I quit a several years ago. For me it was difficult for the first three days. Then It became a bit easier and easier. I think the most important thing to do is gain leverage on yourself. Smoking is a habitual practice. Smokers link the habit of smoking to events (like after eating, during work breaks or social events, uncomfortable situations, etc) These events are like triggers. The first thing is know your triggers. Know what sets you off. Then you can see these triggers and force your mind to focus elsewhere.

Other thing that I found helpful is to change how I viewed myself. One day I was a smoker. Then one day I told my self I am a non-smoker (the day I quit). From that day on I was a non-smoker.

Like any habit, the reason we continue to practice a habit is because despite what we may believe, our subconsious mind associates more pain to quitting that habit and more pleasure to continuing that habit (smoking makes me feel relaxed, it gives me something to do with my hands during social situations, it looks cool, I don’t what to feel left out, these are the things that went though my mind when I was a smoker).

Gaining leverage also (and more importantly) means to change your associations to said habit. Bombard yourself with negative associations to continuing this habit (images of diseased lungs, removed larinyx’s, kemotherapy and radiation therapy). And to link positive associations to quitting (improved health, no more stinky clothing and hair, no more having to run outside for a cigarete break, the money you will save, the added years to your life)

It doesn’t help if you have close friends, roommates, family members that you see often, that smoke. But if you gain leverage, know your triggers, change your mindset (from being a smoker to a non-smoker) and alter your associations to smoking, it makes the whole process of quitting easy.

I hope that you found this encouraging and helpful. I’m not going to wish you good luck because you don’t need it.

Take care