Quitting smoking brings a myriad of benefits financially, physically and emotionally. Remember the positive reasons you are quitting, and use the suggestions you are about to read to assist you in your efforts. Call upon these guidelines whenever you feel overwhelmed, and you can begin to kick the habit once and for all.
You should try to ease the pain of quitting as much as possible. Do not ever try to quit cold turkey. There is a very high chance you will start smoking again if you do. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, so medication, patches or therapy may be necessary. This will help you to get through the early stages of withdrawal, and will make it easier to quit smoking.
You should treat quitting smoking day-by-day. It is a big process to stop smoking. Do not allow yourself to worry about what will happen next week, next month or even next year. Just focus on today, as quitting now will help you in the future.
Create a list of ideas on how quitting smoking can be achieved. You can and should customize this list to your life and habits. Every single person will have their own individual triggers that need attention. Everyone will find the techniques that work best for them. It’s vital that you figure out the ways that work best for you. Drafting a personal list will help you to accomplish this.
When the urge to smoke becomes overwhelming, try using a 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 this does not happen right away, keep repeating this technique.
Take things day by day. Keep your focus on getting through today without a cigarette, rather than thinking of quitting forever. With a shorter time frame, it will be an easier mental and physical task. Once you are committed to short term quitting, thinking about the long term will be easier.
Make a study of what triggers your smoking, and then find ways to avoid your triggers. As an example, if you used to automatically light a cigarette before you made a phone call, you will need to substitute something else in its place. Get another distraction then.
Ask your doctor to help you quit smoking. Prescription medications may be the ticket to help you. Your physician can also introduce you to a network of support, including hotlines and groups, that will make it more likely that you will quit.
The first step toward quitting smoking is the ability to commit yourself to the cause. Lots of people fail when they try to quit due to the fact that they didn’t have the proper mindset, or they simply gave up too fast. It is possible for you to maintain a high level of commitment by keeping in mind the reasons why you want to 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 help curb any weight gain that you might experience. Feed your cravings with only the healthiest foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
A crucial part of giving up cigarettes, is not trying to do it entirely by yourself. Ask your family for support while you quit and accept their assistance. An outside support group of former smokers can also help. Simply speaking with other people who have gone through this same battle will give you added incentive to lose the habit.
Talk to your loved ones, in order to garner their support in quitting smoking. It’s critical, however, that they understand that you want positive support, not reproach. Make sure you tell them that you might be a bit cranky, especially during the first few days after your last cigarette. Quitting smoking is a real challenge, and you’re going to need support to succeed.
When you stop smoking, you’ll need a healthy way to cope with the stress associated with the nicotine withdrawal. Try going to the gym, taking up a brand new hobby, or getting regular massages when you get cravings. Whenever you find yourself with time on your hands, fill it with the things you love to do, like talking with friends, interesting games or books.
You might want to look into therapy to help with nicotine replacement. When you are suffering from nicotine withdrawal, you may become annoyed, irritable, and even depressed. The cravings you feel for nicotine may be uncontrollable. Using nicotine replacement therapy will help to relieve these symptoms of withdrawal. Studies show that individuals who use nicotine gums, patches or lozenges double their chances of quitting successfully. Don’t use these products if you’re currently smoking.
The best advice you can get for quitting smoking is just to stop. Make up your mind that your life as a non-smoker begins today. This is a simple solution to quitting, but it’s not always easy. This strategy is going to be extremely difficult at first. However, some studies show that quitting cold turkey can be easiest way to quit.
One of the keys to quitting for good is avoiding the things that make you want to smoke. If you like to have a cigarette with coffee you can switch to tea, for example. Find something else that can take your mind off of things when this happens
You should find a way to keep your motivation clearly in sight and in mind at all times. This could involve you gluing motivational posters and messages to the walls at your work office, or wearing an item of jewelry that symbolizes your intentions to quit. These visual aids will keep your motivation level high when cravings get bad.
In order to quit smoking successfully, you have to stay committed to quitting. Your commitment should come before you decide how to quit. Most people who quit do so because of a lack of willpower. Keep your motivation for quitting in mind at all times.
The first few days will be the hardest. In the first two days, your body will release toxins, specifically nicotine, which might give you some unpleasant feelings. Once 48 hours have passed, your craving for nicotine will usually just be psychological. Understanding this can make resisting the cravings less traumatic.
Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke a little each day. This can begin the process of quitting the habit altogether. Try waiting an hour or so before having your first cigarette of the day. One other strategy to reduce the amount you smoke is to smoke just half a cigarette each time you have one.
By now, you are well aware of the myriad benefits of quitting smoking. If that is not enough, these tips can help you stay motivated. Apply these tips when you feel your motivation needs a boost or when you have a craving. You will be able to run faster and breathe more easily before you realize it.
Remind yourself of the bleak consequences smoking has on your health. Stats say one in five people die from cigarettes in the U.S. No one wants to be known as just a statistic.