Smoking dramatically decreases the quality of life for those addicted to it. It affects your looks, from yellowed teeth and wrinkled skin to a stale smoke smell in your hair and clothing. It can also negatively affect your health. If you cut out smoking, you reverse the negative consequences. This article offers some valuable advice on how you can successfully quit.
Create a list of the reasons why you’re quitting. Writing out the benefits can help to elucidate the advantages of the action you are taking. This can help to motivate you to stay on course, and might even make quitting easier because you are able to remain focused.
Write down reasons why you should quit to increase the chances that you actually do quit. When you go through the tactile experience and physical actions of writing, your psychological perspective is often shifted in the process. Your efforts will be easier this way because you will be focused on your goal.
Find a support group if you need additional support after quitting smoking. It can be very beneficial to network with people who have been where you are, and understand the emotional and physical challenges that you’re going through. These people can support you through the hardest times with guidance, and coping tips. To find a support group near you, check your local community center or community college, or at your church.
Stop 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. When you visit a hypnotist’s clinic, you will be put into a trance state and positive affirmations about quitting will be embedded into your mind. When you come out of the trance, cigarettes could be less appealing, which means you are that much closer to quitting for good.
Be easy when you stop smoking. You should never attempt to just quit cold turkey. 95% of the time, people who try to stop smoking using the cold turkey method will begin smoking again shortly after trying to quit. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, so medication, patches or therapy may be necessary. These things will reduce the severity of your initial withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for you to quit smoking.
Let your family and friends in on the secret that you want to quit smoking. When you trust those around you with information like this, they can help keep you motivated, as well as keeping temptation at bay. This might be the extra motivation you need in order to keep on track with quitting smoking.
When you are close to giving in to your cravings for a cigarette, think of a delay before you are allowed to indulge. Try telling yourself you can have a smoke after you take a walk, or after you drink a big glass of water. You may find that delaying your next cigarette a little bit will reduce your cravings. If you do end up giving in anyway, at least that was a little longer that you were able to be smoke-free.
If you are creating a quit plan, be sure to write a list of all the ways you can give up the habit. Take time to create a list of ideas that fits your own lifestyle and habits. What works for someone else may not work for you. Discovering what will work best for your particular circumstances is crucial. Making a list for yourself of your own methods will help you reach your goal.
Be open and let people know about your goal to quit smoking. By entrusting the people close to you with your plan, you give them the power to help you succeed. A supportive group of loved ones can give you the push you need to stick to your plans for quitting.
Make sure that you are fully committed before you even start to quit smoking. Most people fail because they give up or stay in a negative thought process. You may stay committed through thinking of the reasons why you want to quit.
Nicotine Replacement
If you would like to stop smoking, you might consider switching from your favorite brand of cigarette. Pick a new brand that you do not like. Pick the nastiest brand you know. Avoid smoking more of them than you normally would or inhaling them in different ways. This will help you get started on the path to becoming a nonsmoker.
Use one of the many nicotine replacement solutions on the market today. When you withdraw from nicotine, you may feel restless, depressed, irritable or frustrated. Additionally, the cravings can cause extreme discomfort during the day. You can help with the cravings by using nicotine replacement therapy. Studies show that individuals who use nicotine gums, patches or lozenges double their chances of quitting successfully. It is not recommended that you use a nicotine replacement product and smoke at the same time, though.
Thinking in a positive way and being motivated are key parts in quitting smoking. Try to imagine how fulfilled your life will become when you finally quit. Quitting smoking can improve your smell, you teeth, and eliminate the odors from your home and car. Even though when people know the bad things about smoking they may get scared enough to quit, going over positive changes can help too.
Before setting a quit date or otherwise planning your quitting process, you must be committed to succeeding. Usually, people are not able to quit smoking unless they have a positive outlook. Remember the reasons that caused you to stop in order to stay motivated.
Reduce smoking. Smoking less can be a good place to begin your plan to quit smoking. You should at least wait an hour or two before you have a smoke after you wake up. You can smoke just one half a cigarette rather than a whole one to cut down on your smoking.
