People who start smoking today know the perils of it, but they start anyway. That’s because quitting is an arduous task, and people just return to smoking because it is so tough to stop. Read on for some very useful advice if you are interested in quitting smoking and want to know what it really takes.
One aid to help you in quitting is to make a list of reasons why you should quit smoking, and also the reasons why you resist quitting. Just by creating the list, you’ll perk up your mood. It can keep you focused on your goal, which should make it easier to quit.
If you want to be successful at quitting smoking, try making a list of all the pros and cons quitting will bring you. When you write something down, it can work to adjust your frame of mind. It can also motivate to forge ahead, and may make quitting less difficult by allowing you to keep your eyes on the prize.
Make sure you get lots of rest if you are quitting smoking. Not getting adequate sleep can sometimes lead to cravings. Late nights are also usually a time when there is no one else around, meaning that it’s easier to sneak that one cigarette. If you go to bed and get up on a schedule, you’ll be far more likely to quit smoking for good.
You need to make your smoking cessation as easy as you can. Never try to go cold turkey. If you try quitting cold turkey, you may end up relapsing. If you do fail, talk to your doctor about using a nicotine patch or prescription withdrawal treatment. These therapies can alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms, which makes it easier to break the habit.
There are wonderful supplements in the form of nicotine patches and even gum to help you stop smoking if you need some help. These medications, many of which are available over the counter, keep the level of nicotine in your system steady as you work on not smoking. They can prevent some of the uncomfortable physical symptoms associated with smoking cessation.
In the event that the urge to smoke melts your resolve, at least attempt to put it off as long as possible. Force yourself to complete some other chore, before you can have a cigarette. Perhaps the extra few minutes spent occupying your mind with something else can prevent you from smoking. If you do go ahead and smoke, the delay may at least reduce your smoking for that day.
Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking. Your physician could have additional resources or methods for stopping smoking that you did not know existed. Furthermore, your physician may also decided to write a prescription for a smoking cessation medication.
When quitting smoking, inform your family and friends about your intentions. Other people knowing about your goal will both hold you accountable and give you a support system. This can be the little nudge you need to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Another motive for quitting is that it will benefit your family, as well as yourself. Secondhand smoke can affect the health of anyone around you who come into constant contact with it. By quitting smoking, you are reducing your loved ones’ exposure to this dangerous substance, and improving the quality of the air they breathe. Quitting smoking provides benefits to you and those you love.
If you are trying to stop smoking, see to it that you have plenty of rest. The longer you stay up, the more cravings you’ll face. In addition, it’s easy to succumb to the temptation to smoke when it’s late at night and everyone else is already asleep. Eight hours of sleep each night will allow you to remain mentally focused, which keeps you in better control of nasty cravings.
Practice becoming a good quitter until you can permanently quit smoking. Many smokers had to try several times prior successfully quitting. When you quit smoking, try to refrain from smoking for as long as possible. If you do succumb to smoking again, you must immediately set a new quit date. Each time you quit smoking and have a relapse, learn what went wrong and strive to quit for longer the next time. Eventually, you will become good at quitting and one time you will quit and never go back.
Be sure to reward yourself for small milestones on your stop smoking journey. For instance, if you go a whole week with no smoking, go to a movie. If you can quit for a month, treat yourself to dinner at the most delicious restaurant in town. After this, slowly increase your reward until the point has been reached that you don’t think about smoking anymore.
Just stop smoking if you really want to quit. The most effective way to quit is just stop. By doing this, you are making a pact never to start smoking again. This is the best method as, if you can adhere to it, it never fails. However, this method has been shown to actually be more effective, as time goes by.
The health of your loved ones depends on you to quit smoking. Secondhand smoke is dangerous, and a known cause of many types of cancer, and other serious health conditions. So by choosing to quit smoking you not only lessen the risk of you getting a type of disease, or other kind of illness, but you also reduce the chance that a loved one will too. Quitting smoking will not only improve your health, but the health of your family and friends as well.
Think about the places where you used to regularly have a cigarette, and then avoid them. If you had morning coffee and a cigarette or went to happy hour and smoked, change your routine. You could have your coffee while you are driving into work or avoid the bar altogether so that you avoid the smoking triggers you are used to.
