How to Encourage

Many people that are close to a smoker do not know how to encourage them without being a nag. Encouragement is a wonderful gift to your friend or family member and can easily be accomplished. You do not need special skills to encourage…you just need a kind heart and a willingness to listen.

Once quitting has been identified as a possible goal it is time for you to step in with encouraging words. It is important not to be overly focused on helping the person become smokeless. Instead use encouraging words to let your friend or family member know that you are there for them if they need anything.

Becoming smoke-free is a long and difficult process. Your job as the encourager is to help your friend forget about the mistakes or slip-ups and encourage all the progress they are making. Most smokers do have an occasional slip up, don't encourage a slip up but don't berate your friend when one happens. Everyone is human and will make mistakes; it is what happens after the mistake that counts. Help your friend get back on track to reaching their non-smoking goal.

Nicotine and tobacco are very addictive substances that can take months or even years to truly get out of a person's system. Even after quitting some smokers say they continue to have urges to start smoking again. Your loved one will welcome your continued support as they struggle to stay smoke-free.

How to Quit

It does not matter how a person chooses to quit smoking. Some people feel that they have to quit smoking cold turkey, while others cannot imagine the horrors of that. The gradual decrease of nicotine is the most common way for smokers to quit smoking. They gradually decrease their exposure to nicotine through decreasing their cigarette consumption and often time using a nicotine patch.

For encouragement purposes you can help support your friend or family member no matter how they have decided to quit smoking. Some important tips to help encourage the smoker's in your life to stop smoking:

1. Be positive and uplifting when you talk about their successes.

2. Acknowledge when mistakes are made but don't dwell on them

3. Support their choice in quitting strategies

4. Help them steer clear of highly charged smoking situations

5. Be their friend!

You do not have to be a counselor to be good at encouraging. Simply be there for your friend or family member as they struggle to quit smoking. Encourage them every moment you get and they will soon have control over their desire to stop smoking. Remember that every person is going to quit smoking in a different way, so be supportive of the way your friend has decided to quit smoking and don't judge them.