The Best Time To Quit Smoking

The best time to quit smoking is right now.

Here's why...

Without a doubt the best time to quit smoking is right now. If you wait for the just the right time to stop smoking, it's too easy to put it off and find lots of reasons to delay quitting.

Studies have revealed that people who quit smoking as soon as they've made the decision have a greater success rate than those who wait. When we make a decision and follow through, we tend to get caught up in the moment and our momentum carries us along for at least awhile. By the time we have second thoughts we may be well on the way to successfully kicking the habit.

Surprisingly, the success rate for those who quit on the spur of the moment is actually better even than for those who plan ahead to quit. It's often been thought that making a plan of how and when to quit would better lead to success, but that's not always true.

One reason why those who quit now may be more successful is because the motivation to quit may be the result of reading or hearing about some disturbing new information about smoking. Maybe your child talked to you about how worried they are that smoking will make you sick. Perhaps you heard about a friend who has been diagnosed with a smoking related illness or disease.

Whatever the reason, if you suddenly think that maybe it's time to quit, take yourself up on the idea immediately. Don't think about your decision too much. Just quit on the spot. Toss away your cigarettes so they're not handy if you get second thoughts or have a craving.

Another reason why now is the best time to quit smoking is that the sooner you quit, the sooner your body can begin to recover from the effects that smoking has had on you. You never know when smoking will cause a serious health related problem, so why not quit before major problems arise?

Now, if you function better with structure in your life, add stop smoking to your to-do list and start planning when and how you'll quit. Write it in your journal, jot the date in your planner or on your calendar. Make a firm commitment to yourself. It works best if you put it in writing. Then follow through with your commitment.

Telling others that you are quitting and when, is a good strategy also. We often have more trouble disappointing others than we do ourselves, so by telling someone, that will be extra motivation to follow through.

Part of your planning should include taking a look at some of the many quit smoking aids that are available. Herbal Smoking Cessation products have shown some good results. Gum, the patch, or nicotine replacement therapy can all help you quit. Some people have good results using laser treatment to stop smoking. Others have been able to stop smoking by hypnosis.

So what's the best time to quit smoking? Now is best, of course, but any day that you decide to quit is pretty good too. The most important part is to just do it.