Being able to quit smoking is something with which individuals have struggled for decades. The health benefits of succeeding in the battle are significant, but many still find the task to be extremely daunting. Take the tips below to heart and you will be well on your way to kicking the habit for good.
To keep your hands and mouth busy while trying to quit smoking, keep crunchy vegetables like carrots or celery on hand. These low-calorie snacks will not only keep your hands busy, but they will steady your blood sugar and keep you from reaching for higher-calorie foods that could lead to weight gain.
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.
If the cigarettes you smoke after meals are some of the hardest to give up, replace the habit of smoking after eating with brushing your teeth or chewing minty gum. Slowly, you will break your old habit and build a much healthier association between finishing a meal and freshening your breath.
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?
Don’t quit smoking cold turkey. Nineteen of twenty cold turkey quitters relapse and wind up smoking again. If you are going to quit, have something to help you. Jump into this armed with anything you can, from a support group to a prescription medicine. Your willpower might free you from cigarettes for a few days, but not for life.
Have alternate coping mechanisms in place to deal with the stress that you used handle by smoking before you attempt to quit. Avoid as many stressful situations as possible in the early stages of your attempt to quit. Soothing music, yoga and massage can help you deal with any stress you do encounter.
Do not give up. Relapsing is very common. Many smokers have to try several times before they are successful in putting down the cigarettes. Look at what circumstances and emotions lead to the relapse. Once you decide you are ready to try again, set a date to quit in the very near future.
Choose the date that you will quit and write it on the calendar. After you’ve done this, tell your friends and family. Choosing your quit date makes your goal more specific and real so that you’re more likely to take action towards it. It’s harder to change your mind once you’ve made a commitment, and other people can help support you if they know about your quit date.
Choose a date to quit and stick to it. Make a big deal out of this date. Write it down on your calendar, even consider having some sort of ceremony to mark the date for yourself. You need to instill this date in your head — the importance of it — so you can use it as a driver to stay on task for the long run.
You might be surprised by how much the power of persuasion can aid you in quitting. If more traditional methods have failed before, then consider seeing a hypnotist. Just believing that hypnosis could work for you will help you to feel more motivated to quit. If nothing else, continuing to seek new treatment options will help you to stay committed to your goal.
Come up with a list with the top reasons you want to quit. Each time you think you might cave, repeat over and over all the reasons why you want to quit. This represents a terrific method of diverting your focus away from nicotine withdrawal symptoms and onto other critical things in your life.
If you are pregnant, or plan or becoming that way, then use this as a serious motivation to stop smoking. Statistics say that women who smoke while carrying a child, especially in the first trimester, will cause the infant to have a decreased body weight. This will in turn affect their health, potentially throughout childhood.
Gaining the necessary tools to quit smoking is critical to ultimate success. Arming yourself with some key pieces of information is the best way to get the process rolling and rid yourself of this harmful habit once and for all. Keep the concepts and techniques from this article in mind and you will stand a great chance of living a much healthier, smoke-free life.
