Unconventional but effective ways to quit smoking, shared by former smokers with experience (10 photos)

There is no point in repeating once again that smoking is a habit that causes serious harm to health.





Not everyone has enough willpower to overcome it, even taking into account modern pharmaceuticals and methods. But when you really want to quit smoking, unexpected methods and practices can help you realize your desire. Users shared their stories and experiences on this matter.

1. Profitable Greed



"I'm probably like many ex-smokers who tried to quit many times before they finally got it. One day I was fishing with a friend and he told me he wanted to quit. My friend bet me $50 that he could go longer without a cigarette than me.

While we were waiting for a bite, drinking beer and chatting, the bet went up to $500. I'm too stingy to lose that kind of money, so I went for weeks without a cigarette. Then my friend confessed that he had started smoking again and gave me $500. I wanted to get back to old habit, but I felt so good without cigarettes that I decided to continue in the same spirit."

2. Useful phobia





"I haven't smoked for four years now. I have a terrible fear of mice. So when I decided to quit, I deliberately forced myself to look at pictures and videos of rodents every time I reached for a cigarette. My brain quickly began to associate smoking with mice and drew the appropriate conclusions."

3. It's Just Love



"One Thursday evening I went out with some friends and friends of friends. This was back in the days when smoking was allowed in pubs. I started talking to a girl, we had a nice chat, and at the end of the evening we said goodbye, planning to meet again the following week.

The next day at lunch after eating, I lit a cigarette. And my friend, who had introduced me to the lady the day before, said, "Oh yeah, you remember that girl you talked to yesterday? She doesn't really like smokers."

After thinking for a second, I put out my cigarette, crumpled the pack, threw away the lighter and haven't had the urge to smoke since. That was in 1990, and in May we'll celebrate 32 years of our wedding."

4. Thanks to my father-in-law



"I drove 10 hours in the car with my father-in-law. He was constantly smoking a pipe and filled the entire cabin with smoke. At one point he started coughing so hard that he threw up. Luckily, not on me, but out the window. The next day I quit smoking."

5. The Power of Persuasion



"I bought a pack of cigarettes (the last one) and put it in the key holder by the door. When I was a smoker, I always felt like I wanted to smoke more when I didn't have a pack on hand. Sometimes I would even go buy cigarettes in the middle of the night just to avoid that feeling.

My plan for quitting smoking was this: Every time I wanted to smoke, I would say to myself, "If I still want to smoke in 10 minutes, I'll smoke," and then I would just distract myself with something else. Usually, after a few minutes, the desire would become less intense.

No need to think about eternity without cigarettes – it’s enough to cope with each minute separately. Over time, three weeks passed, then three months, then a year, and now it’s been seven years since I stopped smoking.

By the way, it doesn’t bother me that I continue to communicate with smokers – I want to stay in a familiar environment.

So far, everything is going well. Sometimes the craving still arises, but I don’t give in to it. However, you need to remember that a smoker is forever. And if you start again, a relapse may occur.

6. Cruelty is kindness



"My grandfather smoked for many years and suffered from dementia in old age. My grandmother decided to help him quit smoking. One morning he left the room and sat down in his usual place, but the ashtray and cigarettes were gone. He asked his grandmother, "Where are my cigarettes?" She replied, "What cigarettes? You've never smoked in your life!" He believed her. Maybe sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind."

7. Take the first step



"For me, it all started with small steps. First, I set myself the goal of holding out until at least lunch. Then I had to hold out until dinner. Good job, now hold out for a whole day. How about two days? And so on. That was 23 years ago.

It was hard, but it was worth it. I had a kind of mantra that helped me through the dark times: "It's better to want to smoke at 45 than to regret smoking at 65." Now I'm that same 65-year-old, and I thank my past self every day."

8. The result after a couple of bans



"Two things helped me. First, I started putting off my first cigarette for later and later in the day. This method was surprisingly effective in reducing the number of cigarettes I smoked. Then I analyzed my triggers - situations that caused the desire to smoke - and gradually began to set rules for myself to avoid these situations.

For example, first I decided not to smoke in the car. Then I stopped smoking after meals. I also decided that I did not want to be considered a smoker at work, so I gave up cigarettes until the end of the workday.

Finally, I quit smoking alone. Over time, the triggers stopped causing cravings to nicotine, and I cut down to one or two cigarettes in the evening. Then there were days when I didn't smoke at all. When the triggers were almost gone, I just forgot about smoking."

9. The Encounter That Changed the World



"When I was first handed my newborn daughter, she smelled like heaven. I smelled like cigarette smoke myself, and I was so ashamed of myself that I promised my little girl that I would never smoke again. I haven't had a puff in the nearly 25 years since."