Smoking is an unhealthy activity that can have severe negative consequences for both you and the people around you. If can cause heart attacks, emphysema, lung cancer, throat cancer and many other serious health issues. The second-hand smoke is dangerous, as well. This just proves how important quitting is! The information provided below should help you reach your goal and actually quit.
If you feel you have to smoke a cigarette, then try to put off your first one as long as possible. For example, require yourself to take a long stroll before you give in and have a smoke. If nothing else, pour yourself a big iced tea and promise yourself to finish drinking it first. Sometimes, giving your mind just a little more time is enough to keep you from taking a puff. If you still decide to smoke that cigarette, the delay time might just mean that you smoke one less that day.
As soon as you decide to quit smoking, join a support group. You’ll gain a lot of sympathy, advice and support by building relationships with people that have gone or are going through the same thing. People with experience quitting, or going through the same thing as you, can offer their own tips and advice. You are sure to find some support groups in your area. They may meet in a church, a community center, or a school after hours.
When you feel an overwhelming urge to smoke, use the delay tactic. By telling yourself you will check back in ten minutes to see if you still want a cigarette, you will usually avoid the craving. If it hasn’t, then just keep repeating this process over and over as often as you need to.
If you suddenly get the urge to smoke, try to delay your smoking. Tell yourself how you’ll feel in about 10 minutes and distract yourself. You should see the craving pass within the 10 minutes. If it doesn’t work the first time, repeat this step until it does.
Make sure you are eating well. This will prevent the likelihood of weight gain that is so common for people who’ve recently given up cigarettes. Expect quitting to make you crave food, so have plenty of healthy food ready.
Speak with a doctor if you are trying to stop smoking but are coming across difficulty. He can advise you about prescription medications available to help you and may even recommend things such as antidepressants to help with emotional withdrawals. Your doctor may also be able to provide information about support groups, hotlines, or other resources that can improve your chances of successfully quitting.
If you cannot quit smoking cold turkey, use nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches, sprays, inhalers, or gum. These nicotine replacements will help you quit by supplying your body with a small amount of the drug to help curb withdrawal.
Obtain the support of your loved ones in helping you stop smoking. You have to talk to people and let them know what you’re going through, this is the only way you can get help. So, let people around you know that you’re going to quit smoking and that your mood is going to change because of this. Quitting smoking can be very difficult, so it’s critical that you have the support of those who are close to you at this time.
Do not attempt this by yourself. Ask for support and encouragement from your friends and family, letting them know you want to quit and letting them give you help. You might also want to consider joining a support group. Simply speaking with other people who have gone through this same battle will give you added incentive to lose the habit.
If you cannot quit cold turkey, replace your cigarettes with nicotine patches or gums. These medications, many of which are available over the counter, keep the level of nicotine in your system steady as you work on not smoking. They can prevent some of the uncomfortable physical symptoms associated with smoking cessation.
One helpful way to start quitting is to switch to a different brand of cigarettes. Switch to a lighter cigarette or a cigarette whose taste you don’t enjoy. Don’t smoke more of them or inhale them differently. This will help you in your efforts to quit.
If you want to stop smoking, visit your doctor. Your doctor may have resources for quitting that you may not have. Once you have talked about your situation, the doctor may prescribe a drug to help you overcome nicotine addiction.
Find a method to remind yourself of your motivation at all times. Maybe you can wear a symbolic bracelet, or perhaps leave messages that motivate your on your refrigerator or office wall. Regardless of your method, a visual reminder is often a compelling motivator to keep going.
Boost your capacity to deal with nicotine withdrawal, by using healthy methods of coping with its side effect of stress. You could try new hobbies, massage, or strenuous exercise during peak cravings. Identify things you can do if you have unexpected downtime. Read an engrossing book or call a friend for example.
Plan how you can deal with those stressful times. It is common that those who smoke are accustomed to relieving stress by puffing on a cigarette. If you make a plan in place to keep you from giving in to these temptations, you will be more likely to not grab a quick smoke. It’s wise to have more than just one idea in case your first idea doesn’t seem to be helping enough.
Try to not smoke as much. This is the first step to reaching your goal of a smoke-free life. Try a delay of one hour before you smoke your first morning cigarette. Try smoking only half a cigarette to reduce your smoking.
Stay away from the kind of situations where you would be tempted to smoke. Try to alter your activities during the day to avoid situations that you associate with smoking. Having your coffee in the car or avoiding the bar allows you to short circuit your cravings.
Everyone knows that smoking is dangerous and extremely unhealthy. Smoking is associated with a wide range of serious health problems, including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart attacks. You need to realize that second-hand smoke is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous to the people around you, and you are putting their health at risk as well. It is hoped that the advice you have read will help establish a foundation for quitting.
To help with getting the determination to quit smoking, remember your loved ones and how your smoking impacts your health and theirs. Statistics show that one in five Americans die because of cigarettes. Keep yourself from becoming a statistic and stop now.