If you truly wish to succeed with your smoking cessation plans, you must be duly motivated. Quitting smoking provides a wealth of benefits. Keep those benefits in mind and reflect on them when you feel you are faltering. It not only promotes general good health and the health of those around you and gets rid of a major cost center in your life, but it also helps you lower your lung cancer risk. Keep reading to find out more about the most efficient methods to quit smoking.
You can find a support group in your area for the support you need to be able to quit smoking. You’ll gain a lot of sympathy, advice and support by building relationships with people that have gone or are going through the same thing. This support group can give you the benefit of their experience, what works well to make quitting easier. Support groups can often be found at your local church, recreational center, or community college.
Take each day one at a time. This is a process that could take months before results are apparent. You should not lose sleep over next week, month or even 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.
Make sure you take the process one day at the time. Kicking your habit for good is not an overnight thing; it is a long-term process. Do not concern yourself with next month or next year. 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.
Talk with your doctor if you are having difficulties kicking your smoking habit on your own. He can advise you about prescription medications available to help you and may even recommend things such as antidepressants to help with emotional withdrawals. A doctor might also give you information about hotlines, support groups and other resources which can increase the likelihood of success with quitting.
Come up with your own personalized plan for quitting. Taking the time to sit down and customize your own list to your own personality, is an excellent method of quitting. Each person does things their own way. Identify strategies that will work for you. That’s the purpose of making a personalized list.
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. These healthy snacks can help you maintain a steady weight. You must remind yourself that your body will want to eat when you are quitting, you should eat healthy.
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. It is normal for your body to crave food during the quitting process, and the best way to silent your cravings and stabilize your mood is to eat healthy snacks.
Nicotine Replacement
If you decide to stop smoking and do not want to go cold turkey, consider nicotine replacement therapy. When you use these medications, you replace the nicotine from cigarettes with nicotine from the products. This helps you avoid nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Use one of the many nicotine replacement solutions on the market today. Nicotine withdrawal is very trying and can exacerbate feelings of stress, depression and anxiety. Cravings can be difficult to ignore. Nicotine replacement products such as gum can be very effective in dealing with cravings. Research has shown those using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges have twice the chance of successfully quitting. It is very dangerous to smoke while using these products; therefore, to protect yourself avoid smoking if you are using nicotine replacement therapies.
Eliminate the triggers you associate with smoking cigarettes. Many people find that they have an association between driving and smoking, for example. In that case, you need to think of ways in advance to change your driving behavior so you’re not constantly tempted while in the car. Try to find some type of distraction that will serve as a substitute.
Avoid some of the places and behaviors that can lead to smoking cigarettes. For instance, if your triggers include smoking while driving, the end of a meal or driving, try to find alternatives to the cigarette to replace them. You need to find other things to think about or do, to take your mind off smoking during those times.
While in the process of quitting smoking, allow yourself a reward as you reach certain milestones. You can go to a movie or buy something that you wanted, after not smoking for a period of time. Once you reach a month without smoking, go to a special restaurant. After that, keep making the reward better until you’re at a point where smoking is no longer an issue.
Talk to you doctor if you want to stop 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 are many healthy ways of handling stress. That could mean hitting the gym at the time of day when your cravings are worst, picking up a new hobby or getting a regular massage appointment. Identify things you can do if you have unexpected downtime. Read an engrossing book or call a friend for example.
Do not crack under stress or pressure: find another way to deal with your stress. Adopt healthier habits and hobbies such as working out, taking long walks, or listening to music and dancing. 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.
Many people have found that switching brands can help on your quitting journey. Choose a brand that has an unpleasant taste. Do not smoke a greater number of them than usual or modify the way in which you inhale them. You may find this makes cigarettes distasteful and assist you in your efforts to quit.
Make an effort to reduce your smoking. This will assist you in starting out your smoking cessation journey. Avoid smoking when you first wake up. As you try to kick the habit, it may be helpful to allow yourself to cut back by only smoking half of each cigarette.
You should definitely tell your family and friends that you are going to quit smoking. Your loved ones undoubtedly want to support you, and they can serve as reminders of why quitting is so important. If you surround yourself with a strong support system, it will be a big help in your battle to quit. A solid support system greatly improves your chances of quitting permanently.
The only way to stop smoking is to stop. Stopping completely is the only way to really quit. Just do it, give up smoking cold turkey and never start up again. This method can appear to be extremely difficult. It has been shown that this method can be quite effective.
If you want to give up smoking for good, you may need to practice quitting. Many smokers had to try several times prior successfully quitting. Stop smoking, and have the mindset that you will stop for as long as possible. As soon as you do light up again, set another quit date. As you go, keep learning and making the quit last longer every time. Eventually, you will quit for good.
Attach a reward to every small goal you make. These rewards can be tied to a given amount of time spent without smoking, whether a day or a month. Post the list where you’ll see it on a regular basis. This could provide you assistance in staying motivated whenever you feel weak.
Come up with a way to maintain your motivation by keeping it in mind and in sight constantly. This might mean keeping an inspirational quote or image at work or in your wallet to remember why you’re quitting. These reminders will give you the drive you need to fight temptations.
Quitting smoking takes a solid, lifetime commitment. Keep a list of your strongest motivations and refer to it often. Try to follow the tips you have learned here, and get started on the path to kicking your smoking habit, permanently.
Realize that you will experience times of stress, so make a specific plan for countering this. 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.