Quit Smoking Tips: Overcoming Past Failures - Every Day is a New Start

What is the most effective way to quit smoking?

Many smokers think that they need to give up on their own. That is simply not true. You are three times as likely to stop smoking successfully with the help of your local stop smoking service. Use these quitting smoking tips and our helpline. It’s the best place to start in reaching these services.

It’s wonderful that you have made the decision to quit, we can help.

Tips: what to do when trying to quit smoking

It’s a challenge to stop smoking, especially if you have been smoking for a while. Use these tips to help make it a bit easier on yourself.

GP Dr Eugenia Lee talks through some of the challenges of stopping smoking and shares her tips for overcoming these.

1: Picking a date really helps

Make the decision and mark it on your calendar. “Today is the day”. Make sure it’s a day that is not too busy and so you are free from the stresses of everyday life as much as possible. Once you have decided on the date, plan ahead and stick to it. Even better: Enrol in our telephone support programme and our advisers will help you set the date and prepare for it.

2: Get free support

You are three times as likely to quit successfully with your local stop smoking service than if try to stop smoking on your own. Many London boroughs have dedicated stop smoking teams waiting to help you reach your stop smoking goals. If there isn’t s service in your area, or you would rather do it from home on the telephone, our trained Stop Smoking London telephone advisers are just a call away. Choose from our free telephone quit programme or face-to-face stop smoking help in your borough, where this exists.

Know your smoking triggers

It’s important to understand what triggers you to smoke so that you can take the necessary steps to avoid them. Do you find yourself smoking more when you’re bored, drinking alcohol, or feeling stressed? By recognising these triggers, you can better prepare yourself and find alternative copy mechanisms. If smoking in the morning is a habit for you, consider exploring the effects of morning smoking and ways to quit.

Tell the people you care about what you are doing

They can be there to help and support you. We have created a guide which explains how to help someone stop smoking. Share this with the people in your life who can support you, it will help them understand how to support you.

Ask friends and family who smoke not to do so around you

Explain that you won’t be joining them on any smoke breaks. Be prepared, they may try to encourage you to smoke. You might need to be very clear and firm about your reasons for stopping smoking. Even better: ask them to stop with you and to get in touch with us to make their own quit plan.

Use different methods

Call the free Stop Smoking London helpline on 0300 123 1044 to find out how you can get a personalised plan and ongoing telephone support.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

Nicotine patches as well as gum, spray or lozenges or e-cigarettes, when used correctly, will increase your chances of stopping smoking for good. Find out more about choosing the best vape to quit smoking.

Use an app

We’ve done the hard work and pulled together a list of the most useful apps and details on how to use them. From personalised quit plans to motivation boards there’s a stop smoking app for that.

Stay motivated

If you have tried and failed before or if you relapse – don’t give up! Remember: each time you try to stop smoking you have an equal chance of success.

What is smoker’s leg?

You already know that smoking is bad for your heart and lungs. But did you know that it can also severely affect your feet and legs, and eventually your ability to walk? Stopping smoking reduces the chance that you will get ‘smoker’s leg’.

This condition develops when smoking causes your blood vessels to narrow. The result is that it is harder for your heart to pump blood around your body. This not only puts a strain on your heart, it means that your feet, which are right at the end of your vascular system, aren’t getting a good supply of oxygen rich blood.

Smoker’s leg symptoms

You could find that you lose sensation in your feet, that small wounds are slower to heal – or even worse, develop into ulcers. In some cases this can unfortunately result in amputation. Along with reduced blood supply to your legs you will also be at risk from a blood clot which could cause heart attack or stroke.

Can smokers leg be reversed?

But there is good news. Stopping smoking as soon as possible can help reduce your risk of developing smokers legs. If you already have symptoms it is not to late to reverse these if you act. Speak to your GP about the symptoms you have and stop smoking with our support.

Find out more about the benefits of giving up smoking. Try our smoking recovery calculator to see how much you could save.