Give smoking 'the flick'

In the 80s when the popular 'just say no' slogan came out, many of us were still in the prime of our 'poor decision-making phase' – otherwise known as 'the teen years'. Unfortunately, when it came to smoking, some of us just said 'yes' and now we wish we could turn back the clock to a time when a coffee meant just a coffee.

The good news is you can. You can't go back in time to change your 80s hairdo in those school pictures, but at least you can return to non-smoking and improve your health. But it might be difficult, so here are a few tips that will help you take those first few steps.

For more information on smoking and its health effects, and some useful tools, videos and animations, see Smoking.

Saying 'no' comes in stages

So yes, you may want to give smoking the big finger, but you may still be finding it hard to really give it the flick it needs. We can all slip up. This doesn't mean that you're doing badly, it just means that you are going through 'the process'.

Psychologists believe there are five main stages of the quitting process:

1. Precontemplation: Is planning to say 'see ya lata' in the next six months.
2. Contemplation: No, seriously ... in the next six months.
3. Preparation: Prep yourself to say 'OK, it's happening the second Tuesday of next month'.
4. Action: You have your last cigarette and you don't ever have another one ... well, at least not for the next 24 hours.
5. Maintenance: You haven't touched a smoke for at least six months. This is the hardest step of quitting, as any quitter will tell you.

The reason saying no comes in stages is because all decisions take time to put into action.

Why is it so hard to quit?

One word: nicotine. Unfortunately, this is a biological thing, not just a mental one. The first few hits of a good dose of nicotine release all sorts of 'feel-gooderies' on our body.

Add to this the social element of smoking, and it's very hard to say no, especially when a mate is smoking up a storm right in front of you. Even simple things like putting on the kettle or ordering that second pint for the evening can trigger a learned behaviour, where you have trained your body to expect a hit of nicotine. So perhaps it's time to break some other habits that facilitate smoking?

Motivation: Quitters ain't quitters

The most important thing is to not give up on giving up. Getting motivated is hard and staying motivated takes habit, so use the awesome things in your life to help you stay on track throughout the journey.  For example, what about your kids? Or loved ones?

Believe in yourself. We believe in you!

Start your engines

With all this talk of steps, we should mention the most important step – the first one. Without taking that courageous first step and deciding to quit, you can't reach the others. The easiest way to walk the path is with professional help. So get onto your GP and tell him that you're ready to start the process.

In the end, you can't go back in time, but you can certainly change your future.

More information

For more information, see Factors Affecting Quitting Smoking.

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• Why quit? Smoking up a storm
• More than meets the eye: What's in a cigarette?
• Seven tips to quit smoking this new year

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