CBQ Method

Quitting Smoking Naturally

Nasia Davos

Why Stop Smoking Aids Don’t Work, and What to Do Instead

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If you’ve failed to quit smoking using different stop smoking aids or if you’re thinking of trying quit smoking methods like the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, stop smoking pills or vaping…

…then this article is for you.

Because here you will learn:

  • What are the common quitting smoking aids.
  • Why most smoking cessation aids don’t work. (I am going to reveal to you what many organizations out there don’t want you to know- you’ll understand why.)
  • And what is the easiest quit smoking method.

See, most people think that they are not strong enough or committed enough to overcome their addiction.

But the truth is this: they fail because they use the stop smoking aids that simply don’t work for them.

What happens (or has happened) to all of us, is that we waste our hope, time and money on methods and quit smoking products that don’t give us what we need:

  • fewer cravings
  • less anxiety
  • and a life free from the thought of nicotine.
quit smoking and save money

The worst part?

After trying and failing, you end up thinking “I can’t quit smoking. Nothing will ever work for me.”

But it’s not your fault.

And after reading this post you will know why.

But before you read any further, I need to clarify this: I am happy when people quit smoking- no matter how they do it because only good things happen when you quit smoking.

What I want to illustrate in this post is WHY most people:

  • Can’t quit.
  • Relapse.
  • Experience painful withdrawal symptoms.

Let’s dive in. Shall we?

The Common Stop Smoking Aids

Here’s a list of the quit smoking products available to you.

  • Stop smoking patches with nicotine
  • Nicotine gum
  • Nicotine lozenges
  • Nicotine inhaler
  • Stop smoking pill containing varenicline
  • Vaping or else electronic cigarettes with nicotine and without nicotine

Why Nicotine Replacement Therapy – Nicotine Patch, Gum, and Lozenges – Doesn’t Work

First, let’s see how nicotine affects us.

Every puff of cigarette delivers a small dose of nicotine to your brain that causes your blood pressure to rise.

Nicotine has a short-term effect so your bloodstream levels fall within 45 minutes after your last puff.

That’s when you have a craving, meaning that most smokers have a craving every 45 minutes and twenty major cigarette cravings a day.

That’s also the reason a pack contains 20 cigarettes.

Nicotine replacement products like stop smoking patches, stop smoking gum, nicotine lozenges, and nicotine inhaler do exactly the same thing.

They feed you with nicotine.

And they cause you to have cravings.

You tell me:

Would you tell the cocaine addict to quit by chewing cocaine gums? Or would you tell the cocaine addict to detox by spraying more cocaine in his mouth?

Of course not.

It doesn’t work that way.

Then WHY use the same stop smoking aids to cure the nicotine addiction?

Why You Can't Quit Smoking with NRT

It doesn’t make any sense!

The result?

1. One of the nicotine gum and nicotine patch side effects is getting addicted to them.

2. If you still believe that smoking is something pleasurable that gives you relief, calmness, and happiness… then no matter what you do to stop, you will always go back to smoking when you face a challenging situation.

…Even if you cover yourself with nicotine patches from head to toe.

Why?

Because it’s this repetitive familiar movement that you do with your hands, that gives you comfort when you’re stressed.

The repetition gives you the illusion of stability and takes you back to your safe place.

Gregory Connolly, director of the Centre for Global Tobacco Control at Harvard School of Public Health and his research team, concluded that the nicotine gum and nicotine patch designed to help smokers quit aren’t effective for longer than a few months.

And even then, the need for cigarettes is not eliminated. (Read more about this study here)

… That’s what I call: a short-term remedy.

Why Stop Smoking Aids of Varenicline Don’t Work

Chemical tablets like Champix and Chantix are drugs of varenicline.

Pills containing varenicline affect the brain and minimize your withdrawal symptoms.

By taking this medication to stop smoking, you don’t supply your body with nicotine and you don’t reinforce your smoking behavior.

Sounds good, right?

Is there a catch?

You bet.

Unlike the CBQ quit smoking method, varenicline pills don’t show you how to deal with the mental aspect of your addiction.

