If you wish to stop smoking cold turkey, get rid of all of the things in your house that remind you of smoking. This means, no more ash trays or cigarette lighters. If you hold onto this stuff, you'll only be reminded of smoking and it might make you want to have a cigarette.
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.
Have a friend or family member quit who smokes quit at the same time as you. Just like other things in life, such as losing weight, quitting is easier when someone else knows where you are coming from. The two of you can share tips or just vent to each other.
If you cannot stop smoking cold turkey, use nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches, sprays, inhalers, or gum. These products give your body nicotine without the need to use cigarettes, helping you avoid withdrawal symptoms while breaking the actual habit of smoking.
Many people find the electronic cigarettes a great way to quit smoking. They do not have as many of the negative effects of normal cigarettes and can be a good way to taper off your smoking from your normal levels to a lesser point, until you are no longer smoking at all.
If you're a smoker who lights up more in social situations, plan ways to not join your friends for a cigarette when you're out. While dining, stay at the table if your friends go outside for to smoke. If you're at a party, if people are smoking, find a non-smoker to chat with. Finding ways to not be around smokers will make it easier for you to quit.
Avoid situations that you would be more likely to smoke. For example, if a bar that you frequent allows smoking, you may want to think about going to a different bar. By avoiding these kinds of situations, you will be less apt to want to pick up a cigarette in the first place.
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.
To fully prepare yourself with the struggles of quitting, know exactly what to expect before you start. Know how soon you can expect symptoms of nicotine withdrawal to kick in, and know all of the possible symptoms you could experience. This will also help you to anticipate your strongest cravings and most likely pitfalls.
Write down a journal of every time you http://www.quitsmoking.com/ have a cigarette and what your reasons were for having one. This journal will help you to find out what your smoking triggers are. For some it may be the first morning cigarette, or the need to smoke after a meal. For others, it may be stress. Determining your triggers will help you to figure out a way to fight them.
Look into non-traditional methods of quitting smoking. No one quits smoking the same way and what works for your friend, may not work for you. If you are having trouble quitting with the more conventional methods, take a look at your options. Hypnosis and acupuncture are both highly successful methods to help you quit.
Many smokers have certain triggers that create the sudden need for a cigarette, such as feeling stressed, ending a meal, or being at a certain location. When you are trying to quit, avoid these triggers if you can. If you can't avoid them, come up with some way to distract yourself from the need to smoke.
Don't give up if your initial attempt to stop smoking fails. Use it as an opportunity to evaluate what aspects of your program were successful and what areas need to be adjusted. Most people try several times before they are successful in quitting. Set a new date to stop and then, try again.
Once you make the decision to kick the smoking habit, you cannot allow yourself to fail. Most who stop smoking for good have made several attempts in the past before they were finally successful. Every time you make a bad choice, learn from it and move on.
To help yourself stay quit, spend time in places where you cannot smoke. Go to the movies, a museum, a nice restaurant, a coffee shop, or the library. The pleasant surroundings will be a nice distraction from cravings, and knowing that you can't smoke in the first place will make you less likely to want one.
Don't try to stop smoking during a time you'll already be stressed. If you have a move coming up, a big project at work, or are working to change your life in other ways, the stress of cigs quitting may feel like too much. Try to quit when you'll be able to relax if you need to.
Go online and find a forum or support group. The most effective motivation will come from people that know exactly what you are going through. Furthermore, if you build relationships with these people, then you will not want to disappoint them or to lose the relationships should you stop trying to quit.
You probably know a lot of the great benefits that your decision to smoking will bring. Keep those in mind to motivate you, and don't forget to keep the tips from the above article in mind when you feel your resolve slipping, or when you have a craving to smoke. Take it one day at a time and you will soon be a non-smoker.
