For starters, identify 6 to 12 strategies to help you reduce tobacco.

Users like nicotine for a variety of reasons (mood management, stress management, productivity or relaxation), and they need to have one to three strategies for each reason they use nicotine.

Identify strategies, ideas, people or situations that make you feel enthusiastic, hopeful and personally empowered. Try to identify as many strategies (preferably six to 12 strategies) as you can to help you with the reduction process. Studies show that the more strategies that you combine, the more likely you are to succeed.


Here are some strategies for reducing your use of tobacco:

• Breathe deeply and often. Air is the primary food of the mind and body. Breathing can reduce a severe craving for tobacco, reduce stress and tension, and enhance your health and sense of well being.
• Drink lots of water. It is the second most important food for the mind and body.
• Start an exercise program that includes aerobic, toning and stretching forms of exercise. Exercise is the highest predictor for successfully becoming an ex-tobacco user.
• Practice relaxation exercises to help you reduce stress and tension.
• Eat a well-balanced, heart-healthy diet so that you avoid weight problems.
• Find a diet and nutritional program that will restore and enhance your health.
• Rally your personal support group to help you succeed in achieving your goals.
• Start to eliminate tobacco use that you don't really need or that you use unconsciously.
• Put your tobacco use on a schedule.
• Enlarge your "no-tobacco-use" people, places or times.
• Imagine and practice how you will handle various situations without tobacco.
• Examine your past attempts to reduce or quit when you were successful for a good amount of time. What helped you succeed?
• Create a meaningful personal ritual to say "goodbye" to your old tobacco habit.
• Work on developing an "Attitude with Altitude." Smile more often. Give and get more hugs.
• Keep a pack of sugarless gum, sugarless breath mints or hard candy with you at all times. Eat only one piece of candy or gum at a time, and try to make each piece last as long as possible. Sucking and chewing will give your mouth a replacement for your tobacco use.
• Brush your teeth often. People tend to crave tobacco less when they have a clean mouth.
• Reward yourself for each week you successfully reduce your tobacco use, and stick with your fitness and eating plans. Make your rewards or treats non-food oriented -instead of going for a drinks and dinner, get a relaxing massage.
• Tell yourself every day that you are getting stronger and healthier each day.
  
  
  (Source: Debora J. Orrick, M.A., LCDC, CTAC-ACP Tom Ferguson, M.D.)