I mean, you still don’t know how to address your everyday struggles AND how to find satisfaction in things other than smoking.

PLUS by taking varenicline you experience worse psychological problems.

“Psychological problems like depression, hostility and suicidal thoughts”, said Dr. Curt Furberg, professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Note that in 2009, the FDA placed a warning label for Chantix and another drug, Zyban.

In fact, The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has received over 1,513 reports of adverse reactions, including 62 reports of suicidal feelings.

In the UK alone, Champix was the cause of 80 deaths from 2006 to 2011.

Half of them were suicides.

But the side-effects of varenicline are not just psychological (as if that’s not enough).

Stop smoking drugs like varenicline have been connected to cardiovascular problems and vision lapses.

But what happens after you stop taking these quit smoking products?

People go back to smoking to cope with … depression!

Moving on…

smoking pills

Why Vaping Doesn’t Work

Electronic cigarettes or vaping is a battery-operated device that looks like a cigarette and turns liquid from a cartridge into an aerosol, or as they prefer to call it: vapor.

E-cigarettes are a 21st-century take on smoking. (We’ve seen them on television, celebrity photos and magazine ads).

Vaping seems trendy (since you can change how it looks and tastes)…. and although people think it’s one of the innocent quit smoking aids…

…vaping is still a delivery system for nicotine; the chemical that makes cigarettes addictive.

Vaping is not a quit smoking method.

What this all boils down to, is that you can’t really quit smoking if you keep putting nicotine in your body in other forms.

And if you think vaping is healthier for your lungs, keep reading.

Scratchy throat, high blood pressure, compromised immune system, and inflamed lungs to name a few of the side effects of vaping.

  • Vaping causes inflammation of the lungs. A study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found that just one month of vaping altered the lungs of people who never vaped before.
  • E-cigarettes harm lung cells and make you less able to respond to infection says the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
  • Vaping contains acrolein (a herbicide) that can cause lung injury, COPD, asthma, and lung cancer.
  • Aerosol from JUUL (an e-cigarette brand, partly owned by Phillip Morris) impairs blood vessels the same way normal cigarette smoke does.
  • Vaping can change your lung biology, even if it’s occasional or second hand. In this study, healthy non-smokers were exposed to e-cigarette aerosol. After only 20 puffs, vaping altered the expression of 60 genes (including genes predisposing you to inflammation).

In a study on mice, researchers found that e-cigarettes generate toxins and cause lung inflammation and immune system dysfunction.

Other scientists have found that vaping emits formaldehyde, which is also carcinogenic.

And now a recent study by Harvard concluded that the chemical flavorings used in e-cigarettes are responsible for severe lung damages.

These warrants MUST be taken seriously especially from those who suffer from COPD and have switched from cigarettes to e-cigarettes.

How vaping harms health

After all this, no wonder why the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that e-cigarettes should be banned indoors.

Vapors emit chemicals, as dangerous as cigarettes, harming both active and passive vapers!

You can learn more ways e-cigarettes affect your lungs and make you susceptible to respiratory infections like coronavirus here.

Vaping instead of smoking is like inviting a burglar into your home just because they’re wearing a fancy outfit.

What All the Above Stop Smoking Aids Have in Common

All these unhealthy and ineffective methods to stop smoking have 4 things in common:

  1. Short-term effect of quitting.
  2. Side effects (including the withdrawal side effects of the nicotine patch and gum that are similar to those of cigarettes).
  3. Further psychological distress and complications.
  4. You have to keep on buying these quitting smoking aids indefinitely! 

Think about it.

You have to keep chewing gums and using the nicotine patch.

You have to keep vaping.

And you have to take the varenicline pills for 12-24 weeks.

So you never really have the chance of getting detached from the habit.

You never really have the chance to be free.

Because if you did, you wouldn’t need to buy the substitutes and the smoking cessation aids anymore.

The masterminds behind these stop smoking aids aim at your weak point: your fear of giving up smoking at all levels… physically, mentally and behaviorally.

