You want to quit smoking but your boyfriend won’t. This can be a big problem for you for the next few weeks especially that it’s quite impossible to force someone do something that they do not like. So most likely, until he agrees to give up smoking, you have to be patient and think of a way to convince him to quit with you. And to the process easier, here are a few suggestion you may want to try.
Ask him to do a research for you. Well, one way to let him know about the dangers of smoking is for him to know it himself in a subtle manner. Ask him to do a research about the common side effects of smoking and its symptoms and how to deal with them. Somehow it will sink into him. Who knows, he’ll quit with you after he has read some articles.
Don’t make it an issue. You don’t have to end up fighting. Forcing him to quit with you will only make it harder to convince him. At least ask him once or twice to quit smoking with you. And try to understand him or the least try to ask for his support by not smoking when you’re together.
Set your quit date on your anniversary or his birthday. Not only will your anniversary bec0me more meaningful but it will remind the two of you of your commitment to quit smoking. But, if your anniversary or his birthday will be in a few more months, you can start cutting on your cigarette consumption slowly until your quit date.
Make a list together. Ask him to help you make your quit list and plan your quit. It’s like convincing him subconsciously or “brainwashing” him to quit. As if you’re conditioning his subconscious to quit.
Encourage him to go to the gym with you. If you can convince him to enroll in the gym or get a new sports together, it will be better for the two of you. You can keep yourself busy and healthy especially on the first few weeks of stopping smoking, and you can “force” him to develop a healthier habit. If he continues to smoke amidst the activities, just let him, but from time to time encourage him to quit and tell him how quitting helped you regain your stamina and improve your overall health.
Encourage him to join to join you in your counseling or therapy sessions. At least help get something from the sessions. Who knows, it will shake him up and quit voluntarily.
Spend more time together. After you have asked for his full commitment to help and support you quit smoking, hangout with him more often. It will be inconvenient for him to smoke. Take him to places where smoking his prohibited. At least, he’ll skip a few cigarettes when you’re together.
Encourage him not to smoke before you meet. Tell him that it will be a great help if you won’t be able to smell cigarettes when you’re together. Make him understand that it can trigger you to smoke again. This strategy will make it more inconvenient for him to smoke.
Well, if you cannot convince him upfront, you can try to convince him subconsciously. Not only will it avoid misunderstanding between the two of you, it will be much easier for you too, because you have someone to be with, especially on the first few weeks of your quit.
