It’s clear that your family cares about you, and wants you to stop smoking. Your doctor says that if you don’t, you could suffer serious health consequences. You can even get a discount on your insurance for quitting. Why are you still smoking? It’s time to toss the old ways and move on towards a healthier, cleaner lifestyle, which can all start with the tips mentioned right here in this article.
When you smoke, you sometimes are just obsessed with the feeling of having something in your mouth. This can be replaced with a less dangerous habit such as chewing gum or eating candy. Anytime you feel like smoking, just have a piece of hard candy or chew a stick of gum.
Using some type of nicotine replacement is a good way to slowly ease your addiction to smoking when you’re trying to quit. Nicotine replacements come in many forms, including lozenges, gum, and patches that can be worn on the body. These products give your body a small dose of nicotine, which eases cravings for using tobacco products.
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.
Be cognizant of routine activities that trigger the desire to have a smoke. For some, it is the first cup of coffee in the morning. For others it may be the end of a meal, or socializing with smoking friends. Whatever your trigger may be, this is the time you must remind yourself that you are quitting because you care enough about yourself that you want to.
It is extremely important that you talk to a doctor prior to quitting smoking. This person can provide you some advice on your best methods of quitting. In addition, he or she can provide you some additional support on your journey. Both of these things greatly increase your chances of quitting for good.
Write down why you’re quitting ahead of time and keep that list handy. When that craving hits you, refer to your list for motivation. Understanding ahead of time why quitting is important to you will help to keep you focused in those moments of weakness, and it might even help to get you back on track if you should slip up.
Don’t allow yourself “just one puff”. The mind can sometimes play tricks on you, especially when you’re trying to give up a habit that you have had for years. Don’t allow yourself to give in to the idea that just one cigarette won’t hurt. It will hurt, and it might just keep you from being able to quit at all.
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.
You should make sure you have an appropriate reward system in place for such a difficult task. You will want to reward yourself for at least the first three days of quitting and the first two weeks. After that, monthly milestones are worth a celebration until you hit the annual mark. You can choose your reward based on the time elapsed as well, making success that much sweeter.
You can replace your smoking habit with positive coping habits instead. This means really looking inside yourself and examining your habits. If you smoke when you are stressed out, consider how you can diffuse the negative energy instead. Some people find solace in meditative and deep breathing exercises, but you can experiment with a variety of techniques to find one that suits you.
Think about signing up for motivational emails or text messages when you want to quit smoking. Oftentimes, people fail to quit because they lack the motivation or encouragement to do so. These messages will give you that push you need when you feel as if you want to give up.
Consider all the health benefits to keep you motivated when you are trying to stop smoking. Your blood pressure and pulse will be lower. You will reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in your blood, bringing it back to normal levels. Your chances of heart attack, lung cancer, and emphysema will go down, too.
This article has given you everything you need to quit smoking for life. Being a non-smoker will add years to your life. Save the money you would have spent on cigarettes and buy something nice for your family.
