Your loved ones desperately want you to stop smoking. Your physician probably urges you to also. Even your insurance provider is willing to give you discounts if you quit. So, why haven’t you done it yet? Time to stop and use these tips to quit the habit without another thought.
Make a list of what methods you can use to quit. Make sure to match your list to your unique personality. There are typically many different ways for accomplishing any given goal, and the people vary in which of these ways will be most effective for them. It’s vital that you figure out the ways that work best for you. Making a list for yourself of your own methods will help you reach your goal.
Make your quitting attempt as easy on yourself as you can. Don’t try quitting outright without a coping plan in place. Quitting cold turkey is only effective about 5% of the time. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, so medication, patches or therapy may be necessary. Using these treatments will help you avoid withdrawal symptoms so that you can more easily stop smoking for good.
Have loved ones support your decision to quit smoking. Be clear that you need their unwavering support and encouragement, and that anything less could negatively affect your efforts. You will also want to let them know you will most likely be in a lousy mood initially, and you may not exactly think clearly at that time. It is not simple to stop smoking, you should always develop a support system.
Consider visiting a hypnotist for help in kicking the habit. This non-traditional method of quitting has shown great success with many smokers. One the therapist places you in a hypnotic trance, and they speak to you in positive affirmations that embed themselves in your subconscious mind. When you come out of the trance, cigarettes could be less appealing, which means you are that much closer to quitting for good.
Nicotine replacement products are a great tool for quitting smoking. Withdrawal symptoms include depression, lethargy, and irritability. Cravings such as these are distracting and overwhelming. You can try nicotine-replacement therapy if you are having nicotine withdrawal. There are many studies that show using gum, lozenges, or nicotine patches increases the chance of quitting. However, never use these types of products if you still smoke.
Start up some type of exercise, in order to keep your mind busy, and stay away from cigarettes. Use exercise as a great way to alleviate the stress. If you haven’t been exercising regularly, then start slow by taking a walk outside once every day or two. Always go to your physician before you start exercising.
When you are quitting smoking, you need to avoid the triggers that you always associated with smoking. For instance, if you tend to smoke while driving or while drinking, it is important to adjust the way you do such things, so that do not automatically prompt you to smoke. You need to find a distraction, to think about something else.
Your doctor may be able to help you quit smoking if you can’t do it by yourself. There are medications, such as antidepressants, which will help to make quitting much easier. You can also find out about other resources, such as support groups, that will help make it easier to give up smoking.
As you work on quitting smoking, remember to give yourself a reward every time you hit an important milestone. On your one week anniversary you could visit a movie, for example. Maybe after a month, you could go to a nice restaurant you have been wanting to go to. Continue on like this to gradually increase the rewards to the point you don’t think of smoking any more.
Realize that you will experience times of stress, so make a specific plan for countering this. For smokers, the way to deal with a stressful situation is to light a cigarette. Planning in advance for these moments will help you avoid giving in to the stress and grabbing a smoke. Having multiple ideas to fall back on in the event the first one does not help enough is an even better plan.
You may want to smoke an alternative brand of cigarettes when you are considering quitting the habit. By switching to a brand you don’t like the taste of, you may not want a cigarette as often as before. By no account should you smoke more of your new cigarette than you did of the last. This will get you started on your way to stop smoking.
The first seven days without cigarettes will be the most difficult part of quitting. Keep this in mind if you feel like you can’t get through that first week. During the first two days, your body will expel the nicotine inside it. Once your body sheds the nicotine, the hard part will be mental addiction. While they are still very real and can be intense, it becomes easier to resist the urge to pick up a cigarette.
Tell everyone you know about your desire to quit smoking. They have your back and will help you keep your goal in sight. Having a system of support is one of the best methods you can use to quit. Doing so helps maximize your likelihood of success, and gets you closer to your goal.
When you think about quitting cigarettes, approach it as a positive thing you are doing for yourself rather than something you need to endure. Keeping a positive attitude about quitting can help you stay committed, allowing you to drop the habit faster. Try to mentally picture how much better your life will be, in so many different dimensions, without cigarettes. Repeating these ideas to yourself will help you maintain your motivation and dedication.
Use the Internet to find online support groups and forums. Many websites exist solely to help people quit their tobacco habit for good. You may find outside support beneficial to your efforts. Other ex-smokers understand your challenges and the emotional problems that sometimes get in the way of quitting smoking.
Pay attention to your diet while you are quitting. These low-calorie foods are natural and healthy ways to keep your body strong and help you stop smoking for several reasons. For instance, having your mouth and hands constantly doing something could replace the behavioral motions of smoking. Also, your chances of gaining weight during this quit period is reduced. Getting the right vitamins and nutrients will help you to feel much better while you are going through withdrawal.
Think about the places where you used to regularly have a cigarette, and then avoid them. If you are accustomed to lighting up while you have your first cup of coffee in the morning, or having a smoke while out at happy hour with friends, then change your routine. Having coffee while inside the car or staying away from the bar enables you to stop your cravings.
Stop Smoking
Now is the time to stop smoking. A future date will be too tempting to postpone and put off, so it’s best to decide that today is the day you will quit. If you commit to kicking your habit, as soon as possible, you can potentially extend your life by many years. This will save your family from the health perils of secondhand smoke, as well.
Now that you have the information you require, you can stop smoking for good. If you stop smoking, you will be healthier and happier, and you will live longer. Take the money you’re saving and spend it on your family as a thank you for supporting you through the worst; they deserve it!
If you do not succeed in your first quit attempt, do not become disheartened. Even the most well-organized, best intentioned quit efforts sometimes fail. Look back and find out what went wrong to learn from your mistakes when you try again. If this happens to you in the future, you will know exactly how to overcome it.