Pretty much everyone understands the risks to a persons health who smokes, but even with these dangers it can be extremely hard to stop this habit. A bit of helpful information can be all it takes to help you get over the hump. The tips here could provide some help and make it easier for you to finally give up smoking.
Make your self a list of the reasons to and the reasons not to stop smoking. Putting the issue in writing will help you to see it more clearly. Not only can you find motivation to continue your journey in this way, but your trek might become easier since you can concentrate more.
If you have a desire to stop smoking, you should consider trying hypnosis. This non-traditional method of quitting has shown great success with many smokers. During hypnosis, the hypnotist will give you positive affirmations while you are hypnotized. It can make cigarettes seem less appetizing, leading you to never want to smoke again.
Try to make it as easy as possible on yourself to quit smoking. Do not ever try to quit cold turkey. There’s a huge chance you’ll fail if you use this method. Since nicotine is so addictive, it’s important to use a method that includes a prescription or nicotine patches or gum. These things will reduce the severity of your initial withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for you to quit smoking.
Your loved ones will almost certainly support your desire to kick a bad habit and get moving with a healthier lifestyle. It’s key that you leverage their support, but tell them not to judge you. Let them know that you’ll be moody at the beginning, since your thinking won’t be as clear. Kicking the smoking habit may be the most difficult thing you have ever done, and the support of friends and family is critical.
When you feel an urge to smoke and can’t resist, at least put it off till later. Try telling yourself you can have a smoke after you take a walk, or after you drink a big glass of water. After you hold out for that extra little bit of time, you may find that you are able to defeat the craving after all. Even if you ultimately do smoke, delaying may still reduce the total number of cigarettes you have in a day.
Before you start, you need to make a commitment to quitting. Many people are not really ready to quit smoking and that is why they ultimately fail. You can strengthen your resolve by reminding yourself constantly of the many reasons that make it important for you to quit.
Consider visiting a hypnotist for help in kicking the habit. An experienced, licensed hypnotist could help you to quit smoking for life. A hypnotist has the ability to plant strong and permanent suggestions in your subconscious. This helps to reduce the appeal of cigarettes.
You need to accept that you’ll need help to quit. Inform your family and friends of your plan to quit, and accept their love, encouragement, and support as you fight your battle. Another excellent idea is to enlist the help of a support group. Simply talking with people who are going through the same thing will help spur you on to kick the habit.
Make a list of methods you can use to help you quit smoking. You can and should customize this list to your life and habits. Every single person will have their own individual triggers that need attention. Each person is unique as to how they get things done. It is important to find out which strategy is best suited for you. Creating your own list does this.
Do not crack under stress or pressure: find another way to deal with your stress. You may find that some effective alternatives include exercising, keeping a journal, or treating yourself to a spa visit whenever your cravings are at their peak. If you know you will have some free time, fill it with fun distractions like a new book or game or coffee with a friend.
When the urge to smoke becomes overwhelming, try using a delay tactic. By telling yourself you will check back in ten minutes to see if you still want a cigarette, you will usually avoid the craving. If you still feel the urge, try to keep distracting yourself for 10 minute increments to put off smoking for as long as possible.
Find something that will give you motivation, even when you feel like giving up. Put motivational post-it notes in obvious places, and consider wearing something that reminds you of your desire to quit. No matter what you decide, having a visual reminder will help keep temptations and cravings at bay
A good way to quit smoking is nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine withdrawal can make you feel depressed, restless, frustrated or irritable. The cravings you feel for nicotine may be uncontrollable. You may find that nicotine replacement therapy will help reduce these feelings. Research has shown that people who make use of nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches can have twice the chances of quitting smoking successfully. But, you should never use these nicotine replacements while you are still smoking.
How will you deal with stressful times? Your smoking life was filled with reacting to stress by lighting a cigarette. If you possess a backup plan of options available, you will be less likely to light up. Having multiple ideas to fall back on in the event the first one does not help enough is an even better plan.
If you want to stop smoking, talk to your physician. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a support group or have knowledge of specialists in your area. If the situation requires it, your doctor may prescribe you medication to quit smoking.
NO needs to be part of your mantra. When you are tempted, a single cigarette might not seem to matter, but it can set you way back after all your hard work. Put the danger of smoking a single cigarette into perspective before you actually have to deal with that situation.
