A cigarette a day keeps the doctor in pay!  Yes, if your friend is trying to kick the butt and give up smoking for a healthier—and not to forget—longer life, they are surely going to need some solid support. Kicking a long-standing habit is always an uphill, frustrating task, so here are 8 ways in which you can be a supportive bestie and give your friend a nudge in the right direction!
1. Make a list
Sure, everyone knows how harmful smoking is, but the first step towards quitting smoking for good, is to help your friend evaluate just how bad their habit is! Make a list and on one side, ask your friend to write down what they enjoy about smoking. On the other, help them list down what they dislike, how harmful it is to their health and what their friends and family hate about their habit. When the cons outnumber the pros, the damage becomes more real, and your friend will be more convinced about quitting!
2. Help them set realistic goals
It’s scary when you have to quit cold turkey, but small rewards along the way make it easier. Over a fun coffee date, chart short-term goals and assign rewards for when your friend achieves them! It could be a Netflix binge together, shopping for new workout clothes, or brunch at the new place you’ve both been eyeing. Get creative and establish a fun, encouraging environment for your friend.
3. Focus on a healthier lifestyle
Quitting smoking can take up a lot of your friend’s time and mind space, so it helps if you can create healthy, positive diversions. Joining a fitness class together or switching to a healthier diet is great for you and your friend’s overall health. Also, when you make an effort to lead a healthier life, you become more driven to quit unhealthy habits that undo all the good work you’re putting in. Think of it this way, when you work out in the morning, you’re more conscious about what you eat through the rest of the day. After all, you don’t want to eat all the calories you’ve burnt.
4. Keep healthy snacks handy
For a lot of people, smoking is just a way to keep themselves busy and distracted. As a well-meaning friend, do your bit to help by keeping healthy snacks handy so that your friend has something to munch on when the odd cigarette craving strikes.
5. Plan a spring cleaning session
Out of sight, out of mind. We’ve found that this trick makes this bumpy journey a tad smoother. Your friend is more likely to want to smoke when she sees cigarettes and ashtrays around her. So, plan a purge session and rummage through the drawers and handbags to remove cigarettes, empty boxes, and ashtrays. Cleaning curtains and pillow covers that reek of stale smoke will help too!
6. Buy your friend a glass jar
Ask your friend to put the amount of money she would usually spend on cigarettes, on a daily or weekly basis, into a glass jar. Seeing how much money she’s saving every single day will help strengthen her decision to quit—we’re sure of it!
7. You’re not running a boot camp
A relapse or the occasional error in judgment is natural as most people can’t quit smoking immediately. But, if you reprimand your friend or get angry and upset when she calls or texts, chances are, the next time she feels like she’s hit a roadblock, she’ll be less likely to confide in you. Instead, remind her how far she’s come and how much you appreciate the effort she’s making. Make the journey easier for her, not more challenging!
8. Gift an acupuncture session
If you find that her motivation is dwindling, keep things fresh and exciting by gifting her an acupuncture session. This alternative therapy is extremely effective when it comes to quitting cigarette smoking as it helps detoxify, reduces cravings and helps you de-stress. It also boosts endorphins, keeps you calm and makes you feel more healthy. It’s a win-win situation all the way!
Cigarette smoking helps in losing weight, one lung at a time. So save them!