Are you having a hard time figuring out a way to quit smoking? If you really want to stop smoking but always find yourself picking up the habit and living an endless cycle of smoking over and over again, then read through this article and see what difference accurate knowledge can make.
If you are looking for a chemical aid to quit smoking, then be very careful about this approach. Drugs such as Chantix have a relatively weak success rate and can have the potential to cause severe damage to your body. It works by altering your brain chemistry, and can lead to severe depression and suicidal tendencies.
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 you want to quit smoking, you need to identify factors that will motivate you to stop. Preventing lung cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and emphysema, or protecting your family are strong motivators. Showing respect for your body and for the gift of life is also a powerful motivating force. Whatever reason you choose, it needs to be enough to prevent you from lighting up again in the future.
Look at stopping as a finite choice. Stopping completely is the only way to really quit. Just stop smoking and do not ever start again. Commit to stopping, period. It has actually been shown to be the most effective in the long run.
Looking at a picture of smoker’s lungs may be all you need to quit smoking. When a person smokes, their lungs turn black after a while and they could end up with lung cancer. As harsh as it may seem, viewing the picture may set off a signal in your brain to quit.
If you have been smoking inside your house, give it a complete scrub-down, once you have quit. Clean your carpets, furniture and drapes. You might even consider putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls. By doing this, your house will have a fresh clean aroma instead of the stale stench of smoked tobacco. When you walk into your house, you will no longer be reminded of having a smoke.
Just say “no” to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. When you are tempted, a single cigarette might not seem to matter, but it can set you way back after all your hard work. Let yourself know that even having one will cause a lot of damage.
Avoid carrying your cigarettes around with you. This makes them harder to get to and you will be able to cut back on smoking by doing this. When they are an inconvenience to get to, you won’t smoke them as often. This will eventually help you quit smoking for good.
When you are trying to quit smoking, do not attempt to do it overnight. Nicotine addiction is powerful, and it is going to take you some time to wean yourself off of it. You are much more likely to relapse if you quit cold turkey, so take it slow and get it right the first time.
It can be helpful to get rid of reminders of your smoking life when you are trying to quit. Throw out or give away all your lighters and ashtrays. Throw your clothes in the laundry and clean your home in order to eliminate the stench of smoke. Doing these things will make it less likely that you will be reminded about smoking and wind up with a cigarette craving.
Use nicotine replacement therapies to help you quit smoking. The nicotine addiction associated with long-term smoking is strong. You are likely to get irritable, restless and depressed if you stop your intake of nicotine suddenly. Using a patch or gum or lozenges containing nicotine can help you to wean yourself off gradually.
Don’t expect yourself to be perfect about quitting. It’s hard to stop smoking, and most people have intense cravings from time to time while they are quitting or even backslide once or twice. Don’t beat yourself up if you give into temptation. Just get back on track as soon as possible and keep working on quitting.
After reading through this article you should now have good ideas and expanded knowledge on what it takes to quit smoking. Quitting smoking is something that anyone can do but few actually accomplish, so be the better of those people and show that you can quit smoking for good.