People who smoke are aware that they need to stop. It is doubtful that you will have met a fellow smoker who actually thinks there are health benefits to cigarettes. People who don’t smoke are simply incapable of realizing how hard it can be to quit. Let others help you start your own process by reading what worked for them.
Find the easiest method to quit smoking. Avoid quitting cold turkey, which seldom works. Unfortunately, there is a 95% failure rate among those who attempt to quit without any help. Nicotine is so addictive that a method like therapy, the patch or medication is recommended. You will have an easier time making it through early withdrawal, which will give you a better chance of quitting.
You may wish to join a support group when you decide to stop smoking. It is beneficial to have a network of others who are where you are and can understand what you’re going through. This can help you feel comfortable by associating with people who have gone through the same issues. Support groups can be found in many places, even on the Internet, so take some time to research what’s available to you.
To quit smoking, try creating a list of ways you can quit. Taking time to think and customize your list based on your personality is a good method of quitting. Each person has a unique way to taking care of things and accomplishing goals. It is important for you to find something that will work for you. Making a list for yourself of your own methods will help you reach your goal.
No matter what, you need to look at your quitting one day at a time. Breaking the habit is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight. Do not even think about the future. Approach quitting on a day-by-day basis. Give yourself credit for every day you succeed, and you might be surprised by how quickly those days turn into weeks.
Sleep is a necessity if you are going to try to quit smoking. For many smokers, staying up for extended hours can lead to increased cravings. In addition, it’s easy to succumb to the temptation to smoke when it’s late at night and everyone else is already asleep. If you get at least eight hours of sleep every night, you will be focused and able to stop any cravings.
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. A good workout also eases a lot of the stress out of your day. If you haven’t been exercising regularly, then start slow by taking a walk outside once every day or two. You should consult a physician before implementing any exercise routine.
If you are finding it difficult to stop smoking, speak to a doctor. There are a growing number of medical aids, such as antidepressants, that can help you quit with much less discomfort. Also ask your doctor for a list of support groups, therapists and any other resources that may be helpful to you.
Talk with you doctor if you’re serious about quitting smoking. Your doctor can offer you advice, information and tools that you can’t get anywhere else. Your doctor may want you on a prescription medicine to help you quit.
There is a certain amount of weight gain that is often the result of stopping smoking, and eating fruits and vegetables instead of sweets is one way to help avoid this. This will assist with keeping weight gain away. Feed your cravings with only the healthiest foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
When you’re trying to stop smoking, allow yourself to get a reward every time you reach a goal. You can take yourself out to a new movie release after the first week. Once a month has passed, go out to dinner at a new restaurant. Build up the rewards until you are completely free of cigarettes.
If you do not think you can quit cold turkey, try nicotine replacement products, like gum or patches. These products will ease some of the withdrawal symptoms you might go through. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and the physical cravings can be very difficult to overcome.
Plan out a strategy for dealing with stress now that you don’t smoke anymore. You could try going to the gym during a craving or starting a new hobby. 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.
Kick the smoking habit for the health of your loved ones. They are probably exposed to your secondhand smoke, and this can cause breathing and health problems. When you quit, you lower their exposure to secondhand smoke. Quitting smoking provides benefits to you and those you love.
Clean your home from top to bottom, when you stop smoking. Clean your carpets, your curtains, your clothes and your furniture. You should even wash the walls. Get the smell of smoke out of everything in your home. Instead of smelling smoke when you come home, you’ll smell clean, fresh fragrances. This will reduce the temptation to smoke.
Reduce smoking. This helps to guide you down the road to stopping your reliance on cigarettes. Upon waking, wait one hour before having your first daily smoke. Perhaps smoke only half a cigarette instead of a whole one.
Stay motivated as often as possible, as this can elevate your chances to stop smoking. This could mean placing motivational messages on office walls, or even wearing bracelets that remind you of your intentions. Either way, you may find this visual reminder handy in the face of temptation and craving later.
The best way to quit smoking is to completely stop. To begin your journey, you must simply stop smoking first. Stop yourself, immediately, and never look back. This technique may be tough, but the benefits are extraordinary. However, it has proven to work the best, over time.
