Stop Smoking Now With These Effective Tips
Your family has begged you to give up cigarettes. Your doctor wants you to do it, too. You’ll even get a discount on your health insurance if you can stop smoking. So, why haven’t you quit yet? It is time to make the changes in your life and kick smoking.
When you feel the desire to smoke, try to postpone your cigarette as long as possible. Make yourself do some other activity first, even just taking a walk around the house or drinking a cup of tea. This will help you to reduce your temptations and shift your focus elsewhere. Even if you eventually relent, this method can help you to cut back considerably.
Understand that quitting smoking will take a long time to materialize. This is a process that could take months before results are apparent. You should not lose sleep over next week, month or even next year. Just go through it one day at a time, just getting rid of the smoking habit in the short term.
Get lots of sleep every night if you’re quitting smoking. People who go to bed at a late hour often have more cravings for a cigarette. Later at night always seems to be the time nobody else is around, so sneaking in a cigarette is easier. So, make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep every night so that your body and mind are well rested and able to tackle your smoking addiction head on.
10 Minutes
Smoking cessation is one of the few times when it is best to procrastinate; delay tactics are often an effective strategy. Tell yourself that you will wait 10 minutes and then find a way to distract yourself for that time period. Usually, after the 10 minutes have passed, any craving will have gone away. If it doesn’t work the first time, repeat this step until it does.
Tell your relatives that you are quitting, so that they can provide support. It is vital you tell them you need and value their support, and you can do without them being judgmental. You should inform them that it’s likely you’ll be in a bad mood at first and that you probably won’t think clearly. Kicking the smoking habit may be the most difficult thing you have ever done, and the support of friends and family is critical.
Learn how nicotine replacement therapy can help. Nicotine withdrawal causes several unpleasant mental symptoms, including restlessness, irritability, depression, and frustration. Cravings can be extremely tough to resist. You can help alleviate these feelings by using nicotine-replacement therapy. The chances of someone quitting smoking is doubled if they utilize nicotine patches or gum. Just remember never to couple these products with smoking.
If you hope to stop smoking, try to avoid any situations that would trigger the need for a cigarette. If you drank your morning coffee and had a cigarette, switch your routine. If you don’t go to happy hour, you may be able to avoid the cravings.
Remember the initial week will surely be the hardest when you stop smoking. During the first two days, your body will expel the nicotine inside it. After this point, nicotine cravings will be primarily psychological in nature. These are easier to resist than physical cravings, though it can still be hard to do so.
Make getting a workout a priority. Exercise is a great way to help to clear out your lungs, build your air capacity and boost blood flow. Regular exercise will also prevent weight gain. The endorphins exercise produce are no substitute for nicotine highs, but they help take the edge off of withdrawal.
Perhaps you’ve smoked in order to deal with your stresses. If so, it’s time to find another way to de-stress! Meditation, breathing techniques or yoga can be effective for calming and refocusing your thoughts.
As you can see, there are a number of strategies that can help you up your odds of successfully becoming a non-smoker. Once you are free from smoking, you will be healthier, more satisfied with yourself and your choices, and you could wind up living a lot longer. You can use the money that you used to spend on cigarets to buy the people in your life that have supported your quitting a little thank you gift.