Smoking is a deadly habit that will negatively impact anyone doing it and anyone who happens to be around it. It may lead to emphysema, heart attacks, lung cancer, and other health issues. The people who breathe your second hand smoke are at risk too. You can see how quitting becomes even more urgent. Continue reading to discover several ways to ease the process.
Cravings seem to come most often when an individual is feeling stressed. To keep yourself from falling victim to this, find a healthy alternative for stress relief. This could translate to making appointments for activities, like the gym or spa, during the hours when your nicotine cravings are at their peak. Identify things you can do if you have unexpected downtime. Read an engrossing book or call a friend for example.
Always say, "No!" to even one puff. It is simple to tell yourself when you're really craving that one more won't hurt, but it can turn into another few days or even years of smoking, which erases all your hard work. Put the danger of smoking a single cigarette into perspective before you actually have to deal with that situation.
Refrain from smoking at all costs to maximize the chance to quit efficiently. To begin your journey, you must simply stop smoking first. Quit and don't allow yourself to ever smoke again. This is the best method as, if you can adhere to it, it never fails. It has been shown that this method can be quite effective.
Make sure you get your family and friends on board to support your efforts to purge cigrrettes from your life. Tell the people around you that you want to quit smoking. They can provide you with important encouragement. It can also help to have a support group when trying to quit.
If you feel like you absolutely must smoke, try the delay method first. Try telling yourself you can have a smoke after you take a walk, or after you drink a big glass of water. Just a little extra time before you light up might stop you from smoking that cigarette. Even if you eventually relent, this method can help you to cut back considerably.
Quit smoking as easily as possible. Cold turkey may not be the most effective approach for you. Unfortunately, there is a 95% failure rate among those who attempt to quit without any help. Because nicotine is very addictive, you should utilize some type of therapy, medication, or a patch. Using these aids will make your efforts at kicking the habit much easier than it will be without them.
If you are sincere in your effort to quit, find a support group and stick with them. When you are around people who are going through the same things you are, they can help you with the physical and emotional challenges associated with quitting. This can help you feel comfortable by associating with people who have gone through the same issues. To locate a support group near you, check with churches, recreational centers, or community colleges in your area.
Do not stop smoking for other people. While you love your family and friends, in the end, you need to want to quit smoking for yourself. Your life will be positively impacted once you quit smoking.
Your primary care physician can be a great resource if your are not able to quit smoking by yourself. He can prescribe you a medication to help ease your anxiety, withdrawal symptoms and even irritability. Aside from informing you of various smoking cessation medications, he or she can also let you know about support groups and other resources in the community that may be useful.
Exercise is a great tool to combat smoking withdrawal. Your body will produce endorphins that can help to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. The added distraction of the activity may even take your mind off of cigarettes. Incorporating exercise into your program will also help you avoid the weight gain that some quitters experience.
Create a list of some things that you can to to remain busy when a craving hits. Keep this list at a location where it can be assessed quickly when you need it. When you feel a craving hit, you might not be rational enough to find some other activity to partake in. Therefore, having this list handy can provide you with some fast options when you need them. Include anything you can think of--exercising, eating chocolate, whatever you think may help you.
If you want to give up smoking for good, you may need to practice quitting. It is important to stay persistent, as you may fail the first time. Stop smoking, and have the mindset that you will stop for as long as possible. If you fail the first time, set a second quit date immediately. Make a habit of quitting, and try to make it longer every time you quit. Eventually, you will quit that final time and never go back.
Take each day one at a time. Quitting smoking is a task that needs to be dealt with methodically. Because of this, it's counterproductive to think too far ahead. Take it one day at a time and as each day turns into another, your efforts to quit will gather into a smoke free future.
The health of your loved ones depends on you to quit smoking. Secondhand smoke can cause cancer and other major health complications. Quitting reduces your family's exposure to secondhand smoke, so they will be less likely to get seriously ill if you quit. When you quit, you will be improving not only your own health, but also the health of the people who live with you.
Start exercising. Not only will it help you get into shape, it can help you stay busy and avoid cigarettes. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. If you don't exercise regularly, try to begin slow by taking walks once or twice daily. Don't exercise without consulting your physician about what are safe and appropriate exercises for you.
Keep your motivation to quit smoking in your mind and vision all of the time. Some ways that you can do this include posting your reasons for quitting on the wall at work, or wearing a piece of jewelry that reminds you of why you want to quit. This can curb your temptations, which are the primary culprits for smoking cigarettes.
It's not unusual for you to find yourself missing cigarettes even years after you successfully quit. Don't relent for even a single smoke, though. Think about all that you went through to quit, and imagine having to do it all over again.
You are already aware of many benefits you will get if you stop smoking. Sometimes knowing this, however, doesn't help you stay motivated to quit smoking. If this happens, use the tips you just read to help you stay on the right track. Apply this information when you need to beat a craving or motivate yourself to stay on course. Sooner than you might expect, you'll be reaping the rewards of not smoking
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