Millions of men and women would love to kick their unhealthy smoking habit. Smoking is not good for people, and it only harms the lungs if they are exposed to smoke for extended periods of time. If you are ready to stop, continue reading to hear some valuable advice that can help.
One aid to help you in quitting is to make a list of reasons why you should quit smoking, and also the reasons why you resist quitting. You will remember these reasons, and think about them every time you want to smoke. Not only can you find motivation to continue your journey in this way, but your trek might become easier since you can concentrate more.
When you feel the urge for a cigarette, set a certain amount of time that you will make yourself wait. Force yourself to complete some other chore, before you can have a cigarette. Sometimes, delaying smoking actually is enough to prevent you from taking that puff. By using the delay technique you may smoke one less cigarette a day.
Find the method of quitting that will be easiest for you. Never try to go cold turkey. By doing this, you are almost certain to fail. 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.
Quit Smoking
Tell your loved ones that you’re quitting smoking today. If you let those around you know of your intent to quit, they will be able to motivate you, and keep you away from any temptation. This might be the extra motivation you need in order to keep on track with quitting smoking.
When you decide to quit smoking, tell your family and friends. This can help you to create a support group to facilitate the process. This support and responsibility can bolster your effort to quit smoking for good.
Smoking is a step-by-step process that should be done day by day. Instead of thinking about stopping forever, think about taking it one day at a time. Having a shorter time horizon makes it easier physically and mentally. You can always have more goals that go well into the future as soon as you get comfortable with the commitment to quit.
Try exercising or joining a gym to keep you from smoking, and to better your health. Exercise can also act as a stress reliever. You can ease into a healthier lifestyle by starting to take a daily walk and working your way up to strenuous activity. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine.
Make sure you get lots of rest if you are quitting smoking. Lots of people find that if they stay up late, they are more inclined to crave cigarettes. Late nights may also be tempting times to sneak a cigarette, especially if the rest of your house is asleep. Optimize your health and reduce your cravings by sleeping for at least eight hours per night.
When you feel an overwhelming urge to smoke, use the delay tactic. Try to distract your mind and your body for 10 minutes by going for a walk or calling a friend; in this time your urge will probably have passed. If it doesn’t, keep trying this method.
If you find it difficult to stop smoking by yourself, speak with a medical professional. Some medications can make it easier to quit smoking. Your doctor can probably also steer you toward other resources, like support groups or hotlines, that can help you quit for good.
Try eating healthy to combat any weight gain from quitting smoking. This will assist with keeping weight gain away. You body will be craving food when you stop smoking and a healthy diet will keep you focusing on a healthy lifestyle.
If you don’t think you can quit all at once, use nicotine gum or nicotine patches to help replace the nicotine you get from cigarettes. Using these nicotine-providing OTC products in conjunction with your own personal willpower will fight off the rough symptoms of withdrawal.
Make sure you have a strong support group of friends and family members, when you decide to quit smoking. Tell them that their support will be critical in helping you stick to your program. Ask them to not be judgmental. Let them know you might be cranky or irritable because of withdrawals, but it will pass and it is not your intention to be as such. Quitting smoking is a real challenge, and you’re going to need support to succeed.
Nicotine replacement therapy is a great option. As you are going through nicotine withdrawal, you might feel irritable, restless, frustrated or depressed. These cravings can overwhelm some people. Nicotine replacement therapy is a great way to help deal with cravings. Research has shown that people who make use of nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches can have twice the chances of quitting smoking successfully. However, do not use nicotine replacement products while smoking.
If you simply cannot quit smoking straight out, make use of nicotine gums or skin patches. You give your body the nicotine it is used to having so that your body doesn’t go into withdrawal by not having a substance it is used to getting regularly.
When you are trying to quit smoking, you have to stay away from the things that trigger you and make you smoke. For example, if you liked to smoke in the car, or when you were reading a book, then you need to change your behavior when doing those things, so as to not automatically think about smoking. Look for a distraction in these situations.
Talk to your physician to see if he can help you quit. Your family doctor may offer referrals and resources that you might not otherwise have access to. If your doctor thinks that it is appropriate, they may prescribe you medication assist with the quit.
Cut back on how much you smoke. This can be an effective way to begin the process of eliminating smoking. Wait one hour after waking to have your first cigarette in the morning, and quit smoking after dinner. You can also smoke only half of your cigarette each time you go for a smoke to help you cut back.
Don’t try to quit smoking without support. Ask your family for support while you quit and accept their assistance. It is also a good idea to make use of a support group. Your peers will know exactly what you’re going through and be able to offer assistance and advice.
Develop a system of daily reminders about why you want to quit as well as motivational messages to help you. You can do this by putting messages on the wall to remind yourself of the goals that you set. Either way, you need to have visual reminders in order to help you when you experience temptations and cravings.
Secondhand Smoke
Take into consideration the effects on your family that could be caused by your bad smoking habit and use it as motivation to help you quit. Statistics prove that a high number of deaths in America can be attributed to smoking every year. No one wants to be known as just a statistic.
A benefit of quitting smoking is so you can improve the health of all those near you. Your family is exposed to the risk of health problems because of your secondhand smoke. By reducing the smoke that you generate with your cigarettes, you are reducing the amount of secondhand smoke that you have exposed your loved ones to. Quitting smoking will not only reduce the risk to your own health, but also the risk to those around you.
You can replace your smoking habit with exercise. Your mood is given a positive boost by the endorphins released in your body following a workout, making physical activity an effective way to keep your mind off smoking when you want to smoke. Exercise is beneficial in another way as well; it can minimize the effects of metabolism changes that happen when you stop smoking, which can help keep the extra weight gain at bay that people who quit sometimes experience.
This article probably changed your perspective on what is required to finally stop smoking forever. There are people in your life who love you and depend on you, and quitting smoking will mean that you have more time to spend with them. What you have just read will help you do so.
When you are trying to break the smoking habit, eat a lot of nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. There are many benefits to eating natural foods while you quit. For one, constantly having something to do with your hands and mouth can behaviorally replace the motions of smoking. Including these foods in your daily diet can also help to cut down on possible weight gain. As an added bonus, all the extra vitamins and minerals will help you to detox your body.