Smoking is affecting your life in more ways than you may realize. It affects how you look, stains your teeth and makes your clothes smell. Even more troubling, smoking dramatically affects your internal health. You can reverse many of the ill effects of tobacco abuse, by quitting smoking for good. If you need help quitting, the following tips will get you started.
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. When you put something in writing, it often has an affect on your entire mental outlook. This can help to motivate you to stay on course, and might even make quitting easier because you are able to remain focused.
If you absolutely must have a cigarette, using stalling tactics. Force yourself to complete some other chore, before you can have a cigarette. By delaying your actions, you find that you really didn’t want that cigarette after all. Even if you do take that cigarette, you may still be reducing your total count for the day by one.
When you have a smoking urge, try the delay tactic. If you do something else and then re-evaluate your feelings after a few minutes, you’ll find that the worst of the cravings are gone. If the craving is still there, repeat the process as often as you need to.
Stop Smoking
Your doctor can help you quit smoking. There are medications, such as antidepressants, which will help to make quitting much easier. Your doctor can also help refer you to support groups and other resources you can utilize to ensure that you succeed in quitting.
Your doctor may be able to help you stop smoking if you can’t do it by yourself. There are medications available to help you stop smoking or to make the process easier. Your doctor can also point you toward other alternative therapies, as well as toward support groups and other sources of information.
Consider using a nicotine replacement-type of therapy. Nicotine withdrawal is very trying and can exacerbate feelings of stress, depression and anxiety. Cravings can be extremely tough to resist. Consider nicotine replacement therapy. You will have twice the chance of giving up smoking if you use reliable nicotine patches, lozenges or gum. But, you should never use these nicotine replacements while you are still smoking.
A good way to quit smoking is nicotine replacement therapy. The effects of nicotine withdrawal may make you feel irritable, depressed or restless. You can be overwhelmed with cravings. Nicotine replacement therapy is a great way to help deal with cravings. People who use these products have twice as much likelihood of quitting for good as those who go cold turkey. However, do not use nicotine replacement products while smoking.
Eliminate the triggers you associate with smoking cigarettes. A couple of examples are like if you smoke after you eat a meal or while you drive your car. You have to identify these triggers and change how you respond to them so you don’t automatically start smoking. Find something else that can take your mind off of things when this happens
A crucial part of giving up cigarettes, is not trying to do it entirely by yourself. Get support from your family and friends and tell them that you are attempting to quit smoking and that you would like it if they help you accomplish that goal. It’s also a great idea to join a support group. Discussing how you feel with others who are experiencing the same difficulties can help you power through and beat smoking for good.
When you’re quitting smoking, give yourself rewards for each milestone you pass along the way. For instance, you might decide to see a movie as a treat to mark one week without a cigarette. On day 30 you can go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. You can build your rewards up, making each month and year without smoking an even sweeter success.
There are many healthy ways of handling stress. This could translate to making appointments for activities, like the gym or spa, during the hours when your nicotine cravings are at their peak. When you’ve got down time, try to surround yourself with some pleasant distractions like going out with friends, playing games, or reading a book.
Consider cutting back on your smoking. If you want to quit smoking completely, this can get you pointed in the right direction. Upon waking, wait one hour before having your first daily smoke. To cut back, try smoking 1/2 of a cigarette instead of a full one.
Changing the brand of your cigarettes may help you to quit. Switch to a brand that you don’t like or a cigarette that you don’t like the taste of. Avoid smoking more of them than you normally would or inhaling them in different ways. You may find this makes cigarettes distasteful and assist you in your efforts to quit.
If you have been smoking inside your house, give it a complete scrub-down, once you have quit. Shampoo your upholstery and carpets, launder your curtains and drapes and wash your walls. Doing so helps your home to stop smelling like cigarettes and stop it from being a constant reminder of the cigarettes you enjoyed.
When you are going to stop smoking, let your family and friends know. They are there for you and they will help remind you that you need to quit. A support system can be tremendously valuable. Getting help from other people makes you more likely to succeed.
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. Keep this list somewhere where you’ll notice it each day. This will provide you with some extra motivation, and it might just keep you from caving in and smoking again.
Some smokers find cutting back on smoking is a good start. Smoking less can be a good place to begin your plan to stop smoking. Wait one hour or more to have your first cigarette in the morning. Try smoking only a half cigarette in order to help you cut back on how much you smoke.
