How To Quit Smoking For Good This Time
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
You may want to quit smoking, but have absolutely no idea where to begin. Perhaps you have been smoking so long that imaging a life without cigarettes is difficult. You can put your fears to rest and know that a life without smoking is possible for you. Simply follow the advice in the following article to start on your way.
To avoid unnecessary discouragement, tell everyone in your life that you are quitting smoking. This will prepare those closest to you for the mood swings that often accompany nicotine withdrawal. This will also alert other smokers that you do not want or need the temptation of them offering you a cigarette.
Find out specifics on how quitting smoking will improve your health. There are many statistics out there about how dramatically different your odds of contracting diseases are if you don’t smoke. Find out too how soon you can expect to experience other small perks like improved breathing and sense of taste.
Do not give up. Relapsing is very common. Many smokers have to try several times before they are successful in putting down the cigarettes. Look at what circumstances and emotions lead to the relapse. Once you decide you are ready to try again, set a date to quit in the very near future.
If you have quit smoking in the past but started back up, only to want to quit again, this time you need to come up with a plan of action. Write down everything that caused you to relapse in the past so you are better prepared to handle these issues as they arise going forward.
When you are trying to quit smoking, sometimes you have to change other habits which trigger your desire for a puff. Instead of that cup of coffee or that alcoholic drink, have a glass of juice or water. Many people still have an urge to have a smoke after finishing a meal. After a meal, take a walk. Not only will it help take your mind off having a smoke, it will also help keep off the weight that is commonly associated with giving up smoking.
Using some type of nicotine replacement is a good way to slowly ease your addiction to smoking when you’re trying to quit. Nicotine replacements come in many forms, including lozenges, gum, and patches that can be worn on the body. These products give your body a small dose of nicotine, which eases cravings for using tobacco products.
Join a support group to help you in your quest to quit smoking. A support group can commiserate with you about the difficulties that quitting smoking entails, and share their coping mechanisms. The leader of the group may also be able to teach you behavior modification techniques, or other strategies that can prove helpful.
While quitting smoking is difficult, it is well within your reach with the help of knowledge and determination. The fact is that quitting smoking will provide you immeasurable benefits, so it would behoove you to stop this habit as soon as possible. Using the above advice, create a quit plan and commit to it today!