How To Quit Smoking Without Driving Yourself Crazy
All smokers understand that they should quit. Does anyone boast about all the great benefits smoking has brought them? People who do not smoke can’t really understand how hard it is to stop, but ex-smokers have lived the journey. Keep reading to see what works to quit.
To boost your odds of successfully quitting smoking, think about putting down on paper all the potential advantages and consequences of quitting. When something is put into writing, it may have an affect on how you think about things. It can strengthen your motivation to quit, and reduce the difficulty of quitting, by keeping your attention on your desire to quit.
When you decide to quit smoking, be sure to tell your family and friends. Entrusting familiar people with this information can let them motivate you, along with helping you beat temptations. This could be that extra push that helps keep you on track towards your smoking cessation.
Your doctor may be able to help you stop smoking if you can’t do it by yourself. A variety of medications are available to make the quitting process easier, from anti-depressants to medications that make smoking less desirable. 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.
When attempting to quit smoking, you must avoid the particular triggers that cause you to smoke. 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. Try to use other things to distract your thoughts, if you are thinking about smoking.
If you are interested in ditching your unhealthy habit, it is crucial that you are dedicated to seeing it through. Too many people try to quit on a whim and then fail when they are faced with serious obstacles. The reasons you quit will be a great motivation for you to remain smoke-free.
Get lots of support. Tell your friends and relatives that you are quitting, and have them give you a hand. Having a support group is the single best thing you can do for yourself. Your peers will know exactly what you’re going through and be able to offer assistance and advice.
As you work on quitting smoking, remember to give yourself a reward every time you hit an important milestone. For instance, enjoy a movie with a special friend after the first week has gone by. When you go an entire month, go to a fancy restaurant you don’t normally go to. After that, keep making the reward better until you’re at a point where smoking is no longer an issue.
Secondhand Smoke
When you quit smoking you’ll not only help your own health, but that of your loved ones as well. Secondhand smoke is dangerous, and a known cause of many types of cancer, and other serious health conditions. Quitting reduces your family’s exposure to secondhand smoke, so they will be less likely to get seriously ill if you quit. That means that your whole family will benefit from you quitting.
When planning on quitting smoking, make sure not to let the fear of failure impact the process. The ex-smokers you know probably were not successful on their first try. Stop smoking, and have the mindset that you will stop for as long as possible. When you get motivated again, be sure to set another date for when to quit. Just recommit every time you quit, learning from your failings as you go. Eventually, you’ll get so good at it that you’ll quit one time and just not go back.
The first 7 days of quitting are the absolute hardest. In the first two days, your body will release toxins, specifically nicotine, which might give you some unpleasant feelings. The cravings you experience after that will be predominantly psychological. Understanding this can make resisting the cravings less traumatic.
Get rid of anything that reminds you of smoking as you approach your quit date. Throw out or give away all your lighters and ashtrays. To get rid of smoke odors in your home, clean your house and wash your clothes. This will prevent triggering your cravings for cigarettes that can come from the smell of these items.
Discuss with your physician about medications you could possible take to assist you in quitting. There have been many advances in the area of smoking cessation. These options might be prescription or over-the-counter and many are quite new to the market, meaning you’re likely to find one that works for you. Your doctor’s recommendations will be a huge help!
Eat lots of vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruits while quitting smoking. Eating low calorie and healthy food help people quit for many reasons. One reason is that it keeps the hands and mouth busy, which can simulate the behavior of normal smoking motions. Consuming these foods on a regular basis will also help keep you from gaining weight. In addition, the vitamins and nutrients provided will help ensure you feel as good as you can during withdrawal.
Stop Smoking
Counseling might be the thing you need, in order to stop smoking. Many people can’t quit because of emotional attachments to smoking, or issues about self-esteem. If you can address the underlying issue, it becomes easier to stop smoking. If you feel this might be right for you, talk with your regular physician, and ask for a referral.
Consider keeping a journal of the smoking habits you have developed. Find out the times where you are tempted to smoke and make the necessary adjustments to quit. Tackling the cravings for tobacco can put you in the best position to quit and stay away from cigarettes.
Nonsmokers cannot fathom your desire to smoke a cigarette when you know the health costs involved. So it isn’t surprising that advice given by nonsmokers on how to quit is usually unhelpful. There are people that have stop smoking, and they have used some of the methods explained in this article. Put this advice to use in your life to set yourself free from smoking.