You need to be motivated in order to successfully stop smoking. There are a myriad of benefits when you do quit smoking. One or many of them may be just enough to urge you on when it gets tough. You can improve the health of you and your loved ones, save lots of money, lower your chances of getting lung cancer, and feel and look young again. The suggestions below will help you to find success in your addiction to tobacco.
Find the easiest method to quit smoking. It is not usually wise to try and quit cold turkey. This method of quitting has a 95 percent failure rate. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, so medication, patches or therapy may be necessary. These will help you through those initial withdrawal stages, which should make quitting smoking easier.
If you’re trying to stop smoking, stop thinking about forever. Focus on getting through just one day rather than for the rest of your life. You can always increase your goals and time horizon when you get comfortable with the commitment to quit.
Try eating healthy to combat any weight which results from quitting smoking. This will prevent the characteristic weight gain that is so common for people who’ve recently given up cigarettes.
As soon as you decide to quit smoking, join a support group. These new ex-smokers can be a valuable source of support when faced with the various challenges that confront you, as they have or are dealing with them as well. People with experience quitting, or going through the same thing as you, can offer their own tips and advice. Contact local community organizations such as community colleges, recreational centers and religious organizations to ask about support groups for ex-smokers.
If you have been unable to quit smoking with just willpower, consider helping the process along by trying replacements like nicotine patches or gum.
For instance, if your triggers include smoking while driving, you must change this behavior while performing these tasks, so that you don’t automatically pull out a cigarette out of habit. Try to find something to take your mind off of distraction that will serve as a substitute.
If you feel that you need to smoke a cigarette, first try to delay that action. Tell yourself you need to go for a walk first, or maybe that you need to drink a glass of water first. By delaying your actions, you find that you really didn’t want that cigarette after all. By using the delay technique you may smoke one less cigarette a day.
For instance, when you haven’t smoked for a week, take yourself out to a movie. Once a month has passed, go out for a special meal. Continue creating rewards to work towards until you forget about smoking any more.
Many former smokers were not successful the first time they tried. When you stop smoking, try to remain smoke-free for the longest period of time that you possibly can. If you do fail and have a cigarette, set a second quit date immediately. Each time you quit smoking and have a relapse, make sure to extend the period between cigarettes an additional week.
To avoid experiencing weight gain after you quit smoking, eat a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables. These healthy snacks can help you maintain a steady weight. Keep in mind that your body will be going through withdraws, so it is going to be craving foods like crazy.
If you are an indoor smoker, inside your house, give it a complete cleaning once you have quit. Wash and launder everything in your house, shampoo or replace your carpet, and launder your window treatments, walls and any other type of surface coverings. This will help your home to feel clean and fresh, and the absence of the smell of the cigarettes will help you avoid being reminded of the habit that has plagued your life anytime you enter your home.
Plan ahead for how you will handle stressful times. Many smokers have the habit of lighting up another cigarette. Keep a back-up plan handy in case one doesn’t work.
If you don’t think you can quit all at once, use nicotine gum or nicotine patches to help replace the nicotine you get from cigarettes. You give your body the nicotine it is used to having so that your body doesn’t go into withdrawal by not having a substance it is used to getting regularly.
It is easy to tell yourself that one cigarette will be fine, but it can turn into another few days or even years of smoking, which erases all your hard work. Remember that even one cigarette can restart the wrong path.
The first week is always the absolute hardest. The first two days without smoking is when the body tries to get rid of all the nicotine it has held onto.After this point, the cravings you feel are mostly psychological. It will still be difficult, but they will be much less menacing.
When it’s time to give up smoking, take care to stay away from the triggers that make you feel like having a cigarette. For instance, if you always smoke when you are talking on the phone, than you need to find something else to do with your hands, or go to a different room to talk so that you do not think about lighting a cigarette. Distract yourself with something else at those times.
Once you have quit smoking, it will be easier to exercise since your lung capacity will improve right away. Regular exercise can also ensure that you stave off any potential weight under control. The natural endorphins exercise produces will also boost your nicotine cravings to a certain extent.
Even the people who are highly organized sometimes fail. You may triumph in your next time because of what you learned this time around.
There are many healthy ways of handling stress. Try finding new interests, such as exercise, an interesting hobby, or even a massage. Try to schedule these activities during times you usually have severe cravings for a cigarette. Identify things you can do if you have unexpected downtime. Read an engrossing book or call a friend for example.
Persistence and resistance is vital for anyone to be able to quit smoking and remain a non-smoker for life. Never forget what keeps you motivated the most, and you’ll have the best chance to succeed in following through. Remember to follow the good advice you just read, and you will be on your way to getting rid of this habit for good.