Stop Smoking And Enjoy A Healthier Lifestyle

Stop Smoking And Enjoy A Healthier Lifestyle

Many think quitting is easily accomplished by tossing the cigarettes away and willing yourself to stop. These are both factors in stopping, but there are ways to make it more manageable for yourself. There are a number of different approaches to take if you want to throw those cigarettes away for good. Read on. Find a way to quit smoking that works for you, but try to do it little by little. Quitting cold turkey may not be successful. This method enjoys only a 5 percent success rate. Because nicotine is so addicting, a patch, medication, or therapy may be helpful. This will ease you through the early withdrawal stages and make quitting less difficult. When you have finally chosen to quit smoking, think about joining a support group. Talking to your peers will help you to find new techniques for fighting cravings, have emotional support and find new non-smoking friends. People with experience quitting, or going through the same thing as you, can offer their own tips and advice. You can check your local church, rec center, or even the community college to find these support groups. Joining a good support group can help you quit smoking. There is much strength and reassurance in a group of like-minded folks who are all pushing towards the same goal and dealing with the same challenges. These people can become your friends, and offer you a wealth of advice that might help you to stay on track. You can check your local church, rec center, or even the community college to find these support groups. Let your family and friends know if you plan to stop smoking. Just by letting them know what you are attempting to do, they will be able to be a support team for you and assist you in staying motivated and fighting temptations. This support may be the additional push that you require to stay strong as you quit. If you need to smoke, try delaying it. Force yourself to do something, whether it is go for a walk around the block or simply drinking an entire glass of water, before you are allowed to have a cigarette. Sometimes, these delaying tactics provide enough time for the craving to pass before you ever light up. If, even after the delay, you still have a cigarette, you will at least have taken up some time, meaning you will smoke less that day.

Term Goals

You should try the delay tactic when you feel like you absolutely have to have a cigarette. By telling yourself to wait 10 minutes, you can find you can manage the craving for that short amount of time. If that is not the case, repeat that step as many times as necessary. Take things day by day. Make your goals very short and attainable - one day at a time. A short timeline can help you stay on track instead of worrying about what is coming next. Once you are doing well with short-term goals, you can move on to long-term goals. This will happen easily as your commitment becomes stronger. When you are trying to quit smoking, you need to make sure that you are avoiding any triggers that will make you want a cigarette. A couple of examples are like if you smoke after you eat a meal or while you drive your car. You have to identify these triggers and change how you respond to them so you don't automatically start smoking. Get involved with something else during those times, to keep your mind off of your desire to smoke. If your cold turkey effort to quit smoking failed, then get some extra help via products like nicotine patches or gum. 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. When you quit smoking, you'll need a healthy way to cope with the stress associated with the nicotine withdrawal. Adopt healthier habits and hobbies such as working out, taking long walks, or listening to music and dancing. Fill your downtime with enjoyable, lighthearted distractions - the latest novel, date night or a cultural outing. When you are trying to quit smoking, you need to make sure that you are avoiding any triggers that will make you want a cigarette. 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. Find a distraction to keep you occupied. Changing the brand of your cigarettes may help you to quit. Switch to a brand that you don't like or a cigarette that you don't like the taste of. By no account should you smoke more of your new cigarette than you did of the last. This will help you on the way to quitting smoking. Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking. He will have access to techniques and tools that you won't be able to get on your own. Also, if you are a candidate, your doctor may be able to give you prescription medication that can help you quit smoking. If you smoke at home, clean your place thoroughly, so it doesn't smell of smoke. Shampoo your upholstery and carpets, launder your curtains and drapes and wash your walls. Your entire house will be refreshed, and the stale smoke odor will not linger around to remind you of smoking. Protect your family's health by quitting smoking. They are probably exposed to your secondhand smoke, and this can cause breathing and health problems. Quitting will mean that you're sparing your whole family from a lifetime of maladies. Not only will you be saving your own life, you will be keeping your loved ones healthy. Consider rewarding yourself for important milestones and plan those rewards in advance. Revolve your rewards around anniversaries of achievement, like quitting for a week or month. Make sure that you put your reward list in a spot where you can see it daily. Rereading your list can help you stay motivated when you really feel like reaching for a cigarette. Reduce the number of cigarettes that you smoke. If you want to quit smoking completely, this can get you pointed in the right direction. 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. Stay motivated as often as possible, as this can elevate your chances to quit smoking. This could mean placing motivational messages on office walls, or even wearing bracelets that remind you of your intentions. Regardless of your method, a visual reminder is often a compelling motivator to keep going. Find support groups, either locally or in the online community. There are many websites that help people quit smoking. It may be helpful to you to compare your strategies with others. Furthermore, people who are quitting alongside you will understand the unique emotional struggles that accompany this journey. To help with the motivation factor of smoking cessation, always remember your family and those who would be affected in a big way if your health declined substantially because of this very dangerous habit. Roughly twenty percent of Americans die from smoking-related causes. You don't want to be another statistic. It can be helpful to get rid of reminders of your smoking life when you are trying to quit. Get rid of any ashtrays and lighters you may have around your home. Clean your home, your car and all your clothes to get rid of that telltale smoky smell. The smell of smoke will trigger physiological cravings, so this spring cleaning serves as a preventative measure against temptation. Make your goal to smoke not even one puff. You may be thinking that you can handle having just one cigarette, but in reality, that one cigarette will probably undo all of your quitting efforts. Remember that even one cigarette can restart the mental addiction.

Coping Mechanisms

You've probably noticed that your smoking habit gets worse in times of stress. If this is true, you must find a suitable replacement, so that you can still relax when you feel stressed. Consider yoga, meditation or even enjoying a walk outdoors. Any of these activities can help you to relax, easing your body and mind away from feeling stressed. You should now have an arsenal of tips at the ready to help you stop smoking. While you can certainly expect to crave cigarettes from time to time, these cravings will become easier to resist with proper coping mechanisms. The above advice should be of assistance to you as you create better coping mechanisms. Transition from smoking to exercising. You'll get an endorphin boost that will keep you from worrying as much about cigarettes. Also, working out helps prevent weight gain that could happen when you quit smoking.