Smoking is not only unhealthy, but it endangers those around you. Smoking leads to emphysema, lung cancer, and heart attacks. Those around you that breathe in your smoke are also at risk. This is a great reason as to why stopping smoking is so essential. Read this article for tips on how to stop the nasty habit today.
If you’re trying to quit smoking, try chewing gum instead. Often times when you try to leave a bad habit behind, you must replace it with a more positive one. Chewing gum allows you to use your mouth and jaw in some of the same ways that smoking does. It is a healthy way to keep yourself busy while you’re working toward quitting.
Take up exercise to help you quit smoking. Exercising is wonderful for both your body and mind. It can help you to focus on the positive things in life, and keep you from thinking about that cigarette that you so dearly want. It is also a wonderful way to meet healthy people. When you’re around healthy people, it might just make you want to stay healthy too.
Plan on using exercise as you quit smoking, not just for the added health perks, but to distract yourself from the desire to smoke. Exercise is also a very effective stress reliever. Go for a long walk every day, or play a sport. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine.
As soon as you decide to quit smoking, tell all of your family and friends. Not only will this help you to build a good support group, but it will also encourage you to stick to your goal. You might even inspire one of your loved ones to quit with you.
Talk to your doctor about prescription medicines. If you want to ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms, consider prescription medications. There are certain medications that affect the chemical balance in your brain and can help reduce cravings. There are also drugs that can reduce bothersome withdrawal symptoms, like inability to concentrate or depression.
Take the money that you would usually throw away on your cigarettes and spend it on yourself on something that you really want. This is sort of like a reward for your hard work. Treat yourself to an expensive coat, a nice jacket or even that pair of shoes that you have been eying.
Find another way to relax. Nicotine is a relaxant, so you need to find a substitute to lessen your stress. A massage or yoga is a really great way of relaxing, or you could try a warm bath, or listening to your favorite music. Whenever possible, try to stay away from anything stressful during the initial couple of weeks when you stop smoking.
Try incorporating deep breathing exercises in your life when you begin to feel the urge to smoke. This will help you calm down when you feel like you need to take a puff. Deep breathing will help you control yourself and stop the urge before you begin to think about giving in.
Have a friend or family member quit who smokes quit at the same time as you. Just like other things in life, such as losing weight, quitting is easier when someone else knows where you are coming from. The two of you can share tips or just vent to each other.
Do some exercise to assist your goals of eliminating smoking from your life. Exercise just doesn’t go with smoking. Regular exercise can eliminate your stress, and it assists your body in eliminating the bad effects that smoking causes. If you’re new to exercising, start out slow by just walking once or twice a day. Eventually, you can build up to more rigorous exercise for around thirty minutes a day three or four times per week. As always, talk to your doctor prior to starting an exercise routine.
Altert others to your choice to give up cigarettes. They are there for you and they will help remind you that you need to quit. The more support you have, the more motivation you’ll have to quit. Getting help from other people makes you more likely to succeed.
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.
Reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke. This helps to guide you down the road to stopping your reliance on cigarettes. Try waiting a minimum of one hour after you wake up before having your fist cigarette. 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.
Smoking is extremely harmful to your health. Numerous known heart and lung diseases are linked with smoking. Second-hand smoke is a dangerous health threat to anyone who is near you. Put the advice you have found here into practice, and you may be able to kick that bad habit forever.