If you smoke, it’s likely that you don’t really want to. You don’t have to be told how much it costs, how badly it smells and what it’s doing to your health. You know all that already. What you don’t know is how to get through the wall you have likely run into in trying to give it up. Read on for ideas on breaking through.
If you’re doing well on your stop smoking journey, don’t forget to reward yourself. Treat yourself to a nice massage, a pedicure, or a special new outfit when you’ve cut back, and then something else when you’ve stopped entirely. You need to have rewards like this to look forward to, as they can help to keep you motivated.
Sometimes people think they can quit smoking by switching to a product such as chewing-tobacco. This isn’t a good idea because usually chewing-tobacco contains more nicotine. You might end up just replacing one addiction for another. If you really want a product that can help you quit, try nicotine gum instead. You can slowly taper off the gum. They don’t usually sell progressively weaker versions of chewing tobacco.
Keep a cold glass or bottle of ice water nearby at all times. When you get a craving for a cigarette, take a sip of water–even if this means you hardly put the bottle down at first. This gives you something to do with your hands and mouth, and it can be a useful way to prevent snacking, too.
You must know why you want to stop smoking. Having shallow reasons, like it is bad for you are not good enough. To really get yourself motivated, you need a personal and powerful reason to quit. Maybe you are scared of lung cancer. Or maybe you would like to keep your family from second hand smoke. It might be because you want to both feel and look younger. Choose a strong reason that outweighs your urge to light up.
In order to succeed with your goal of quitting smoking, it’s important that you write down the benefits that are derived from quitting smoking. Some examples include living a longer life, feeling great, smelling better, saving money, etc. Lots of benefits are gained from eliminating smoking from your life. Writing them down can help to keep you motivated to succeed.
Replace sweets with fresh produce to prevent gaining weight as you quit smoking. This will boost your health by enjoying some healthy produce while stopping weight gain in it’s tracks. Eating a healthy diet will give you the strength and stamina that you need to stay focused on your goal.
Improve your chances of successfully quitting by sharing your plan to quit with supportive loved ones and friends. The encouragement you receive can provide extra motivation during rough patches, and telling people about quitting will help you stay more accountable. Have a few people on stand-by whom you can call for distraction whenever you get a craving.
When you decide to go out with your family or your friends, try to go to places where you cannot smoke. This will prevent you from taking puffs. Try going to a restaurant or going out to a movie. This is a wonderful way to curve your urges, and it is fairly easy. Just make it inconvenient to smoke.
If you want to quit smoking, don’t do it. Quitting smoking are two words that imply losing something, making it a grieving process. Instead, psychologically embrace tobacco freedom. Don’t think about how you would make anyone else happy, but what would make you happy if you were free from cigarettes. What could you do with that money and time?
If you quit smoking and slip up, do not beat yourself up or assume that you’ll never succeed. Many former smokers quit and relapse several times before it finally sticks for good. Pay close attention to what may have triggered a relapse, learn from the experience, and give it another shot promptly.
Once you get to the point that you should be done smoking altogether, throw away any extra tobacco products. This reduces the temptation to have “just one more cigarette.” You should also get rid of any cigarette paraphernalia that could trigger cravings, including everything from a favorite lighter to ashtrays to your old butts.
Master stress management. Aside from nicotine withdrawal and simple habit, a primary reason you might start smoking again is stress. If you can’t avoid all stress during the first few weeks after quitting, do whatever it takes to manage your stress in another way than having a cigarette. Get a massage or try a yoga class. Find something new and healthy to replace what you’re giving up.
Whether you want to call it quitting smoking or gaining freedom from tobacco, the road from smoker to ex-smoker seems impassible to many. However, in this article you read ideas, advice and insights from those that are now on the other side of that wall. Put these points into play and you can bat for the other team yourself.
