You know you want to. But do you REALLY want to? Smoking can be a tricky thing to really break up with. You know it’s bad for you and you know that you should, but until you make that decision that it’s really time, you won’t be successful. So make up your mind, read this article and make it happen.
To avoid nicotine cravings, try to deal with your stress in other ways. You could try new hobbies, massage, or strenuous exercise during peak cravings. Give yourself enjoyable distractions to keep you away from smoking, such as playing with your pets or kids.
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.
Your success is contingent on maintaining your motivation. This could involve you gluing motivational posters and messages to the walls at your work office, or wearing an item of jewelry that symbolizes your intentions to quit. No matter what you chose, having a visual reminder will help you when a craving hits.
Don’t assume that a nicotine withdrawal medication has to have nicotine in it. While it is true that you can find an alternate source of nicotine and reduce your levels of it, you could just try a prescription medication that blocks your need for nicotine. Consult your physician about a medicine that might just kill your cravings.
Avoid emptying your ashtrays. If you see how many cigarettes you have smoked laying the the ashtray, you will be less likely to smoke any more. This will also leave the unsightly butts and their smell behind. This can be helpful because it will remind of you how bad the smell of smoke is.
If you want to quit smoking, stop buying cigarettes. It kind of goes without saying that if you don’t have cigarettes on you, it will be much more difficult to smoke. Throw away any cigarettes that are currently in your possession and make a pact with yourself not to buy any more.
Throw or give away all of your cigarettes or other tobacco products. If you don’t have easy access to tobacco, you won’t be tempted to have one last cigarette or to return to smoking when you feel stressed. In addition, if you decide to smoke, you’ll have to put extra effort into getting tobacco and might change your mind by the time you can get it.
You should seek out support in your neighborhood. While online support is great, face-to-face support can help you relearn how to socialize without tobacco. Tobacco cessation support groups are wonderful places to do this, as the people there will understand your unique emotional challenges when it comes to quitting smoking.
Consider joining a support group when you decide to stop smoking. If your schedule does not allow for regular meetings, then look for telephone help lines or ones where people can log in online. These groups will give you instant access to support, regardless of what time you need them.
Prepare to say goodbye. Smoking is not a habit, it is a relationship. You will grieve the loss of an old friend. So you need to be prepared to go through the six stages of grieving a loss and parting ways with your smoker self. Think back to how you have said goodbye to things in the past and apply the successful tricks you used then.
Enlist the help of those closest to you when you decide to stop smoking. This includes family members, friends and coworkers. Tell them. If they do not know that you are attempting this very important step in your life, they will not know how to help you. Tell them to expect grouchiness, trouble sleeping and impatience. Most importantly, they can help you plan activities in smoke-free environments.
Fill the hole that quitting smoking leaves in your life with more exciting and productive endeavors. That could mean putting together a book group for your lunch breaks or going for a jog whenever you feel the urge to have a cigarette. If you focus your mind and energy on improving other areas of your life, you won’t even miss smoking.
Think about the money you will save. Smoking is an extremely expensive habit, and it really adds up over a year. If you calculate exactly how much you could save over a year, that in itself is probably a great reason for quitting. Once you start saving the money that you used to spend on cigarettes, you will be able to afford so many things that were out of your reach before.
Now that you’ve decided it’s really time to get rid of this habit, you can use the information you just read here to make your attempts successful. You may not make it the first time, but if you keep on trying, one of these tips will be just what you needed.
New Ideas For Those Who Want To Quit Smoking was originally published on Spring