And I understand that letting go of a 30-year-old-habit is scary if you don’t know how to do it…

So what happens, is that you’re bouncing back and forth from the tobacco companies to the quitting products…

This has to stop!

best way to quit smoking cigarettes

What about going cold turkey or using the willpower method?

Ask anyone who has succeeded in stopping that way:

“Was it hard?”

“Do you miss the occasional cigarette?”

“Were you depressed during the withdrawal period?”

They say yes.

To make matters worse, most of these people relapse within a year.

Why? Because they feel deprived.

When we use our willpower to stop smoking, what we are actually doing is this:

We first stop smoking and then wait for our desire to smoke to magically fade away by itself.

But it doesn’t.

Instead, we feel deprived and the thought of a cigarette becomes even more precious.

And the more deprived we feel, the more we tend to rationalize our thoughts of having “Just one cigarette”.

We think we need it.

We believe that one puff won’t hurt us.

Sometimes we even conclude that we chose the wrong time to stop smoking and that we should postpone it for another less stressful time in the future.

So eventually we have that precious cigarette.

That’s what I call: the cigarette of despair.

You know, the one cigarette that you hate yourself for lighting it.

But at the same time, you feel relieved because you smoked it.

That kind of disappointment makes you look for stop smoking aids.

But both willpower and stop smoking aids make quitting hard.

Why Stop Smoking Aids and the Willpower Method Make Quitting Hard

All the above quit smoking methods can only stop you from smoking cigarettes for a short period of time.

The stop smoking aids don’t remove the fears that keep you lighting up one cigarette after the other.

All the reasons you want to smoke, are still there.

For example, how can you be a happy non-smoker if you still feel like smoking while watching TV? You will still have cravings.

Or how can you remain smoke-free if you don’t know how to relax without a smoke?

You’ll go back to smoking.

And how can you quit without missing smoking if you feel your hands empty without a cigarette?

You will either turn to food for comfort or smoke. Or both!

The outdated stop smoking aids don’t show you how to feel relaxed and enjoy life without cigarettes.

That’s why most smoking cessation programs fail.

can't quit smoking

Don’t get me wrong. The common methods to quit smoking have helped many smokers quit.

This doesn’t mean, though, that they are the easiest and most successful stop smoking aids.

It’s like catching a cold and trying to find the right cure. I am sure there are many ways to fight a cold.

But would you rather use an outdated medicine that has helped few people in the past?

Or use the newest discovery that guarantees you will be cured in the easiest and most effective way?

The second of course!

And quitting smoking is no different.

So you see the problem is not that you can’t quit smoking.

The problem is that you’ve been using outdated stop smoking methods.

How to Quit Easily Without Stop Smoking Aids with the CBQ Method

The new way to quit smoking is this:

You stop desiring a cigarette BEFORE you actually stop smoking.

When you no longer desire smoking then you don’t even notice the physical withdrawal from nicotine.

And when you no longer need cigarettes, you don’t need to use willpower to resist smoking. Because there is nothing to resist.

The secret is learning to be happy without a cigarette. That’s the easiest way to quit smoking.

And that’s exactly how the CBQ method works.

With the CBQ you FIRST stop wanting to smoke and THEN you break the habit of smoking.

easy-way-to-stop-smoking

This is the solution you’ve been looking for.

The CBQ is a natural quit smoking method that doesn’t harm your health.

And it works BETTER than the common ways to stop smoking because it removes your need to smoke.

Why?

Because it follows the 4 stages that our brain gets attached or detached from a habit or an addiction.

You went through 4 stages when you become addicted to smoking and now you have to go through the same stages again to break free from the nicotine addiction naturally and easily.

Without needing stop smoking aids.

I explain everything in the Foundational Video of the CBQ Method. 

In this free video, you will learn:

  • How and why the CBQ method works.
  • Exactly what happens in each of the 4 stages.
  • And you’ll get the RIGHT tips to get started on each stage.

This is 100% free.

All you need to do is enter your name and email address so I can send you the video.

(And make sure you watch all of it because there is a free gift at the end of that video.)

Get the Foundational Video of the CBQ Method now.

How to Train Your Brain to Decide to Quit Smoking

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Finding it hard to decide to quit smoking?

