Step 1: Start with a plain record of your week
For three or four days, jot down when you smoke or vape, where you are, and what you were doing just before. Keep it short: a time and a few words. You are not judging yourself. You are collecting the information a provider will ask about first.
Step 2: Notice where the rules already shape your habits
Some of your day is already set by policy. The Florida Department of Health says the Florida Clean Air Act, enacted in 1985, prohibits smoking in all enclosed indoor workplaces, and that electronic vapor products have also been prohibited in indoor workplaces since July 1, 2019. So if you have an indoor job in Tallahassee, your breaks probably take you outside.
If you are on the Florida State campus, the university's policy 4-OP-B-7, in force since January 1, 2014, prohibits tobacco use, including simulated tobacco use such as electronic cigarettes, on university property inside and out, including parking lots, grounds and university vehicles. Mark on your record from Step 1 which hours fall inside those smoke-free places. Those are stretches you already go without, and a provider can build on them.
Step 3: Choose a format to try first
Look at the listings and decide which kind of provider to call first:
- A one-to-one coach if you want a private plan built around your schedule.
- A consulting hypnotist if you are curious about a relaxation-based approach.
- A group program if you like meeting regularly with others making the same change.
You can change formats later. Starting somewhere is the main thing.
Step 4: Shortlist two or three providers
Pick listings near your home, your workplace or campus, or ones that offer video sessions. The directory does not screen providers or check their training, so plan to ask each one about their background and approach yourself.
Make a quick note of where each provider meets and how long it would take you to get there on a weekday. A location that looks close on a map can turn into a long trip at five in the afternoon. If a provider offers video, ask whether the first meeting can be in person and the rest online; some people find that mix easier to keep up.
Step 5: Call and ask the same questions of each
Ask:
- What happens in a first session?
- How many sessions do you usually plan, and how far apart?
- What do you ask clients to do between meetings?
- What are your fees, and what is the cancellation policy?
- Do you offer evening, weekend or video times?
Write down the answers so you can compare them side by side.
Step 6: Pick a start date with a little room around it
Choose a week without a big deadline, trip or exam if you can. In a city with a heavy academic calendar, the first weeks of a term or finals week may be harder times to begin. Tell the provider your planned date when you book.
Step 7: Prepare for the first session
Bring your record from Step 1 and a short list of the situations you expect to be hardest: a morning coffee, a drive home, a break outside the office. If you are on campus all day, note how the tobacco-free rule already changes your routine there.
Step 8: Set up support around you
Let one or two people know your start date and how they can be useful, whether that is a walk together at break time or simply not offering you a cigarette. Clear lighters, packs or vape devices out of your car and desk ahead of time.
Step 9: Keep your appointments and adjust as you go
Go to the sessions you booked, even if a day goes badly. Tell the provider what happened and what you would like to try next. If the format does not suit you after a fair try, go back to your shortlist from Step 4 and contact another provider.
Expect some days to feel harder than others, especially around stressful weeks at work or school. Plan in advance what you will do in those moments: a short walk, a call to a friend, a glass of water, or a note to bring to your next session. Having a plan written down before the hard day arrives makes it easier to follow.
Step 10: Talk with your doctor about health questions
Providers listed in the directory are not health care providers. For any question about your health, or about products sold at a pharmacy, ask your own doctor or pharmacist.