If you’re a smoker who has tried to stop smoking in the past and relapsed, or if happen to presently deliberating stopping, it is constantly an excellent idea to learn the factors involved in quitting. It’s imperative for you to know what you will face while struggling against your smoking habit so that you are better equipped to handle the various possible circumstances.

Individuals who stop smoking often undergo five (5) stages, with each step possessing unique psychological manifestations. There’s evidently an applicable way of handling each and every step to guarantee that you proceed to the next stage and in due course succeed in defeating your smoking habit completely.

Stage 1: Pre-Contemplation

Pre-contemplation is the first and foremost stage of the process of stopping smoking. It’s fairly usual for smokers to attempt to quit smoking as a result of peer pressure; for example, colleagues, friends, and family forcing the person to quit smoking. In reality, this smoker doesn’t really have the desire to quit smoking, but is somehow forced to quit thanks to outside influence. Hence, this smoker attempts to quit not because he or she is entirely keen to do so, but because he or she caved in to external pressure. If the process of quitting starts off with these circumstances, the most likely result is that the person will later relapse and resume smoking once more, in view of the fact that the motivation is lacking or inappropriate.

Stage 2: Contemplation

Contemplation is the second stage in the process of quitting. During this stage, the intention to quit smoking is there, but the smoker doesn’t want to do anything about it in the foreseeable future. Said person is aware of why he/she should quit, and most probably agrees with such reasons. However, in this phase, said smoker still somehow justifies the addiction, with the remote and intangible idea of quitting smoking at some point in the future.

Stage 3: Preparation

The next phase is called preparation, which can be perceived as a waiting period for the actual smoking cessation process itself. Said smoker has an intention to quit and has actually taken the first steps to reach that goal. Typically, these steps are meant to make the transition more comfortable, like, for example lowering the number of cigarettes one smokes daily, or switching to a filter brand.

Stage 4: Quitting

The 4th stage in the stop smoking stages is actually quitting. At this point, the person is determined to not smoke anymore and has in fact taken measures to fulfill this plan. As this person quits smoking, he/she has to face withdrawal, exert effort not to give in to the often irresistible desire to resume smoking, and overall adjust to a new life as a non-smoker. This fourth stage can last from 6 months – 1 year.

Final Stage: Post-Quitting Maintenance

The fifth and final stage in the quit smoking process is called post-quitting maintenance, which generally starts approximately a year after giving up smoking. At this point in time, relapses may be frequent. Around seventy five percent of people who gave up smoking are inclined to resume the habit during the first year of trying to quit. However, a relapse does not signify that their efforts were wasted, since study results show that it takes about 3 attempts to totally kick the habit. Even though a relapse is normally seen as a setback, this should in no way prevent any smoker from trying to stop smoking once more and, consequently, exerting more effort next time.

In a nutshell, you should understand the implications of the six stages of the stop smoking process so that you will be more prepared to cope with every particular circumstance that you will in all likelihood encounter. Understanding where you stand in the stop smoking timeline will enable you to measure your progress and inspire yourself further until you eventually kick the habit for good.