The answer may have a lot to do with your brain.

Deciding to quit smoking can be hard.

Not because you are not sure if it’s good for you.

But because our brain HATES CHANGE.

So you see there is a problem here.
On the one hand, you want to quit smoking. On the other hand, your brain resists.

Why does this happen?

You see, you weren’t born a smoker.

And in the beginning, you were smoking consciously.

You probably started smoking on social occasions: “a cigarette sounds like a good idea right now”.

You didn’t need, and you didn’t even like the cigarette at that point- just the idea of it.

However, as the frequency of your cigarettes was increasing, smoking became part of yourself and your life. 

So mind stopped questioning why and if you should smoke.

So now…

You naturally feel you want, need or even love cigarettes. 

And you might be wondering…

“If smoking is now part of myself and my life, am I doomed to stay a smoker forever?”

The answer is: definitely NOT.

The same way your brain learned to need and want cigarettes, it can now learn how to stop desiring them.

And it’s incredibly easy to do that. Especially, when you follow the CBQ method. The ONLY cutting-edge method that helps you stop desiring cigarettes and learn how to feel better without your smokes.

The CBQ method has 4 quit smoking stages that take you from where you are now to a happy non-smoker. Click here to request access to the exclusive video of the 4 stages.

How to Train Your Brain to Decide to Quit Smoking

Decision-making is a skill.

Not just for stopping smoking, but for every big change you want to make in your life.

The decision process is a muscle we have to exercise like any other muscle in our body.

When someone wants to become physically fit, what do they do?

They exercise their body’s muscles – their abs, triceps, biceps and so on until they get the result they want.

Muscle-HealthBrain-muscle

The same way you have to exercise and stress your decision making muscle (that’s in the prefrontal cortex –the part of your brain responsible for rational thinking and decision making).

Once you do, you will find yourself having control over your impulses. Effortlessly .

As a result, you will feel confident to take an iron-clad decision to quit smoking. And you will feel confident to never ever doubt your decision to quit in the future.

Or any other decision for that matter.

Maybe it’s an abusive or boring relationship in which you stay because you are afraid to make a change.

Maybe you would like to move to another part of the country, and you can’t decide if it’s the best option because you don’t know how your life is going to be.

or.. you might want to quit your job, but you are unable to weigh the pros and cons of this decision because you are distracted by the fear of the unknown.

How To Train Your Decision-Making Muscle that Will Help You Quit Smoking.

You have to exercise your decision-making muscle.

Every day.

Every moment.

It will take practice, but it is worth it – I promise.

The success of this exercise presupposes you don’t just read the steps.

You have to act upon them because experiential learning is what challenges your inherent fear of change.

The ASU Strategy

train your brain to quit

Step 1: bring the decision-making muscle to your Awareness.

Every time you want to smoke, Acknowledge that you are about to make a decision.

Say to yourself: “now I am drinking my coffee, and I want to smoke.”

I decide to take my pack in my hands,

take out a cigarette,

put it in my mouth and light it.”

That’s how you start making your smoking less unconscious and automatic.

For even better results, don’t limit yourself just to smoking. Do it with all your routines.

For example, when you are dressing to go to work say to yourself:

“I am choosing to wear this shirt and these shoes. I don’t want to wear that belt.”

Simple, right?

After feeling confident you can acknowledge most of your automatic decisions, you have to…

Step 2: Stretch the decision-making muscle.

You will stretch your decision-making muscle if you explain to yourself why you made a decision.

Let’s say that you just had your meal. Don’t just take out a cigarette and smoke it.

First, acknowledge your smoking urge.

Then, you have to give a reason for deciding to smoke or not.

Be careful: don’t say: “I choose to smoke because I like it.”

That’s not stretching your decision-making muscle. You have to give an explanation.”

For example, you can say to yourself: “I choose to smoke because I think I can’t digest my meal without it.”

Again, for faster results do this with every chance you get.

Let’s say you are about to check your Facebook page.

Give a reason: “because I want to see the news, because I want to message that person or because I am bored”.

