What steps do I need to take before I stop smoking?

What steps do I need to take before I stop smoking?

Linda Hyder Ferry (Associate Professor, Preventive Medicine and Family Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine) gives expert video advice on: How can I tell if I'm ready to quit smoking?; Is there a bad time to quit smoking?; What steps do I need to take before I stop smoking? and more...

There are probably three phases to the process of putting tobacco out of your life. The first one is changing your whole environment: the habits, rituals and routines that you have incorporated to make cigarette smoking convenient, enjoyable and pleasant. The second step is changing the way you think about smoking. You think cigarettes calm you down, make you feel good, make you feel relaxed, help you when you are stressed, but you know cigarettes are really killing you. And start figuring out the reasons why you smoke. But work on those two areas first; get rid of your habits, your rituals and routines, and start thinking more realistically about the risks and the benefits of cigarettes in your life.