If you quit smoking, you’ll be improving not only your own health, but the health of those close to you. Secondhand smoke can negatively impact one’s overall health, and tarnish their lungs. When you quit smoking, you decrease the amount of time that your loved ones are exposed to that dangerous second hand smoke. Quitting smoking will not only reduce the risk to your own health, but also the risk to those around you.
Strategically plan rewards for yourself in advance if you meet certain goals. Choose rewards which will be given when you have quit for 24 hours, 7 days and then 4 weeks. Make sure the list is in a place that you can easily refer to throughout the day. Looking forward to your rewards can help you stay motivated during the moments you feel like caving.
If you would like to stop smoking, you might consider switching from your favorite brand of cigarette. Choose menthol or a brand you find unpalatable. Smoke them exactly like you smoked your favorite brand, so you get the full experience of their nastiness. This is one method that will ease you into quitting smoking.
You need to find ways to have your motivation in sight at all times. Surround yourself with motivational notes, or attach meaning to a piece of jewelry, wearing it often. You can also purchase yourself a piece of jewelry to wear as a visual reminder of your dedication to stop smoking.
The best place to start when quitting smoking, is to just stop. Quitting immediately, will provide the best chance for optimal health in the future. Once you stop, don’t allow yourself to begin again. The cold turkey method will seem very difficult. However, people who use this method are less likely to return to smoking, over time, than people who use other methods.
You may want to avoid activities associated with smoking once you decide to quit. Change your routines that are associated with smoking. Drinking your coffee as you commute or in a coffee shop and staying away from bars for a while can keep your cravings at bay.
If you are an indoor smoker, be sure to clean your home thoroughly, when you give up smoking. This includes carpets, curtains, walls and even furniture. This will make your home smell great and make it so that entering your home doesn’t trigger the need to smoke.
Make your goal to smoke not even one puff. While it’s easy to believe that one cigarette will be okay, the truth is that it will ruin all of the hard work you’ve done up to this point. Remind yourself of the damage that “just one” can do before the urge ever strikes.
During the first few weeks of your quitting attempt, stay away from activities that you associate with smoking. If you are used to smoking while you drink coffee in the morning or during your office happy hour, think about altering your routine. Don’t drink at a bar for a little while, or drink your coffee someplace new to stop the cravings from occurring.
Eliminate reminders of yourself as a smoker, wherever possible. Get rid of lighters and ashtrays. To get rid of the smoking stench, make sure you clothing and house are thoroughly cleaned. By eliminating the smell, you will be less likely to have a craving.
Quitting smoking is done not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones. The people who care about you want you to have a long, healthy life. One out of every five deaths can be tied to cigarettes! No one wants to be known as just a statistic.
Stop depending on a cigarette to help you cope with stress, though it may be a long time habit. If you do this, it will really help to find some good relaxation techniques to use when you are feeling stress start to build up. Yoga or meditation are known to relieve stress and are so much healthier than smoking.
Quitting may be easier if you get rid of things that remind you of smoking. Get rid of all the ashtrays and lighters in your home. Next, put all your clothes through the washing machine and deep clean your whole house to eliminate all the smoke smells. This helps prevent you being reminded of smoking, triggering a craving.
There are also medications and treatments that you can do in order to help you quit smoking, so you may want to speak with your doctor about what your options are. There have been many advances in the area of smoking cessation. From nicotine replacement therapies, to medications that help your body overcome withdrawals, there are a multitude of available options. Your doctor’s recommendations will be a huge help!
Quitting is a long process, but you will be rewarded for your efforts in many aspects of your life. You should now feel confident in breaking the habit thanks to the ideas posted above. Select a tip today.
Before you quit, take a good look at your smoking routine. If you know which situations tempt you to smoke, it can make it easier to work out a plan for quitting. If you take some time to prepare in advance, those tobacco cravings won’t keep you from giving up this dangerous habit.