After being aware of your automatic urges and you are used to giving a reason for them (and this might take you a few days of practice)…

Decide to quit smokingStep 3: Use the decision-making muscle.

After doing step 1 and 2 consistently, you will be able to use your muscle and take different decisions.

You will not find yourself weakened by your impulses.

Imagine…

You are driving your car, and you feel like smoking.

You think: “I want to smoke…” (awareness)

…”because I believe driving is boring without smoking.” (explanation)

But since you had been practicing steps 1 and 2, you now have the mental capacity to get perspective and say:

“I choose not to smoke because it’s just a drive, and I can enjoy myself just by listening to music.” (choice)

You always have a choice.

If you are on a diet, and you get a chocolate craving, your internal dialogue will be something like that:

“I now have an urge to eat chocolate.”

“I want to eat it because it tastes sweet.”

And NOW after acknowledging and stretching your muscle you can use it:

“I choose not to eat it because I am on a diet; being in a good shape tastes better than this chocolate.”

Every cigarette you don’t smoke because you acknowledged, stretched and used your decision-making muscle brings you one step closer to taking control over your habit.

And with time, you will be able to speed-pass steps 1 and 2 and go directly to step 3.

Decision making is a skill that will keep giving you value throughout your life. You already know that.

What makes this technique successful, it’s the actual process of observing and managing yourself.

Deciding not to smoke and knowing why you want this, will gradually lead you to take the final decision to quit smoking without feeling pain.

And no matter what’s your individual decision-making style, this strategy will work for you because it is neurological.

And we all have the same nervous system. So it works for all of us.

Do you want to quit smoking in a way that’s easy and permanent?

Then you need to follow the 4 quit smoking stages of the CBQ method.

These 4 stages take you from where you are now to a happy non-smoker. Click here to request access to the exclusive video of the 4 stages.

It’s 100% free.

All you need to do is enter your name and email address. And make sure you watch all of it, because there is a free gift at the end of that video.

Get the 4 stages of the CBQ method now.

How to Stop Nicotine Cravings – 3 Techniques That Work

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Cigarette cravings can give you nightmares (or daymares).

Especially, when you are trying to quit smoking or when you are in a situation where you are not allowed to smoke.

Think about it.

When you habitually smoke, you don’t miss cigarettes.

We only miss something when we don’t have it.

Yes, it is when you feel deprived, that the cigarette becomes so precious.

It is when you can’t smoke or believe you shouldn’t smoke, that you feel you need a cigarette more than ever.

Right?

Craving cigarettes can make you anxious.

And this anxiety will keep building up until you smoke and relieve the agonizing nicotine craving.

What Makes Cigarette Cravings SO Overwhelming

Truth be told, the cigarette craving is nothing more than a physical sensation like hunger. There is no physical pain.

No spasms, no cramps, no aches.

So what is it?

According to the CBQ method, what makes a craving so overwhelming is the THOUGHT that the agony of that craving will never pass…. unless you give in and smoke.

Ok, so below are 3 exercises that will show you how to curb cigarette cravings in 2 ways:

  • By occupying your mind during the 3-minute period of a craving.
  • And by thinking about smoking in a different way.

These exercises will stop cravings for occasional and heavy smokers. And they will work for you too.

Experiment with all the exercises and then choose which one works best for you.

Then all you have to do is use it 🙂

Ready?

Ok, here we go.

How To Stop Cigarette Craving

1. Question the Craving

When craving cigarettes, stop panicking and ask yourself:

  •  “What do I really need now?” 
  •  “What can I do instead of smoking that will make me feel better?”

The immediate response will be: “I want a cigarette; a cigarette would make me feel better.”

Dig a little deeper. Search for the real emotional needs you’re trying to patch up.

A common state we (smokers, ex-smokers, non-smokers- in other words, all humans) are after is this: feeling relaxed and peaceful. 

If that’s the case for you too, you know what you have to do: focus on finding other ways to relieve your stress and relax.

You don’t need to use willpower to resist smoking. That’s painful.

The easiest way to stop a quit smoking craving is to redirect your focus on the reason you want to smoke.

And then think about other ways to feel better.

