Am I Ready to quit smoking?

Your decision to quit smoking is usually not one that happens overnight. Generally you will progress through at least five stages in your quitting journey. Have a think about what stage you may be at in your journey to quit smoking for good. Click on a stage to read more about it.

Not thinking about it
I haven't really thought about quitting smoking

At this stage you are not thinking about quitting, are happy smoking and will go to great lengths to make sure you can continue to smoke. It could be that you believe that there is no point in trying to quit because you are too addicted or that you have been disappointed by previous failed attempts . You may also not yet realise that your health is being harmed by your smoking.

If you are ready to move to the next stage, you can read more about the harms of smoking and the benefits of quitting.

Thinking about it
I'd like to quit smoking but I don’t know if I can.

During this stage you may be starting to weigh up the positives and negatives of quitting. You will also begin to take more notice of the health warnings associated with smoking, and will now be able to identify the barriers that may be preventing you from quitting.

If you are ready to move to the next stage, you can read more about challenging your excuses here.

I'm ready
I'm going to quit smoking but how will I manage?

Well done. You have now made the bold decision to commit to quitting smoking. At this stage you should start collecting information on how to quit. You may also be ready to set your quit date and develop your quitting plan.

If you are ready to move to the next stage, you can read more about the ways to quit smoking and getting started on your quit journey here.

It's working
I haven't smoked in a week or two. It's hard but I feel much better already.

In this stage you are actively trying to quit and you will be feeling confident in your decision. As you feel a sense of achievement with every cigarette-free day, remember to keep up with your short term rewards and tell all your friends you've quit to stay motivated and minimise any risk of slip ups.

If you are ready to move to the next stage, you can read more about staying quit.

I'm a non-smoker
I cannot remember the last time I wanted a cigarette!

Congratulations! You have now learnt new techniques for coping with stress, social pressures and boredom and have been smoke-free for some time. Slip ups may still occur but you have learnt from them to prevent them happening again.

If you need to, you can read more about staying quit.

I've relapsed
I didn’t quite manage to stay quit this time

A common response to a smoking relapse is to feel that you have failed. If you've returned to regular smoking, don't be too hard on yourself.  Find out where you went wrong and think of strategies for next time. The more you learn about the quit smoking process, the more you understand that the number of attempts you make is an important factor.

If you are ready to try again, you can read more about the ways to quit smoking and getting restarted on your quit journey here or read more about relapses.