You're ready to quit, you're armed and ready to go to war. You just have to set your quit date and stick to it. I could tell you to just quit now and be done with it, and it can be done, but that's neither smart nor easy.
The date you choose to quit really depends on your personality type and so I can't choose it for you. However, I can give you a few suggestions and then you'll have to make up your mind. Just remember, the goal is to make your quit as easy as possible.
Pick An Easy Day
Think about your schedule, personal and work, and determine what day of the week will be easiest for you to quit. Keep in mind it is going to start when you first wake up, whether that is the morning or night time.
Following are some of my tips:
Monday Is Great
If you work a normal Monday to Friday work week, Monday might work well for you because you'll be so busy with work that you might not even think about cigarettes. Ideally, you'll only have to deal with the cravings during your breaks and when you're home.
Of course, if you work in construction and you're outside a lot, this might not work for you, especially if you work with other smokers. Only you can know for sure.
It doesn't have to be Monday. If your work week starts on a Wednesday, then let it be Wednesday. It just works to your advantage when you quit at the beginning of a long row of work days.
If work is really stressful, this might not be the best strategy. You might also want to consider changing your career because stress is also a killer and it makes life less enjoyable than it really ought to be.
Saturday Might Work Too
Saturday was my choice and it could work for you too as long as you don't make any plans to party that weekend. If you do go out, let it only be with non-smokers and we're talking dinner, a movie or a cup of coffee.
Quitting on Saturday, or any two or three days in a row that don't involve work, has the advantage of you being relaxed and laid back. If weekends are stressful for you, then it's probably not a good choice.
You could also argue that if you're at home doing nothing all weekend long, you'll want to smoke more. For this and more, I will give you many remedies in the chapter entitled, Be Good To Yourself.
The weekend quit worked for me, so I know it's possible. When I went back to work on Monday, I already had a two day advantage and I only had to beat the cravings on my breaks and at home. For those, I used the nicotine lozenge and Fisherman's Friend, and I was fine.
Please Don't Pick A Party Night
I cannot stress this enough. Please don't quit on a party day or night. Just don't.
Maybe You Need Time Off
If you think work is too stressful (bullshit) and you need more than just a weekend, consider taking time off of work. If you take Monday through Friday, you'll be nine days into your quit when you go back to work which is a great head start.
The only downside here is you might have to wait weeks, or months, before getting the time off approved. However, you might work for a small family-owned company with a boss who understands. It doesn't hurt to ask. Just don't find out you have to wait three months and then use that as an excuse to wait three months before quitting. If you do that, you're a dumb-ass and you're totally missing ingredient number one. Get your head straight and quit already!