Tell everyone you know about your desire to quit smoking. They will support you and keep reminding you that you must quit. The absolute best way to help you quit is to have a strong support system. Getting help from other people makes you more likely to succeed.
Do not procrastinate your quitting date as this should happen immediately. Avoid predetermined dates in the future, and just get the quitting process started immediately. If you quit this moment, you lower your risk of disease. This will save your family from the health perils of secondhand smoke, as well.
Remaining upbeat and staying motivated are two of the biggest parts of smoking cessation. Remain focused on the positive ways your life will change once you rid yourself of cigarettes. Think of everything that will improve, from your skin, to your hair, to your breath, to the smell of your car. There are plenty of reasons to quit smoking – what are yours?
Get in shape. You might be surprised by how much easier and more pleasurable exercise is now that you’re not smoking. Regular exercise will also prevent weight gain. Even though endorphins produced from exercise does not replace nicotine cravings, it can reduce the urge.
You need to find ways to have your motivation in sight at all times. This can be accomplished by posting motivational sayings in your office, or by wearing bracelets to symbolize your intentions. This can curb your temptations, which are the primary culprits for smoking cigarettes.
Think positively about quitting smoking. Don’t tell yourself that you’re giving up something you like. Instead, view your decision to quit as a gift you’re giving yourself. When you view quitting in a positive light, it becomes easier to stay on task and quit sooner. Try to keep in mind the many benefits you will experience if you quit, and how much value it would add to your life. You will find your motivations and have every reason to quit immediately.
Your family and loved ones offer the greatest motivation for quitting. They can be affected by not only your possible illness or death, but also by negative health consequences from being around your smoke. Statistics show that one in five Americans die because of cigarettes. No one wants to be known as just a statistic.
As a smoker, smoking was probably your primary coping mechanism during periods of high stress. If you have used smoking to relieve stress, it’s time to find alternative methods of relaxation and stress relief. What about yoga or meditation?
If you fail trying to quit smoking the first time, do not become discouraged. Sometimes, even the perfect plan will fail due to the circumstances. Identify the factors leading up to your relapse, and learn from it. What you learn from one failure can help you to avoid another.
Make certain you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds when you are in the process of quitting smoking. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet of natural foods can help for many reasons. Keeping your mouth and hands busy can help replace the smoking motions. Consuming these foods on a regular basis will also help keep you from gaining weight. Additionally, during withdrawal, you will feel better and more alert.
Instead of smoking a cigarette, get some exercise. You’ll get an endorphin boost that will keep you from worrying as much about cigarettes. Exercise is beneficial in another way as well; it can minimize the effects of metabolism changes that happen when you stop smoking, which can help keep the extra weight gain at bay that people who quit sometimes experience.
You will need to learn other ways to engage your mouth if oral fixation is an integral part to your smoking habit. Many people that try to stop smoking carry around hard candy or chewing gum with them. Others get fast relief from electronic cigarettes.
You need the help of family and friends when you have decided to quit smoking. You should tell those persons who are important to you that you have decided to quit smoking. They can offer you tons of support, which could make a world of difference and help you along. For even better results, go to a real-life or online support group and get some CBT.
Make a record of the times and places you typically smoke. When do you want to smoke the most? If you know when you are most vulnerable to those cravings, it will be easier to prepare yourself to avoid them.
If you are craving a cigarette, try deep breathing. This allows you to focus on your battle, reminding you of exactly why you decided to give up. The increased oxygenation can also leave you feeling rejuvenated. Deep breathing exercises are very easy to do, and you can practice them at any time.
Follow a smart diet. While attempting to quit smoking, do not simultaneously seek weight loss. Instead, keep your eating habits the same, and ensure you don’t eat more than you were before. Fruits, veggies, and dairy products can taste unpleasant when you smoke. These healthy foods will help reduce your cigarette cravings.
Quitting smoking requires an enormous amount of self-control and determination. Most ex-smokers had to struggle to overcome their addiction for months or even years before succeeding. If you relapse, identify factors that led to your relapse, and then resolve to keep going.
Eliminating a smoking habit entirely can often be a difficult task but with a little advice, that task might become a bit easier. If you take the advice of this article seriously and apply it with persistent diligence, you will hopefully be able to succeed at quitting smoking, once and for all. Take the tricks provided to you in this article and start working on quitting smoking in order to better the health and lives of yourself and your family.
