You may think that quitting smoking requires you to double up on willpower so that you never give into temptation or touch a cigarette again. Learning more about successful techniques for quitting will make your goal easier to reach. There are a number of different approaches to take if you want to throw those cigarettes away for good. Read on.
If you need to smoke, try delaying it. Take a long walk or watch a television program to get your mind off smoking. Often, you will find that just giving your mind some time and something to occupy itself with you will be able to get past the craving without having to smoke. If you still choose to smoke, you won’t be smoking as much because your time will be spent doing something different.
Write down reasons why you should quit to increase the chances that you actually do quit. By writing these things down, you begin to control the direction of your outlook on quitting. Use this as a source of motivation, and build your focus on your daily challenges.
Understand that quitting smoking will take a long time to materialize. Kicking your habit for good is not an overnight thing; it is a long-term process. Think about the present without concerning yourself with the future. Approach your plan to stop smoking one day at a time, and as you are successful short term, you can think in terms of the future.
Joining a good support group can help you stop smoking. It could be beneficial to talk to ex-smokers who have experienced the same things you are going through, and understand the physical and emotional challenges that you are going through. You’ll find not only support, but advice and guidance which will lead you to great success. Inquire at your local churches, colleges and universities, and YMCA to find out if they run support groups.
Some great ways to get in shape, stay active and distract yourself from smoking include participating in an exercise program, and signing up for the local gym. It can also be a great stress reliever. Start slowly by taking walks around your neighborhood. Before beginning an exercise plan, discuss this with your doctor.
When you feel the desire to smoke, try to postpone your cigarette as long as possible. To help you postpone your cigarette as long as possible, consider taking a walk or enjoying a some water before smoking. This break between the craving and its fulfillment may enable to not smoke that cigarette after all. Delaying can help to reduce the amount that you smoke, which can make a significant difference during the year.
When you stop smoking, start by changing brands. Switch to a lighter cigarette or a cigarette whose taste you don’t enjoy. Smoke them exactly like you smoked your favorite brand, so you get the full experience of their nastiness. This is one method that will ease you into quitting smoking.
As you begin on your quest to stop smoking, start a list of tips, tricks and techniques that will help you along. List taking in your quitting efforts will help greatly as you create a source of direction. Everyone has their own ways of getting things done. It’s very important that you find something that works good for you. By creating a list, you can improve your overall chances for success.
Come up with a way to maintain your motivation by keeping it in mind and in sight constantly. This may mean pinning motivational messages on your office wall, or wearing a bracelet that symbolizes your intentions. Either way, you need to have visual reminders in order to help you when you experience temptations and cravings.
Try exercising or joining a gym to keep you from smoking, and to better your health. Exercising is a great stress reliever as well. If you are currently not in the best of shape, begin with short walks or an easy routine and build up from there. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine.
If you are attempting to stop smoking, stay away from situations, environments, and activities that generally resulted in you smoking. If you’ve always had cigarettes during your happy hour or with your coffee, try changing this type of routine. Having your coffee at work, or avoiding places where smokers congregate, will help you avoid activities that used to be associated with smoking.
Utilize the delay tactic whenever you feel that you absolutely must have a smoke. Force yourself to wait at least ten minutes before you give into the urge. Typically, you will become distracted with something else and will wait longer than the ten minutes. Repeat this step repeatedly if you need.
When quitting smoking, keep in mind that the process will be most difficult during the first week. In fact, the first two days–approximately 48 hours–are the worst part of quitting, because you’re detoxifying from nicotine. After the first two days, expect to experience mostly psychological cravings. These symptoms aren’t easy to deal with, but are nowhere near as bad as the initial nicotine withdrawal.
If you are finding it difficult to stop smoking, speak to a 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 may have other resources on hand as well, such as support groups and toll-free hotlines where you can discuss your struggle.
Do not get discouraged if you fail to quit the first time you try. Sometimes, even the perfect plan will fail due to the circumstances. Identify where your moment of weakness went wrong, and learn from this incident before you try to quit again. You just might succeed the next time.
Loved Ones
Getting rid of anything that can remind you of smoking is beneficial for anyone trying to kick the habit. Get rid of lighters, ashtrays and matches. Clean your carpets, drapes and furniture as well as your linens, towels and clothing to remove the stench of smoke. By doing this, you will prevent any triggers these items would cause to remind you about smoking and make you crave a cigarette.
