Have you ever tried to quit smoking but you have failed because other people around you still smoke? I've been there and know the feeling. It can be a lot harder to quit smoking when all your doing all day is breathing in other peoples smoke!
So how do you manage to quit smoking even when everyone around you still smokes?
Well, the good news is that it can be done. It might just be a little harder. You could always 'ask' your friends or family members if they want to quit smoking with you. I say ask because you don't want to force people into quitting with you; it must be voluntary on their part.
It's natural for your friends and family to feel threatened by you wanting to quit. They may think you are putting unintentional pressure on them and their normal response to you may be a little negative. Some people might even try to get you to start smoking again, and it's this point where a lot of people fail.
When you're with one of your friends or family members who smoke just sit down and have a chat with them. Explain to them that you are quitting smoking and that is very important to you. Ask them to be considerate when they smoke and try not to do it in your face, but in the most polite way possible.
You may find that with friends or family there are things you do that naturally involve smoking. For example, going to a bar or a club, most smokers like to have a smoke when they're enjoying a drink. Try to change the situation where you would normally smoke. For instance, instead of going to a bar or a club, try going bowling or to the cinema or something, this doesn't necessarily involve smoking.
Basically, when quitting smoking it is hard, especially when the people in your life also smoke. You just have to talk to these people and let them know that you would like their support and to try and be more considerate in the future regarding their own smoking habits around you. Hopefully, they will be nothing but supportive but don't try and force them to quit, nor force anything upon them.
If you follow the advice in this article then it should make quitting smoking a little easier, despite the fact that your friends and family smoke. Good luck!
Written by Oliver Peck Check out the Quit Smoking Support Blog.