Quitting smoking is a daunting task for even the most strong-willed of people. The fact of the matter is that a lot of people feel they still get something from it regardless if they want to quit or not. If you are seriously committed to the objective of quitting smoking permanently, the following article has plenty of useful advice for you.
If you want to be successful at quitting smoking, try making a list of all the pros and cons quitting will bring you. Writing something down can change your whole mental outlook. It will help you stay motivated and focused on success, possibly making quitting a little easier.
Have loved ones support your decision to quit smoking. It is critical that the people closest to you offer support, not criticism or judgement. Initially, you may suffer from mood swings and cloudy judgement and the people around you should be aware of it. Try to maximize your level of support throughout the process of quitting smoking.
Nicotine Replacement
You might want to look into therapy to help with nicotine replacement. Nicotine withdrawal can lead you feeling restless, irritable, frustrated or depressed. The constant cravings can overwhelm you. You may find that nicotine replacement therapy will help reduce these feelings. Research has shown those using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges have twice the chance of successfully quitting. But, you should never use these nicotine replacements while you are still smoking.
As you work on quitting, steer clear of the things that you mentally link with smoking. If you often smoked in your car, then create a new driving habit like listening to a book on tape or making a motivational driving playlist. This will help you to remove the associations these habits have with smoking. Come up with something that can distract you at those times.
Talk to you doctor if you want to stop smoking. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a support group or have knowledge of specialists in your area. Once you have talked about your situation, the doctor may prescribe a drug to help you overcome nicotine addiction.
When you are thinking of quitting, switch brands. Switch to a brand that you don’t like or a cigarette that you don’t like the taste of. Smoke them exactly like you smoked your favorite brand, so you get the full experience of their nastiness. You will be off to a great start in kicking your habit.
The first step in any plan to stop smoking, is stopping. The most effective way to quit is just stop. Make the decision to stop and don’t allow yourself to start again. This method of quitting cigarettes is not the easiest one. It has been proven to be effective, as time goes by.
Create a reward system for yourself ahead of time. Treat yourself to something nice every time you reach your preset goals. Pick valuable achievement dates such as 24 hours, one week and one month since your quit date. Keep the list on display so that you have to look at it every day. Looking forward to your rewards can help you stay motivated during the moments you feel like caving.
Plan out your stress coping mechanisms as soon as you quit smoking. Many smokers have the habit of lighting up in response to stress. Planning in advance for these moments will help you avoid giving in to the stress and grabbing a smoke. Having multiple ideas to fall back on in the event the first one does not help enough is an even better plan.
The first 7 days of quitting are the absolute hardest. During the first 48 hours after you quit, your body starts to go into detox as all the nicotine leaves your system. After you get through the first week, however, the bulk of the cravings will be primarily psychological. While your experience will still likely be difficult to work through, having this knowledge in the back of your mind might make it easier to cope.
Today is the day to quit smoking! Many people say they will quit in the future, and when that date comes, they do not follow through. If you quit now, your chances of contracting a serious or deadly illness, due to smoking, will be significantly reduced. Quitting smoking will also protect your family, as they are likely being exposed to dangerous secondhand smoke.
Make quitting a gift for yourself. Never look at it as a loss or burden. If you focus on the positive aspects of quitting, it can be a simpler process that you can accomplish more quickly. This will help you to understand the value of quitting for your life, from a short and long-term perspective. Remembering these positives will help you stay motivated to stop smoking.
Quitting smoking may be challenging, but hopefully, this article has demonstrated how very possible it is indeed. If you are confident in your abilities to overcome the habit, and are determined to move ward, you will ultimately succeed. You’ll be amazed in a year when you see how successful you’ve been!