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1. Find your ‘why’

Quitting smoking is, really, not unlike wanting to start working out. You have to have a strong reason to go down that road. With smoking it could be to protect your family from second-hand smoke or, really, just live healthy yourself. Before you decide to actually quit, ask yourself what your motivation is and spell it out for yourself. If it isn’t strong enough, you won’t be convinced about it and you will likely lose steam.

What to do before you quit smoking

Kicking the butt can be easier said than done. Here are five things you need to do before you stop smoking.

By some estimates, tobacco use is the reason for more than seven million deaths. Close to 900,000 of these deaths are a result of second-hand smoke. But you probably knew all of this and have tried quitting smoking several times already. Even if you haven’t, the key thing to remember is to prep yourself before you actually quit. Think of it like hitting the gym, for instance. You warm up for a few weeks before you start doing the heavy lifting. Right? So, here are five things you need to do before you stop smoking to successfully kick the habit.