Now, why should you listen to my Grandma when she gives you advice on how to quit smoking? Because she used to smoke a pack and a half a day for 20+ years – and then one day quit cold turkey and hasn't had a puff since. The day she quit was in 1987 – 21 years ago. She's lived on both sides of the coin, knowing what a smoker and non-smoker has to deal with. If you are serious about wanting to quit smoking, listen to Grandma's story.

Go Cold Turkey

Grandma advises that all those who really want to quit smoking should not bother with medicines or patches and just stop cold turkey. This is, granted, an incredible shock to the system, so expect to have to stay home from work a couple of days. You also might want to send your family away! Grandma was a homemaker in 1987, so she was able to easily schedule a few days off. But Grandma says going cold turkey will let you know right away the worst the cravings can get and help you get over them faster.

Keep Your Hands Busy

One of the pleasures of smoking is that it gives you a comfortable activity for your hands. Your hands will clutch for things and become very restless after you quit smoking. She took up knitting when she went cold turkey, which kept her completely busy and, because of the repetitive nature of knitting, went into a flowing, almost meditative state. So, if you can't knit like me, trust me she tried to teach me, do something to keep your hands busy, whether it's with cooking, doing woodwork or solving crossword puzzles.

Eat Lots Of Celery

Grandma missed having the cigarette in her mouth, so she compensated by munching on celery. She really enjoyed the crunch, although celery without peanut butter is crazy to me. However, not everyone likes celery. Since your mouth will want to be active, try sucking on chewing gum or sugarless candies. Just eat something to satisfy the need to have something in your mouth. Try to pick low calorie munchies to avoid gaining too much weight.

Keep Your Inspiration Close

One of the reasons Grandma went cold turkey was because of the woman who lived across the street. This woman was dying from emphysema. Every morning, she'd unhook herself from her oxygen tank, crawl outside, smoke, and then crawl back in the house to hook herself to the oxygen tank again. Watching this horrible ritual every day helped give Grandma the inspiration to quit smoking once and for all.