Think about the effect our smoking has on your family. Remember that if you get seriously ill or die because of smoking, it will hurt your family. Thinking like this can help you stay motivated to quit. Statistics prove that one in five deaths in America are related to smoking. Don’t let yourself be one of the ones who dies from smoking. Quit today for better health.
The first week is always the hardest when you stop smoking. The first two days without smoking is when the body rids itself completely of all the nicotine you’ve been consuming. After those physical cravings have passed, you will mostly be dealing with the psychological addiction. While still difficult, this will make resisting them considerably less traumatic.
Work out whenever possible. Since you will have a better lung capacity, you will find working out easier. This can also help you to reduce potential weight gain. The natural endorphins exercise produces will also boost your mood and help you to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
Think positively about quitting smoking. Don’t tell yourself that you’re giving up something you like. Instead, view your decision to quit as a gift you’re giving yourself. You will be more inclined to push through the hard part and be successful at quitting, when you can see the positive impact it will make. Your life is valuable, and will be vastly improved if you stop smoking. This will keep your motivation up while giving real reason to stop now.
Do not allow yourself to give up if you did not succeed the first time you quit. It is normal for many efforts to fail, no matter how organized. Make a note of what triggered your relapse and make an effort to avoid it in the future. You may be able to succeed in a future attempt.
If you feel your resistance waning and your desire for a cigarette growing, call your support system. Tell somebody you trust that you feel tempted to smoke. Not only will the time spent on the phone be a good distraction until the craving has passed, it’s always nice to know that you are not alone in dealing with this issue.
Know that when you quit smoking you are improving your life, as opposed to making a noble sacrifice. You will be more inclined to push through the hard part and be successful at quitting, when you can see the positive impact it will make. Think of how it will change your life, and that the benefits of smoking are so important compared to the few detriments. This keeps you on track and makes quitting seem immediately important.
If you are craving a cigarette, try deep breathing. This allows you to step back and refresh your memory about your reasons for quitting to begin with. It will bring oxygen into your body, relaxing you and helping to clear your mind. Deep breathing exercises are so easy to do and you can do them anywhere at virtually any time.
Speak with a medical professional about any stop smoking aids that are good for quitting. 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.
Don’t go overboard with eating! If you are trying to quit smoking, it’s not the best time to go on a diet. Instead, keep your eating habits the same, and ensure you don’t eat more than you were before. Fruits, veggies, and dairy products can taste unpleasant when you smoke. These healthy foods will help reduce your cigarette cravings.
Stay on top of knowing when your body will crave nicotine. It will be easier to stop smoking when you are aware of the situations that lead you to want a cigarette. If you know when cravings are most likely to strike, then you will be better prepared to stave them off.
Try substituting exercise for smoking in your daily life. Your body will return your efforts with greater stamina and more efficient workouts as you recover from the physical damage from tobacco abuse. As a bonus, you’ll be less tempted to return to smoking as your body gets healthier. The idea of ruining your newly discovered good health might be enough to deter you from reaching for a cigarette.
Once you make the decision to kick the smoking habit, you cannot allow yourself to fail. Keep in mind that the smokers that have successfully quit most likely had to make many attempts at it before succeeding. If you hit a snag, see why you had the relapse, and then keep going.
A lot of people are able to quit smoking without any kind of cessation method by changing how they perceive things. If you understand quitting smoking as a “one day at a time” phenomena, you will be able to overcome it much easier. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective means of changing your lifestyle and severing your emotional ties with smoking.
A lot of the time someone that doesn’t smoke can’t understand why you continue smoking despite the risks. Neither can they fully understand the complexity of quitting. While quitting is difficult, it is possible through knowledge and determination. The knowledge shared above is from ex-smokers like you strive to be. Put this advice to use in your life to set yourself free from smoking.
Quitting smoking is as difficult emotionally as it is physically. Cravings are real and they aren’t always easy to resist. Keep a cravings journal to help you quit smoking. Write down what was going on, especially what you were feeling when a craving hit you. Doing this helps you figure out the motivation behind your smoking.