Before my stroke at age 32, I was a smoker. I started smoking casually—a cigarette here or there when out with friends—in my late teens. In my early twenties, I started dating the man who would become my husband. He, too, was a smoker, and neither of us thought much about it. After we were married, smoking became a ritual we shared. Every evening, we’d catch up on the day’s events over a cigarette or two. I did manage to quit when I became pregnant with our first child, but I started again by the time my son was 6 months old.

Then I had my stroke. I wish I could tell you that scared me into quitting. After all, everything I had read suggested that smoking could put me at risk for another stroke or major health problem. But it didn’t. Instead, I hid my habit—poorly—from others. I hated the smell of smoke on my clothes, hair, and breath, and the way smoking owned me and my time. But despite these things, and the guilt I felt about continuing to do something that was so bad for me, I couldn’t stop. Nothing seemed strong enough to break my addiction—not my son, my husband, nor my health.

What finally proved the strongest motivation was wanting to shut up that nagging voice in my head and to stop being controlled by cigarettes. When I reached that point, I quit cold turkey. Now, five years later, I’m still not smoking. Here are some strategies that helped me along the way.

1. Find a reason. For some people, it’s their health or their spouse, child, or another family member. For me, it was that nagging voice. Whatever it is, keep that reason in your mind every day.
2. Prepare for mood swings. Quitting is hardest in the beginning, and I knew I’d be irritable. To counter that, I set aside five minutes every day for meditation. I would close my eyes and practice deep breathing—a five-second inhale followed by a seven-second exhale. Just slowing down each day for five minutes.
3. Pay attention to diet. I eliminated most processed foods in favor of whole foods. I stopped ordering pizza and fast food and started cooking my own food. I tried to think of my body as a beautiful machine that needed real food.
4. Drink more water. The more water I drank during the withdrawal process, the better I felt. Aiming for half my weight in ounces seemed to benefit me the most. The first few weeks were tough going, but as I started to feel better I was motivated to continue.
5. Get your body moving. I can’t express how much exercise helped me quit for good. My pride in working out helped motivate me not to light up a cigarette. Working out in a group with a coach also helped keep me accountable.
6. Acknowledge your efforts. Quitting smoking isn’t easy. Be kind to yourself during the process, and take pride in small steps. Celebrate each smoke-free day, and if you feel like giving up, remember why you started!
   
   Kelly Fucheck lives in Houston with her husband and two children. She is a certified health coach and founder of the blog, A Size Strong. She also co-hosts the podcast Unfiltered Survivors and coaches CrossFit. She likes to write, listen to music, and spend time with her family.