Ready, Set,

By Fern Carness, RN, MPH

Developed by a former smoker.A safe, effective, no-pressure way to quit smoking and learn to live without your

cigarettes, for good!

STOP!www.ReadySetStop.com

“Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.”

— Chinese inscription cited by Thoreau in Walden

Welcome to Ready, Set, STOP! Congratulations! You have taken the first step towards quitting smoking simply by picking up this package. Although quitting smoking may be the hardest thing you will ever do, it will also be one of the most rewarding.

This program is built to give you what you need to quit smoking once and for all. I will be your guide, but you will make all the decisions along the way. Together, we are going to make this a process of self-determination, not self-denial. Quitting smoking will give you a sense of personal power that you never expected! Remember, you will set your own quit date so don’t be afraid to listen to the first part. You may continue to smoke even while listening to the program. Listen to parts 1 through 4 in order and try to complete the suggested activities.

Please take a few minutes to review the contents of this Tool Kit that supplements the audio program. Quitting smoking is an active process. You must participate to succeed. You can do it! Just give it a try. There is no right or wrong way to use the materials in this program, just as there is no right or wrong way to quit smoking! You may find that a particular method works for you on one day, but that you need a different approach on the next. Any method that leads you to quit is a good method!

Remember, the only people who cannot quit smoking are those who simply stop trying! With your health in mind,

Fern Carness, RN, MPH

A Message From The Author

Tips for SUCCESSn Choose a quiet spot to listen to the program so you can relax while listening. You deserve it!

n Listen to parts 1 – 4 in order about a week apart. Don’t rush yourself. You have been smoking for a long time; make time to quit.

n Complete your list of reasons to quit smoking. Make your list personal and specific.

n Place your calendar in a visible place where you can track your progress. Give yourself a gold sticker for every smoke-free day.

n Try a new healthy change every day. Eat, work, play and sleep well. You are in training!

n Treat yourself well. You are worth it! Nothing beats feeling great.

Why I began to smoke:

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Ready, Set, STOP!

If you are not ready right now, that’s okay. Quitting tobacco is very challenging, but you can do it when you are ready. No matter how scared you are now, the more information you have the more you will be able to control your habit. Keep thinking over your decision, and don’t get discouraged. When you are ready, this program is full of resources to help you kick the habit.

... you’re not ready to give up your cigarettes just yet.... you’ve tried before and things didn’t work out.... you’re afraid of actually quitting.

Maybe...In the meantime:Give these other healthy activities a try. They can help you get ready to quit smoking. Remember, the only people who cannot quit smoking are those who simply stop trying!

1. Talk to your healthcare team about smoking. • They will advise you to stop smoking. • Ask them to tell you about why you should stop smoking. • Have them assist you in making a plan to stop smoking. • Your healthcare provider may even be able to arrange for any medications and other aids you may need to be successful at quitting.

2. Make healthy choices every day. • Improve your eating habits. • Stay physically active. • Get plenty of rest. • Drink 8 glasses of water per day.

3. Begin to manage stress in a positive way. • Learn to delegate. • Learn to say “No.” • Reduce the level of chaos in your life. • Find a way to relax each day.

Are You Ready to Quit?

What I Hate about my cigarettes:

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What I Love about my cigarettes:

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Personal Reasons to Quit

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Building Your CommitmentMake a long list of reasons to quit smoking. Make your list personal and specific. Remember, you are quitting for yourself, not for anyone else so your reasons have to be personal! Try to list at least 10 reasons.

Think of your five most important reasons to quit. Write them on this reminder card.

My Top 5 Reasons to Quit

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Personal TriggersTriggers are the situations, people and activities that cue you to smoke. They can be either very subtle or very obvious. Review your Light & Write forms and see if you can identify your top triggers for each cigarette.

Focus on: What time of day do you smoke the most? What kind of mood are you in when you smoke? How much need is associated with smoking at different times?

Understanding Your Habit

Activity Time of Day Alternative Coping Strategies

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Plan of Action Agreement On this day , (year) , I promise to develop a stop-smoking plan of action. My plan will include alternative coping mechanisms, strategies to cut down, ways to increase my no-smoking zones and a final quite date .

I will need the support of a buddy and I promise to use my buddy well.

Signed, Date: Supportive Witness

© LIFELINE International

“Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

—Mark Twain

Contract to Quit Smoking I do solemnly promise to quit smoking on for days/weeks/months/years. Furthermore, I agree to make this attempt at quitting non-negotiable. I will quit one day at a time, one week at a time or one month at a time –whatever will work. This time I am quitting for me.

When I have successfully quit for days/weeks/months/years, I will reward myself by and then I will set a new goal and reward.

I wish to have freedom from tobacco. I will make this work!

Signed,

Date:

Supportive Witness

© LIFELINE International

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or

unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start

searching for different ways or truer answers.”

—M. Scott Peck

Charting Your Progress: Month 1Beginning to Quit Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

© LIFELINE InternationalGive Yourself a Gold Star H for each day you don’t smoke!

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

—Mark Twain

Charting Your Progress: Month 2Living Smoke Free Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

© LIFELINE InternationalGive Yourself a Gold Star H for each day you don’t smoke!

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Charting Your Progress: Month 3You’re a Former Smoker! Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

© LIFELINE InternationalGive Yourself a Gold Star H for each day you don’t smoke!

“One critical value of both fitness and nutrition is that they give us the energy to cope with unavoidable

life stresses... work exercise into your lifestyle — make it something that you can enjoy.”

— Robert S. Elliot, M.D.

© LIFELINE InternationalParticipants have permission to make additional copies as needed.

© LIFELINE InternationalParticipants have permission to make additional copies as needed.

© LIFELINE InternationalParticipants have permission to make additional copies as needed.

© LIFELINE InternationalParticipants have permission to make additional copies as needed.

“When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time,

every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.”

– Isak Dinesen

© LIFELINE International30423 Canwood Street, Suite 127

Agoura Hills, CA, 91301, USA(818) 706-3812, info@readysetstop.com

Visit the

Ready, Set, STOP!Stop Smoking Website at:

www.ReadySetStop.com