoid alcohol, you're more likely to stay clear of mind. This might just mean that quitting becomes a bit easier.

One of the hardest things to deal with when quitting smoking is the oral fixation. Once you give up cigarettes, consider carrying sugar-free candies, cough drops or coffee stirrers around to keep your mouth busy and keep you mind off of cigarettes. There are also devices made to help you quit smoking that will also help keep you mouth busy.

Improve your chances of successfully quitting by sharing your plan to quit with supportive loved ones and friends. The encouragement you receive can provide extra motivation during rough patches, and telling people about quitting will help you stay more accountable. Have a few people on stand-by whom you can call for distraction whenever you get a craving.

If you reach a milestone while quitting, congratulate or reward yourself for your accomplishments. For example, after a week without smoking, treat yourself to a movie. On day 30 you can go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Build up the rewards until you are completely free of cigarettes.

One of the benefits of quitting smoking is improving the health of your family. They are probably exposed to your secondhand smoke, and this can cause breathing and health problems. So by choosing to quit smoking you not only lessen the risk of you getting a type of disease, or other kind of illness, but you also reduce the chance that a loved one will too. Not only will you be saving your own life, you will be keeping your loved ones healthy.

When you are fighting the urge to smoke, go and do some exercise. Not only will your body benefit while you are keeping fit, the physical activity can help to keep the urges at bay. Anything that can be used as a distraction while you are working through the crave is a great tool to use.

The majority of people who smoke do so with the knowledge that the activity that they are engaging in is unhealthy and dangerous. A lot of them also have difficulty quitting due to the addictive nature of smoking. However, there are strategies that have helped others quit that can help you quit successfully too. Use the tips that have been provided in this article, and hopefully smoking will be a thing of the past.