By the time you’re done, the craving will be over.

2. Rename the Craving

During a craving, there is an internal dialogue taking place in your mind.

And it goes something like this:

– “I want a cigarette.”

– “You can’t have cigarettes.”

– “But I want to smoke” – and then it’s a matter of giving up or resisting and waiting fearfully for the next craving.

What’s the problem here? All of your thoughts revolve around the word “cigarette”.

And the words we use, affect our mind and our body. So the more you say the word cigarette, you will experience the craving more intensely.

The solution is to replace the word cigarette with another one.

Some examples I give in my TED talk are: “popcorn”, “air”, “power”, “freedom”.

So next time you have a nicotine craving, keep saying: “I want popcorn.” – Use any word or phrase that resonates with you.

That’s how you will change the negative impact of your internal dialogue and, therefore, the way you experience your craving.

By changing the words you feed your mind with, you can change your emotional state.

Why?

Because our emotions are affected by the pictures we create in our mind.

You are not going to think of the same things if you use the word “cigarette” and “popcorn.”

So you will experience your craving in an entirely different way.

The power inherent in this exercise is amazing, and it will help you tremendously because it takes advantage of how your brain works.

Just try it!

3. Visualize the Craving

The moment you start craving cigarettes, picture yourself riding a wave. 

how to stop cigarette cravings with the wave exerciseYour craving is the wave.

This wave rises in height along with your craving’s intensity.

Imagine this as high as you need. 

Focus on this image, the sounds, and the feelings.

Immerse in the picture and let the wave follow the ups and downs of your emotions. When the urge starts to slow down, the wave will go down with it.

In a study by Sarah Bowen, a research scientist at the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington, participants who used just this technique cut down 37% of their smoking.

Click here to learn the full technique from Bowen.

Are Cravings Painful?

The reason smokers suffer from cravings is simple: they feel deprived.

This deprivation is intensified by the idea that we are making a sacrifice by quitting.

But, the truth is that we are losing nothing by stopping smoking.

Instead, we gain; better health, more quality time, more money and more freedom.

The problem is that most people try to quit smoking with methods that make them feel deprived.

This brings them down so they can’t really focus on all the benefits they get by quitting.

The solution is to use a method that makes quitting easy and in fact, liberating.

If that’s what you’re looking for then make sure you don’t miss this free exclusive video of the 4 quit smoking stages. Click here to access it with your name and email address 

Once I email you the video, you will learn how to double your chances of quitting successfully and how to quit smoking with a feeling of excitement and absolute freedom.

If you want to learn how to fight nicotine cravings, Get the exclusive video of the 4 stages now.

How Long Do Cigarette Cravings Last

Your cravings will last 10 days, and each craving lasts maximum 3 minutes.

And they will peak on the 3rd day of abstinence, where you will have 6 cravings.

After that, you will have fewer and fewer cravings, and each craving will be less intense than the previous one.

So use the 3 exercises to make these first days easy!

3 Steps to Create a Successful Quit Plan in Just 15 Minutes

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Yes, after finishing this article you will have your quit plan.

But that’s not going to be any smoking cessation plan. It’s going to a quit plan that will work for you even if you’ve been smoking for more than 30 years.

But before I get into that, let me ask you this:

What does baking a cake, building a Lego toy and quitting smoking have in common?

You need to follow some kind of plan to get the result you want.

Let me explain.

If you want to bake a specific cake and find it easy what do you do? You follow a recipe so you can use the right ingredients and in the correct sequence.

If you’re with your children or grandchildren trying to build a Lego castle (or an IKEA furniture), you will have to follow the steps in the manual.

And if you want to quit smoking in a way that’s easy and permanent, you need a quit plan to help you reach the finish line.

A recipe, a manual and a quit smoking plan are like a compass that can get you what you want fast and with certainty.

In fact, building a quit plan is the first and most crucial step towards stopping smoking. And it belongs to the first stage of the CBQ method.

The CBQ has four quit smoking stages that break your addiction at a 94% success rate.

On the first stage, Choose to Quit, you create your quitting smoking plan, make a firm decision to change your life so you can feel ready and empowered to become smoke-free.

