While almost everyone understands the risk of smoking cigarettes, few are able to overcome the addiction and let it convince them to not even start trying to quit. Quitting can happen if your attitude is good, and you have good willpower. Also you’re going to need some advice, like what will be shown in this article. Quitting can be easier than you previously thought if you use the following information.
Try hypnosis to help you quit smoking. Each year, thousands of people utilize the services of licensed hypnotic therapists for help with their smoking addiction. One the therapist places you in a hypnotic trance, and they speak to you in positive affirmations that embed themselves in your subconscious mind. Consider this option because it’s worked for thousands of people!
You can find a support group in your area for the support you need to be able to quit smoking. It can be helpful to discuss your problems with ex-smokers who have had the same challenges as you. These people can support you through the hardest times with guidance, and coping tips. Support groups can often be found at your local church, recreational center, or community college.
Just take each day as it comes. Quitting is a process. Do not concern yourself with next month or next year. Focus on getting through this day. From time-to-time, also remind yourself that if you can get through today, getting through tomorrow will be that much easier.
When you feel an urge to smoke and can’t resist, at least put it off till later. Set tasks that you commit to performing prior to that cigarette, including small things such as going on a walk or making a fruit juice smoothie. Sometimes a simple distraction is all it takes to help you weather a strong craving. Delaying can help to reduce the amount that you smoke, which can make a significant difference during the year.
You can reward yourself in various ways by joining a gym. You can utilize time spent smoking for working out and get your health back in order. Exercise is a proven stress-reliever, and people who are quitting smoking will need stress relievers! Do not let your lack of exercise impede you. Start small and move forward from there. Before beginning an exercise plan, discuss this with your doctor.
Just take each day as it comes. Remember that quitting will always be a process, and it doesn’t usually happen over night. Because of this, it’s counterproductive to think too far ahead. Take each day as it comes and concentrate on not smoking that day, which will help establish a habit that will help you over the long term.
Discuss your desire to quit smoking with your doctor. There are medications, such as certain antidepressants, which require a prescription that can help you get through the trials and tribulations of quitting. Your doctor can also help refer you to support groups and other resources you can utilize to ensure that you succeed in quitting.
Let your family and friends know if you plan to stop smoking. Other people knowing about your goal will both hold you accountable and give you a support system. With this support, you can optimize your chance to quit successfully.
If you decide to stop smoking and do not want to go cold turkey, consider nicotine replacement therapy. These are found over the counter at any pharmacy and give your body a small amount of nicotine, which can lessen withdrawal symptoms and get you through the worst times.
Term Goals
As you work on quitting, steer clear of the things that you mentally link with smoking. You may associate smoking with driving or reading. Take a look at how you can change the way you do these things, so that the associations are weaker and do not make you think of cigarettes. Try to find something to take your mind off of the subject.
Take things day by day. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to focus on quitting forever; just quit for today. Short term goals can make the process of quitting both mentally and physically easier. As your physical needs for nicotine diminish, you can set longer term goals to match your commitment and comfort level.
Fortify your resolve to not give in, by creating a solid backup plan for when the cravings kick in, or the pressure adds up. Try going to the gym, taking up a brand new hobby, or getting regular massages when you get cravings. During your free time, read books or take time to talk to friends. Anything that keeps you busy will help to stay away from smoking.
Rest is important when quitting smoking. If you stay up late, it may increase cigarette cravings. You may get tempted to sneak a smoke since nobody is around to catch you during these hours. Getting eight hours of rest each night will help to keep you mentally focused, meaning you’re better able to control those cravings.
One small step toward quitting could be to switch cigarette brands. Give up your preferred brand to one that you find absolutely horrible. Smoke them as you would your normal brand and inhale them the same. You will enjoy smoking less. This is the first step to quitting.
Try therapy that involves nicotine replacement. The effects of nicotine withdrawal can cause depression, moodiness and frustration. The cravings can be overwhelming. Using a nicotine replacement therapy will help you to battle against the temptation. Such therapy can effectively double your chances of quitting. Don’t use these products if you’re currently smoking.
Plan rewards for yourself and follow through with them when you meet an important milestone. Write down a list of rewards you will allow yourself when you have stopped smoking for a day, a week and a month. Make sure that you put your reward list in a spot where you can see it daily. This will help give you strength during moments of weakness.
