It's Quitting Season! Choose Change Now!

It's quitting season! Why not use the excitement and momentum of the upcoming New Year to accelerate your quitting smoking? 

With the winter holidays approaching, I thought back to years past when at family gatherings, the smokers would gather outdoors to take a cigarette break, away from the rest of the family. As a child, I watched this strange ritual, listening to the coughing and knowing that it was probably not healthy. Never did I expect that one day, years later, I would become part of that circle and be partaking in this same ritual. 

It wasn't until many years later that I decided to quit smoking - to quit once and for all. I tried a couple times over the years but I was never successful. One of the main motivating things that made me decide to quit for good was my health. And once I had children, I found myself with yet another reason to quit the habit.

I thought a lot about breathing. I hated waking up in the morning congested and I thought back to the times before I was a smoker, and how it felt to breathe freely and not have a cough. I was determined to quit and to once again be in control of my health. 

I decided to use NicoDerm® CQ® patch to help me quit. 




It was the psychological attachments that I really struggled to get through. For example, I thought a lot about the rituals that came along with smoking. Just as when I would stop periodically through the day to smoke a cigarette and take a "smoke break", after quitting smoking I changed that smoking break habit into stopping periodically through the day to take a "breathing break" or a "fresh air break". 

Breathing exercises really helped me get through cravings. I found that the moments or minutes during cravings were vital because of my increased vulnerability to giving in. That's the moment when you have to take the bull by the horns and take control and really own it, and make the decision that your personal strength is stronger than any craving. I found that the NicoDerm® CQ® patches helped to control my cravings, and kept me in check from slipping up and giving in.

The NicoDerm® CQ® patches were the real reason for success when quitting smoking. I started with the strongest or highest dose of patches.

I felt a little bit anxious at the thought of moving to a lower dosage. That was the old smoker in me creating fear out of the unknown. But once I actually started using the next lower dose, everything was fine. Once again, the smoking demon was losing its control over me and I was gaining my control back. It was a really good feeling. 

2 weeks later it again was time to step down to the NEXT lower dosage of the NicoDerm® CQ® patch (always use as directed). I again felt a tiny little bit of apprehension but, once again, just as with my first step down, once I actually used the lower dose patch within one or two days I was completely fine! I was so happy with my progress. Stepping down to the next lower dose when I was ready helped me feel in control of my quit. I was winning. I also downloaded quit smoking apps on my phone so that I could watch my progress and gauge my success. (Be sure to check out and register for MyQuit™, which is an email support program based on where you are in your quit journey and customized for your chosen product - because the support you need in your first week is different than the support need in your last!)



As of writing this, it's been over a year and a half since I quit smoking. I've never felt better. As a matter of fact, my health just keeps improving. I know that if I had continued to smoke, my health would have probably just declined. Not only do I feel good physically, but also I am mentally strong. I've battled a huge monster, the smoking addiction, and I won. 

Now that I am a non-smoker my hair, skin, and clothes always smell fresh and clean, as does my car and my workshop. I save a tremendous amount of money and time. I wake up in the morning and can take clear deep breaths of air. Last winter was probably one of the first where I didn't get sick with a winter cold as I usually would when I was a smoker. 

But probably one of the greatest things since quitting smoking is the feeling of freedom that I now have since smoking no longer has any type of control over me. I don't have to run out late at night or at inconvenient times because I'm running out of cigarettes. I don't have to look for places wherever I am where I can go to smoke a cigarette. I don't have to worry about getting the smoke smell out. No more getting sick with and Googling symptoms because I feel congestion in my chest. 

But probably most importantly, is I've shown myself and my children, that I am stronger than smoking. I've shown both my children and myself that you can accomplish anything as long as you put your mind to it. There is no greater gift you can give yourself – and your family – and no better way to start the New Year, than by loving yourself enough to quit smoking. If I can do it, you can too. Start a new family tradition this holiday, gather together and be healthy.

Register today for the MyQuit program, and get a $5 coupon via Quit.com website! 

BONUS – Coupons.com is offering a separate $15 coupon starting 12/18, available for download during November/December that can be used at any retailer that sells Nicorette® and NicoDerm® CQ ®.

Visit the Nicorette® website at nicorette.com and nicodermcq.com

Visit Nicorette on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicorette
On Twitter: @Nicorette and @NicoDermCQ
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicorette

Have you ever had to break a bad habit? How did you do it? Tell me about it in the comments for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

*Behavioral support programs can increase the chances of quitting successfully.

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