So in this article, I will show you how to create a successful quit plan in 3 steps based on the CBQ.

But to make the most out of it, I encourage you to write down your quit plan and your ideas. Don’t just do it in your head.

When we write something, our brain absorbs it better. Plus, your notes will be come in handy.

So take a pen and a paper and let’s create your quit smoking plan.

How to Create the Best Quit Plan in 3 Steps

Step 1. Choose Your Quit Date

Choosing your smoke-free day is part of every successful quit plan, and something almost every happy ex-smoker has done.

If you don’t set a quit date, then you might easily postpone your attempt.

Because it’s not enough to say “I’m quitting some day after my Birthday” or “after that stressful event” or “after that holiday”.

No, that’s too vague. You need a definite quit date.

quit smoking plan

And I understand that the thought of changing your life after a specific date… might be scary.

But the truth is that setting a date as part of your quit plan, helps you get your head around the idea of quitting and prepare psychologically.

And if you do, then you will not get cold feet, when your quit day comes.

So now open your calendar and choose your quit day.

And then select the time you will smoke your last cigarette.

This day can be a Monday morning before work or a Wednesday evening when everyone sleeps and you have a moment to yourself.

There isn’t a wrong time to change your life.

However, I suggest you set your date between 10 days and 2 weeks from now so you can have time to go through the 4 quit smoking stages.

In this exclusive video, I show you everything you need to know about the four stages and how you can use them in your attempt. I will send you the video to the email you provide.

So did you choose your quit day?

If yes, great!

Now note it down on your phone, circle it in your calendar, or note it on a post-it paper and stick it in your fridge.

You have completed the first step of your quit plan.

Step 2. Create Your Quit List

A quit list is the single best thing that will ensure you are ready to go through the withdrawal easily and face any challenge successfully.

What is a “quit list”?

A quit list is a list of all the things you need to do before smoking your last cigarette so you can find quitting easier.

It’s best if you prepare this list now that you are building your quit plan.

People who leave this list to the last minute, don’t have enough time to prepare. That makes them feel anxious and overwhelmed, so they end up not quitting.

But that’s not going to be you.

Because I will give you the full list now so you can prepare.

Read the list once and then start checking off the to-do’s you have completed.

Also, feel free to adjust this list. Add or remove things if you want.

happy woman quitting smoking

  • I have thrown or given away all my ashtrays, lighters and cigarettes on the day before my quit day.

Many smokers save a pack or a couple of cigarettes just in case they need to smoke. This is your addiction trying to trick you. To succeed, cut off every single opportunity to take a puff.

  • I have told my loved ones that I am quitting smoking.

Telling your friends and family that you are giving up will help you stick to your decision.

If you feel that is is putting extra pressure on you or that quitting is something you need to do by yourself, that’s absolutely fine.

At least, reach out to one person who can support you.

  • If my friends, family or colleagues smoke in front of me, I either remove myself from the situation or keep myself busy with something else.

When you are surrounded by people who smoke, you might feel tempted to smoke.

If you don’t have to put yourself in situations like these, don’t. But if you find yourself with other smokers, here’s how to cope with smoking triggers.

  • I am prepared and know how to fight cigarette cravings.

Knowing what to expect from your nicotine urges and how to deal with them will increase your confidence in your attempt as well as your chances of success.

Here I show you how to fight cigarette cravings.

  • I know what things to do instead of smoking.

Especially during the first smoke-free days, you will need to keep yourself busy.

Choose an activity to occupy your mind and hands so that you wouldn’t smoke: play with a stress ball, start journaling, take up a new hobby, fake smoke cinnamon sticks or indulge in sugar-free lollipops.

  • I am not using any nicotine substitutes like gums, patches or vaping.

 There is this myth that nicotine patches, gums and vaping relieve the nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

But that’s not true.

These products make it easier for you to relapse because they keep you addicted to nicotine and to the idea that you need it to feel relaxed and happy.

Listen. Nicotine substitutes do not show you how to stop needing smoking and how to live happily without it.

