Quitting smoking is generally regarded as difficult, but there are a number of things that you can use to help with quitting that can, if used correctly, virtually ensure that your next quit attempt is not only successful but easy.
First, forget about nicotine replacement and the like.
While it may seem like a good idea at first, and some people report success with it, your body still has nicotine in it which, in the absence of the patch, will make you want to smoke.
Also, your body develops an immunity to nicotine over time, so the patch's effectiveness decreases with use.
Second, you need to realize that quitting smoking is not hard.
The only reason why it seems hard is that most people who try don't use the correct methods to do it.
That, combined with any failure you may have had in the past with quitting, can make the whole thing seem extremely difficult.
To repeat, stopping smoking is not difficult if you approach it the right way.
First thing that you need to know is that, as a smoker, you don't actually want cigarettes.
That seems strange at first, but bear with me.
You smoke because it stops your cravings for nicotine.
As your body senses decreased nicotine levels, it tells your brain and your mind decides to smoke a cigarette to stop those cravings.
Notice how after you light a cigarette, you're perfectly capable of doing what you were doing when you started having those cravings? That's because your body's need has been satisfied and it's no longer bugging your brain to solve the empty feeling that nicotine withdrawal causes.
When you quit smoking, you have to endure only a few days of cravings before they subside and you no longer feel that desire for nicotine.