If you've tried quitting abruptly a few times and it hasn't worked for you, you might want to start the quit-smoking process by gradually cutting back on your smoking. To cut back: 1. Delay your first cigarette of the day. 2. Smoke only half of each cigarette. 3. Progressively lengthen the time between cigarettes. 4. Buy only one pack of cigarettes at a time. 5. Trade one smoking break a day for physical activity. Build on each success until you've entirely quit smoking.