Find support by joining online forums or communities for those who are trying to quit. There are many websites that are devoted to supporting those that are looking to quit smoking. It might be helpful and informative for you to compare different quitting methods with other people. The peers you meet there will have a deep understanding of what you’re going through, giving them the ability to help you succeed.
If you are serious about quitting your smoking habit, you need to get good at it. It is important to stay persistent, as you may fail the first time. Just stop, and see how far you can go without starting back. If you fail the first time, set a second quit date immediately. Every time you have to quit, allow yourself as long as possible. Let each mistake be a learning opportunity. Eventually, you’ll get so good at it that you’ll quit one time and just not go back.
Consider ahead of time how you are going to handle stress in your life. Most people who smoke will light up when they’re stressed out. Therefore, it is essential that you develop a strategy on what to do when stress occurs. Have more than one idea in case the first idea doesn’t help enough.
When you quit smoking, remember that the first week will invariably be the hardest. In the first two days, your body will be releasing all the stored nicotine in your body. After the first two days, expect to experience mostly psychological cravings. Understanding this can make resisting the cravings less traumatic.
Try to workout whenever possible. You might be surprised by how much easier and more pleasurable exercise is now that you’re not smoking. Keeping active also helps you to avoid gaining weight. Exercise produces endorphins, which do not replace nicotine highs, but do ease the withdrawal symptoms.
Get rid of anything that reminds you of smoking as you approach your quit date. Toss your lighters, cigarette case and ashtrays. Wash all your clothes and clean your house to remove the smell of smoke. This can help reduce your cravings, in an effort to eliminate smoking from your regimen.
Smoking may have previously provided you with a form of stress relief. If you have used smoking to relieve stress, it’s time to find alternative methods of relaxation and stress relief. What about yoga or meditation?
Take the time and money you save by quitting smoking, and apply it to exercising. When you exercise, your body releases a lot of endorphins, which in turn, make your mood go up. Also, when you exercise, your body is distracted from wanting a cigarette. Also, you’ll lose metabolic rate when you quit, and exercise can speed it back up.
Substitue a healthy habit like exercise for your smoking. You’ll get an endorphin boost that will keep you from worrying as much about cigarettes. Also, you’ll lose metabolic rate when you quit, and exercise can speed it back up.
Find someone that you can call on for support in case you feel tempted to smoke while you’re trying to quit. The person can be a friend, family member or even a coworker. Just make sure that it’s someone who will listen to your feelings and respond honestly. Not only will this distract you, it’s nice to know someone cares and can help you tackle the issue with someone else’s assistance.
Run your decision past your doctor in case there are some medications that you could take that might help you to quit. New innovations for giving up smoking appear regularly. There are many medical options, in addition to nicotine replacement programs, to help you get over the withdrawal symptoms. Have a chat with your doctor about your smoking habit and see what techniques they recommend for quitting.
If an oral fixation is a big part of your smoking addiction, then find other ways to keep your mouth busy. For example, you may wish to always carry hard candies or a pack of bubble gum. Others get quick relief from electric cigarettes.
Draft a list of your motivations for quitting smoking, and post it around your home, put a copy in your wallet, and even keep one at work. Use this list as a last resort to read when you get a strong craving to smoke.
It is very important to know what challenges may arise as you make your decision to stop smoking. It is not uncommon for people to stop smoking for a month or two, only to fall prey to the habit once again. It may be very tempting to have a quick cigarette when you are tired or stressed. Know what triggers your desire for a smoke.
Don’t compensate for smoking by eating a lot of junk food. By the same token, don’t try to radically reduce how much you’re eating while quitting smoking. If you are trying to quit smoking, it’s not the best time to go on a diet. Rather, try to follow a balanced diet. Studies have demonstrated that fruits, vegetables, and dairy products that are low in fat will leave a terrible taste in the mouth when you smoke. Eating these types of food will not only boost your health but also help you quit smoking.
It can be very hard to stop smoking, but it is definitely worth it for reasons that extend into every aspect of your life. Many, many people have successfully beaten this habit; you can, too. Select a tip today.
Instead of smoking, exercise! You will quickly see how your body is improving when you work out regularly. The more your body heals from smoking’s negative effects, the more energy you’ll have for exercising. As your body regains its strength from your new exercise regime, you will be unlikely to want to ruin this by taking up smoking once more.