This Monday, make a quit buddy! Take a moment to think about someone in your life who wants to quit. It could be the perfect time to reach out and make a partnership where you support each other’s quit.
If your favorite entertainer comes to town, you’re more likely to buy tickets if a friend joins you than you are to go alone. It’s the same with quitting smoking. Studies show some people might have better success if they quit with a buddy.
Finding a Quit Buddy
Your Immediate Circle. Consider the people who are closest to you like a friend, a family member, a partner, or a co-worker.
Your Social Media Circle. Your next circle of friends and acquaintances could be online. Reach out on your social media channels or to a smoker acquaintance.
Your Greater Online Community Circle. If you can’t find someone in your more immediate circles, try visiting sites like Become an Ex, Smokefree, or find a group on Meetup to join. At the very least, you’ll find a lively chat to join.
Once you find your quit buddy, here are some things to do together to make your quit relationship worthwhile:
Commit. Choose a quit day that seems right to both of you. Starting on a Monday is an ideal day to kick off a new habit because it will reinforce a fresh, smoke-free start to your week.
Share. Discuss your reasons for smoking and why you want to quit and stay quit. Your quit buddy will learn as much from you as you will from him or her.
Listen. Offer a non-judgmental ear as your quit buddy talks through the ups and downs of quitting.
Healthy Activities. If your quit buddy is in the same town, find fun things to do together, like working out, hiking, or dancing. And if your quit buddy doesn’t live nearby, go out anyway. Meeting and being around other people who don’t smoke can be very supportive.
Be positive. Discuss the importance of positivity to your quit. It’s time to be encouraging and inspirational for each other, especially in the face of how challenging quitting can be. Acknowledge that you have each other’s back.
Finding and working with a quit buddy is an effective and life-affirming way to quit and stay quit. Use Monday as your quit day and carry on your quit until you are done with cigarettes for good. We’d love to meet your quit buddy! Take a picture and share your partnership with us on Facebook or Twitter!