Many people mistakenly think that quitting smoking means throwing out the cigarettes and relying on willpower alone to overcome their addiction. These are both factors in stopping, but there are ways to make it more manageable for yourself. There’s a world of advice and techniques available to help you quit smoking.
Make your quitting attempt as easy on yourself as you can. Trying to quit by going cold turkey is never a good idea. Statistically, people who try cold turkey fail 95% of the time. Since nicotine is so addictive, it’s important to use a method that includes a prescription or nicotine patches or gum. These will help you through those initial withdrawal stages, which should make quitting smoking easier.
When quitting smoking, take each day as it comes. Rather than focusing on never having a cigarette ever again, just concentrate on not lighting up today. With a shorter time frame, it will be an easier mental and physical task. Once you are doing well with short-term goals, you can move on to long-term goals. This will happen easily as your commitment becomes stronger.
Find a support group if you need additional support after quitting smoking. There is great benefit in networking with people who understand the physical and emotional challenges you are facing. People who have been in your position can help guide you through the process. Support groups are universal, as you will find there are many people who have quit smoking. Try looking for one online, or at your local college or church.
Ask your family members to get on board with your decision to stop smoking. It is critical that the people closest to you offer support, not criticism or judgement. Let them know that in the beginning of the process, you will probably not be in the best of moods and that your thought processes may be off. It’s not easy to quit smoking, and you should be sure you have your loved ones’ support during this process.
When you are close to giving in to your cravings for a cigarette, think of a delay before you are allowed to indulge. Force yourself to complete some other chore, before you can have a cigarette. Sometimes, delaying smoking can help you resist smoking. If you desire to smoke a cigarette, the delay could cause you to smoke one less cigarette that day.
Try nicotine replacement products that are offered. The effects of nicotine withdrawal may make you feel irritable, depressed or restless. Nicotine cravings may at time be overwhelming. Nicotine-replacement therapy will help diminish these feelings. Research has shown those using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges have twice the chance of successfully quitting. You don’t, however, want to use those products if you are still smoking.
Give hypnosis a try if you want to quit smoking. Acquiring the services of a licensed hypnotist has been proven to be effective for many others. A hypnotist has the ability to plant strong and permanent suggestions in your subconscious. The effect is that smoking does not seem so powerful and appealing once you awake from the trance. This makes quitting for good much easier.
Before you start, you need to make a commitment to quitting. It is easy to fail in your attempt to quit if you don’t get properly motivated or give up too quickly. Your commitment to quitting must be substantiated by all of those reasons you have for quitting to begin with.
If you’re trying to quit smoking, take things one day at a time. Focus on getting through just one day without smoking. Reaching your goal one day at a time is easier to deal with mentally and physically. Remember, you can set yourself long term goals as your commitment to quitting gains ground.
Now that you have taken the time to read this advice, you should now be in a better position to formulate a plan for quitting smoking. You may experience a setback or two, but the key is to keep trying. Use the tips here and do not get frustrated even if you fail at first. It often takes people many tries before they finally succeed.
Obtain the support of your loved ones in helping you quit smoking. Ask them to provide you with encouragement and not criticism. Let them know that you will probably be crabby at the beginning. Quitting smoking is not easy, so you should enlist the support of your loved ones to help you through the process.