When it comes to give up smoking, talking about it really is easier than actually doing it. There are always going to be people who tell you giving up smoking is easy, however we of course know it’s not. 

Smoking is an addiction. If you have smoked for any prolonged period of time - years, even months in some cases, you will have developed a habit. A habit that can be difficult to give up. 

On Wednesday 11th March, it is British Heart Foundation’s No Smoking Day. Because of this campaign, we are inviting you to stop smoking for 24 hours. 

When quitting smoking, like breaking any addiction, you should take it one day at a time. So while you may be thinking what good can quitting for one day do, you should also be thinking that this one day is the day you can show yourself you can stop. 

No Smoking Day has been held every year since 1983, prior to this campaign there were twice as many smokers in the UK than there are today. To help you become one of those free from smoking, we have put together below 5 ways to give up smoking for 24 hours.

Join the One Day Quit programme

If you’re planning to quit smoking on the 11th March, even just for one day, the first thing you should do is sign up to the NHS One Day Quit programme. Working in partnership with British Heart Foundation, the NHS Smokefree campaign will provide you with 24 hours of free support to help you stop. 
Provide the programme with your mobile number and you will be provided with encouraging text message support throughout the day on the 11th.

Make sure you have no cigarettes, tobacco or anything else to smoke 

It sounds simple but as a start you should firstly ensure you have nothing to smoke. If you haven’t got any cigarettes, tobacco etc., there will be less of a temptation to smoke. As it takes a certain level of effort to go to a shop and buy these, you will have more time to think about what you are doing and less time to simply give into your habit.

Distract yourself

With the 11th March being a Wednesday and part of the working week, there will be a good chance that you will be at work and busy with other things. Use this to your advantage and concentrate on the other things you have to do throughout the day.
However, if you’re not at work or when you are not busy with other things, learn to distract yourself. Distraction is key to quitting as smoking can often occur as a result of boredom. Instead of lighting up, consider the following instead:

    - Going for a brisk walk or perhaps a run
    - Playing a game on your mobile phone
    - Talking to a supportive friend or family member on the phone
    - Chewing gum or sucking a hard boiled sweet

Avoid your “trigger areas” 

As smoking is a habit, you will often find that when and where you smoke becomes part of this habit. Known as “trigger areas”, these will be the places and situations where you have the biggest urges to smoke. To combat these urges, identify these areas and put a plan in place to stop yourself smoking. For example, it could be that you usually smoke whilst driving, combat this by ensuring you have no cigarettes in the car. If it’s when you are on the phone that you smoke, make sure you have something to hand that can distract you whilst talking. 

Download the NHS Stop Smoking app

Downloading and using the NHS Stop Smoking app is an ideal way to keep motivated when it comes to not smoking. Providing daily support and tips, the app will provide you with instant moral support wherever you are. To assist you in fighting the urge, the app has a direct line to the NHS smoking helpline and provides links to local NHS services. Download the NHS Stop Smoking app > Here.

Once you have stopped smoking for a while, the app will then show you how many days you have been smoke free and will help you keep track of how much money you are saving by not smoking.

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