You see, nobody prevents you from sticking a patch to one hand and lighting up a cigarette with the other. You can’t overcome the addiction to nicotine by taking more nicotine.

  • I have written down my reasons to quit smoking and have this paper with me all the time. (see step 3)
  • I have chosen how I will reward myself every day I am a non-smoker.

Once you smoke your last cigarette focus on remaining smoke-free one day at a time.

At the end of every day, reward yourself for a job well done. Buy yourself a gift or an experience – no matter how big or small.

  • I have a meal plan for after quitting so that I can control my food intake and avoid gaining any weight.

Many smokers gain weight after quitting.

The reason is that they snack a lot or eat more substantial portions. To prevent that, create a meal plan for your smoke-free self and stick to it.

Also, after having a meal stand up immediately and brush your teeth to replace the time that used to be dedicated to smoking. That way you will not gain weight.

quit smoking weight gain

  • I am following a quit smoking method.

To quit successfully make sure you follow an approach that offers you guidance, certainty, and coping skills to get rid of this addiction.

  • The last few days before my quit date, I am making smoking an unpleasant experience.

What will help you prepare for your quit day is taking the enjoyment out of smoking.

For example, only allow yourself to smoke outside in the cold or while standing up or anywhere that’s uncomfortable.

You can copy paste this list on your phone or write it down by hand.

Let’s move on to the last part of your quit plan.

Step 3. Write Your Reasons for Stopping

The last step of your quit smoking plan is writing down your reasons for wanting to stop smoking.

Doing this simple exercise will take you 7 minutes but it can make your quit plan succeed.

See, writing down why you want to be smoke-free has the power t0 strengthen your desire to quit.

And when our desire to quit grows stronger than our desire to smoke… then deciding to quit becomes easier.

I believe all smokers have reasons for quitting with health being on top of the list. At least, it was for me when I was a smoker.

Although we know why we want to quit, we rarely write our reasons down and reflect on them without guilt.

That’s why now it’s the perfect opportunity to write the top 10 reasons why you want your quit plan to work.

Ok, let’s do this exercise together.

Take a pen and a piece of paper and write the top 10 reasons why you want to quit smoking.

Write down anything that comes to your mind – Really, just write it down. It just has to make sense to you.

  • Do you want to feel and be healthier, more alive and vibrant?
  • Would you like to feel closer to your family, children and loved ones?
  • Do you want to stop hearing complaints about your smoking habit?
  • Do you want to stop this unattractive smell that stains on your hair and clothes?
  • Would you like to breathe better, deeper and easier?
  • Do you want to improve your taste buds?
  • Do you want to prove people wrong? People who doubted you or made you feel weak?

Keep writing…

  • How would it be if you had the freedom to enjoy your drink without a cigarette?
  • How much in control would you feel if you were able to say “No, I don’t smoke anymore”?
  • You would feel more confident, right?
  • How proud would you feel if you inspired others to quit too?

So. do it now! Write how you imagine yourself and your life as a non-smoker. ….

Reasons to quit smoking list

Wrote your reasons? Great!

How to use your reasons to quit smoking to make your quit plan thrive

Before your Quit Date:

Every time you smoke a cigarette, take out the paper with your reasons to quit and read it.

By doing this, you will make smoking unpleasant. Also, focusing on the benefits of quitting smoking will help you train your mind to look forward to your smoke-free life.

On your Quit Date and After:

Keep this list with you at all times so you can feel motivated to follow your quit plan.

And when you go through a challenging time, look at that list and remember why you wanted to quit in the first place.

What Comes After Your Quit Plan

After you create your quit plan is time…to quit.

And there are many methods to do that.

Keep in mind that the quit plan we created together comes from the CBQ method but it will do wonders for you no matter how you stop smoking.

But if you want to kick this addiction easily and naturally using a method that removes your desire for smoking, then do follow the four stages of the CBQ method.

I have created a video for you where I explain what are the 4 stages and how you can use them in your quit plan.

Click here to request access to the exclusive video of the 4 stages.

It’s free – just enter your name and email address so I can send you the video.

Get the 4 stages of the CBQ method now.