Get your loved ones to support you in your decision of kicking your bad smoking habit. Make it clear that you need support but that it won’t help if they are judgmental. Make sure you tell them that you might be a bit cranky, especially during the first few days after your last cigarette. It’s not easy to quit smoking, and you should be sure you have your loved ones’ support during this process.
If your willpower is at an all-time low and you feel very close to giving in to your craving for a cigarette, you need to call someone for their support. Whether it’s a family member or friend, talk to someone to ease your cravings. The discussion will divert your attention from your craving, allowing it to subside, and you will receive the additional benefit of being reminded that you’re not trying to cope with overcoming your addiction all on your own.
Talk to your doctor if you plan to stop smoking. Your doctor can offer you advice, information and tools that you can’t get anywhere else. Your doctor will also be able to write you a prescription for medication to help you stop smoking, if he or she feels that it is necessary.
You should ask your friends and family members to help you quit smoking. Tell everyone close to you that you are trying to stop smoking. Their approval and assistance can be the overriding factor that helps you achieve success. In addition, you might want to think about obtaining behavior therapy or joining a support group to help you quit.
Boost your capacity to deal with nicotine withdrawal, by using healthy methods of coping with its side effect of 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. 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.
Try deep breathing if you are trying to fend off a craving for a cigarette. When you are focusing on your breathing, focus also on why you want to quit smoking. You’ll also have the benefit of getting a better supply of oxygen through your lungs, which can be a refreshing break. These breathing techniques are easy to learn, and you can do them anywhere.
You should definitely tell your family and friends that you are going to stop smoking. They are there for you and they will help remind you that you need to quit. It’s hard to quit without a support system. You will find that your confidence in succeeding is increased, and your goals are attainable.
If you have an oral fixation associated with your smoking habit, find new ways to occupy your mouth. You might want to stock hard candy or gum in your desk drawer or keep it in your purse if you are trying to quit smoking. While there are those that satisfy their cravings through electronic cigarettes.
Some smokers find cutting back on smoking is a good start. This can help you begin to stop smoking. You should try to wait an hour in the morning before you smoke. Try smoking just half a cigarette when you do smoke to cut down a little at a time.
If you’re attempting to cease smoking, you need to consider the different challenges you may face when you first stop smoking. Most people who fail to quit smoking, will do so within a few months of first quitting. When you are stressed out or tired, it can sometimes be mighty tempting to smoke a cigarette. Be vigilant about staying one step ahead of your smoking triggers.
Plan out how you’re going to successfully deal with stress. Most people who smoke will light up when they’re stressed out. Have some good alternatives ready so that you can avoid the urge to light up. Have multiple ideas you can use in the event the first doesn’t help adequately.
Spend time thinking of reasons to quit smoking. To motivate you, keep your most important reasons written on an index card or sheet of paper and make sure it’s with you at all times. When the urge to smoke becomes too strong, consult your list of reasons and read through it for renewed motivation.
Think about the likely consequences of a major decline in your health caused by smoking. How would your loved ones and friends be impacted? According to U.S. statistics, twenty percent of all deaths are directly related to smoking. Do not become a number!
Annoy the people who bother you constantly about quitting smoking. Do not kick your habit for someone else; do it for yourself. Do not let this person feel like they have been proved right by explaining your real motivations. Iy you get totally involved in your new vice, you’ll forget you’re even quitting!
The first few days will be the hardest. In the first two days, your body will be releasing all the stored nicotine in your body. Once the nicotine is out of your system, you’ll be craving emotionally instead of physically. While still difficult, this will make resisting them considerably less traumatic.
Change your outlook if you want to quit with nothing more than willpower. To do this, you must understand that, to quit smoking, you must focus on getting through just one more day. Also, techniques such as cognitive and behavioral therapies and simply making adjustments to your daily routine can help you sever the mental tie you have to cigarettes.
You should now have an arsenal of tips at the ready to help you stop smoking. While it’s not that realistic to think that you’ll won’t be tempted to quit, you can use these tips to quit easier.
It is often emotional to quit smoking. Craving a cigarette is tough and it’s easy to succumb to temptation. Try keeping a journal and writing down all of your cravings. Be specific by including the time, how it really felt, what activity you were participating in, and how you dealt with it. This can help you to become aware of your triggers, meaning that you will have a better chance of taking control of them.