Make a study of what triggers your smoking, and then find ways to avoid your triggers. For instance, if you enjoyed smoking in your vehicle or while reading a book, you must change this behavior while performing these tasks, so that you don’t automatically pull out a cigarette out of habit. Look for a distraction in these situations.
Plan out your stress coping mechanisms as soon as you quit smoking. Many smokers respond to stress by lighting up another cigarette. If you make a plan and have strategies in place, you can better avoid smoking. Keep a list of several distractions that you can use in case one doesn’t work.
Loved Ones
If you hope to stop smoking, try to avoid any situations that would trigger the need for a cigarette. Try a change of pace if you are used to having that first cigarette in the morning with coffee or with cocktails at the end of the workday. Having your coffee at work, or avoiding places where smokers congregate, will help you avoid activities that used to be associated with smoking.
The health of your loved ones depends on you to stop smoking. Secondhand smoke can be harmful to those in your household. When you quit, you lower their exposure to secondhand smoke. So, both you and your loved ones can live healthier due to your decision to stop smoking.
To increase your motivation to stop smoking, keep in mind that your loved ones would be negatively impacted if you became sick as a result of smoking. According to U.S. statistics, twenty percent of all deaths are directly related to smoking. Don’t become one of these unfortunate statistics.
Let your family and friends know that you plan to quit smoking. They can provide a valuable resource and help you through tough times. A support system can be tremendously valuable. Your success rate to quitting will increase by a lot.
Start exercising regularly. Since you will have a better lung capacity, you will find working out easier. It can also help to avoid putting on pounds thanks to a slower metabolic rate. While exercising, endorphins are produced, which can help cope with the symptoms of withdrawal.
Try to not smoke as much. That will help you slowly begin your journey to stop smoking. Avoid smoking when you first wake up. A great way to reduce the amount of cigarettes you are smoking is to only allow yourself to be able to smoke half of the cigarette at any time.
Always maintain a positive attitude when you are trying to quit smoking. Sometimes, even the perfect plan will fail due to the circumstances. Try to turn your weaknesses into strengths and learn from your mistakes. You may triumph the next time.
Find a way to stay motivated at all times. This can be accomplished by posting motivational sayings in your office, or by wearing bracelets to symbolize your intentions. Whatever method you use, the visual reminders might be helpful in combating the cravings at a later time.
Transition from smoking to exercising. Exercise is an effective way to take your mind off of cravings and it also releases feel good chemicals that can lighten you mood when you work out. Also, you’ll lose metabolic rate when you quit, and exercise can speed it back up.
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. The cravings you experience after that will be predominantly psychological. This means you will have no physical trauma from resisting those cravings.
Ask for help if you feel like you can’t overcome the temptation to return to cigarettes. Tell somebody you trust that you feel tempted to smoke. Reaching out for help makes you feel less isolated and alone. In addition, talking to someone can distract you from your feelings of temptation, so that you don’t give in to your cravings.
Try exercising to replace your smoking habit. Not only does a work out release endorphins, which improves your mood, but it is also an excellent way to take your mind off your cravings. 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.
Stay on top of knowing when your body will crave nicotine. If you know when your temptation to smoke will be most severe, you can make a more informed plan for quitting. If you are prepared for cravings related to tobacco, you will definitely be prepared in dealing with them and you will have an easier time in dealing with the temptation.
Try contacting a physician and find out if there is anything you can take to stop smoking. New innovations for giving up smoking appear regularly. Nicotine replacement products and medications that reduce withdrawal symptoms are just a couple of the options available. Ask your doctor what they recommend to help you quit for good.
Once you make the decision to kick the smoking habit, you cannot allow yourself to fail. Most ex-smokers had to struggle to overcome their addiction for months or even years before succeeding. If you falter in your quest to give up smoking, think about what caused you to pick up a cigarette, and don’t make the same mistake again.
Most people really do want to stop smoking, but sadly for the majority it becomes an impossible task. Individuals that have success in quitting usually have motivation, and a battle plan in order to keep them on the right track. Take the advice in this piece to heart to help you plan a strategy for success.
Replace your smoking habit with a healthy one like exercise. Exercising will help flush your body from the toxins of cigarettes and increase your energy levels. 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.