Be sure your family and friends know you’re quitting smoking. They can be there to help you quit. Using a good support system is beneficial when quitting. This can help you achieve your gaol.
Try some vigorous exercise. Exercising can increase your lung capacity and encourage healing, so start a regular exercise routine as soon as you stop smoking. Additionally, you can eliminate any weight issues, which serves as an added benefit of exercising. Although you get tremendous benefits from the endorphin’s produced through exercise, it won’t replace the nicotine high, but at least it will help calm down your cravings to smoke.
Quit as many times as you need to. Many smokers had to try several times prior successfully quitting. Just stop, and see how far you can go without starting back. If you should slip up, and light up, immediately get back on track and set a new quit date. As you go, keep learning and making the quit last longer every time. At some point, you will be so skilled at quitting that it will become permanent.
Write out your top five list of reasons for quitting smoking. Repeat them to yourself, whenever you feel the urge to smoke. This can take the focus away from your craving and place it back on what is important.
The best advice to begin quitting is to simply stop smoking. Stopping is the best way to start your journey. Quit cold turkey–stop altogether and never pick up a cigarette again. This way may seem difficult at first. Time has shown this method to be very effective, overall.
A lot of people have an oral fixation and that’s the reason that they smoke. If this pertains to you, then you simply need to find other methods to calm that fixation. Many people who stop smoking like to carry hard candy or gum with them for this reason. For other people, electronic cigarettes fit the bill.
Reward yourself for accomplishing a milestone and plan each reward in advance. Develop a list of different types of rewards depending on the milestone that you hit for extra motivation. Post the list in a noticeable place where you will be able to see it each day. This will help give you strength during moments of weakness.
Tell your family and close acquaintances that you are planning to quit smoking. The more people that know you are quitting smoking, the more people there are that can hold you accountable. You won’t want to disappoint people or fall short of their expectations. This can motivate you to keep away from smoking, even when times get tough.
You should find a way to keep your motivation clearly in sight and in mind at all times. This could mean placing motivational messages on office walls, or even wearing bracelets that remind you of your intentions. However you decide to do this, it will help keep a visual reminder of your dedication to quit, motivating you in the grips of temptation.
Lots of creative people keep a smoking journal to help stop. This replaces the therapeutic effect that nicotine has on many people. Keeping a diary is a far healthier way for you to work through your feelings of stress or depression. Not only that, but it’s free!
It is in your best interest to stay away from things you like to do where you usually would have a cigarette, if you want to quit smoking. You need to change your routine if smoking is a regular part of your life. If you smoke while you drink your coffee or while have cocktails with friends, you may need to stop doing those things. Switching to herbal tea or not going to the bar can help you to avoid your cravings while they’re at their worst.
Keep a big bag of suckers around. When you crave a cigarette, try eating a sucker. The lollipop stick will keep your cigarette hand busy. The candy will help to keep your mouth busy. By keeping your hands and mouth busy, you will be able to help your craving for cigarettes.
Try and exercise when you can. Exercising after quitting smoking will be easier, as your lung capacity immediately starts improving. Getting some regular exercise can also help you to avoid the age-old complication of weight gain. Exercise produces endorphins, which do not replace nicotine highs, but do ease the withdrawal symptoms.
Learn more about the consequences of smoking to help you understand why you need to stop. You may be shocked to see pictures of cancer patient’s diseased gums and lungs, or to read the stories of individuals who have lost loved ones to diseases caused by smoking.
If you can do away with things that remind you of smoking, it will be easier to resist temptation. You can start by throwing out any lighters, matches or ashtrays. To get rid of smoke odors in your home, clean your house and wash your clothes. Cleaning all of these items will help keep things that trigger your desire for a smoke at bay.
If you want to be successful in quitting smoking, you need to believe yourself. You have to believe that you will really quit smoking. You have undoubtedly succeeded in other areas of your life that seemed impossible to overcome. Think about how you accomplished them, and recognize that you are capable of accomplishing this too.
After reading this article, you know in your heart that quitting is possible. You have to keep up your commitment level and persevere with the healthy changes you’re making. By implementing the tips in this article, you are sure to quit smoking, and never look back.
