Tips From Former Smokers

I went online and found people’s stop-smoking 'tricks.' I wrote them on post-it notes and left them everywhere. When I had weak moments, I read the notes posted by ‘strong’ Jackie and they really helped.
Jackie , South Burlington

 

 

I really cleaned house. I got rid of all the things that made me think of cigarettes. I even cleaned out the car so I wouldn’t connect driving with smoking.
Michelle , Worcester

 

 

I worked with a stop-smoking program, and they gave me one tip that really did the trick. I would take a shower every night before bed and when I woke up in the morning to wash away the nicotine on my skin. When I wasn’t smelling the nicotine, my cravings went away.
Larissa , Colchester

 

For the office: I took a ping pong ball and rubber bands. When the urge was there and I needed to do something with my hands I would put the bands around the ball. Not as easy as expected and it kept my mind and hands busy until the craving passed. It's small can be left on a desk or carried around.
Marilyn , Middletown Springs

 

 

The week before my quit date, I started putting all my butts in a jar. When it was mostly full, I filled it completely with water. Whenever I wanted to smoke after that, I would look at the jar. If I really wanted a cigarette, I would unscrew the cap and get a whiff of the toxic stench! It really helped in the first few weeks remember the reasons I wanted to quit. I didn't want my hair, clothes, and breath to smell like that jar anymore.
Lisa , Burlington

 

 

I was nervous about the cravings before I quit. My friend Kelly told me I could call her whenever I got one. I only had to call her a couple of times, but it was really good to know that she was there for me if I needed her.
Sarah , Newport

 

I used to smoke a pack a day, which was getting pretty expensive. So when I quit, I started putting $5 a day in a jar in my kitchen. I’ve been quit for like 8 months now, so I’ve got a pretty good chunk of change saved up. If I make it to a year being quit, I’m taking my daughter on a vacation with the money.
Frank , St. Albans

 

I'd tried to quit before and slipped up. This time I went out and bought tons of things to keep me busy. I bought gum, trail mix, some stress balls. Just a bunch of stuff I could use to distract myself when I got a craving again. Pretty soon, you realize the cravings don't last that long, so it's OK.
Francy , Wilmington

 

 

 

My son and daughter had never seen me smoke, then one day they "caught me," and I felt so ashamed. I didn't want them to see me smoking, and I decided then and there that I had to quit. I knew it was not only my own health that was affected, but it also could hurt my children if I wasn't a good role model. So I held on to that image of them to help me through the tough times.
Barbara , Essex

 

The biggest reason I quit was for my son. I want to be around when he gets older. So I taped his picture anywhere I used to smoke a lot – in my car, at work, out on the porch. That way I'd see him if I got a craving. So far it's working.
Alison , Belmont

 

Exercising was the biggest thing that helped me quit. Besides not gaining weight like a lot of ex-smokers do, it gave me something to distract myself. I have a rowing machine at home, so I'd jump on that for 10 minutes if I felt like I needed a smoke. Pretty soon, I didn't get many cravings. And I started to get in shape.
John , Chelsea