If you have decided to stop smoking, mentally prepare yourself for what's ahead. Try to focus on the fact that you can stop, and that this is not an impossible dream. Set an official "quit date" and even consider adding it to your calendar. By taking such a positive approach, your chances of quitting will increase.
To aid in smoking cessation, remove yourself from your circle of friends who smoke. Don't worry; this is just a temporary measure, but you really do need to do this. Constant exposure to cigarette smoke, plus the social aspect of smoking together, will automatically squash your hopes for success.
Deal with nicotine withdrawal. Once you stop smoking, nicotine withdrawal can make you anxious, frustrated, or depressed. It's all too easy to revert to your old habit. Nicotine replacement therapy can really help to relieve these symptoms. Whether it's in the form of gum, a patch, or a lozenge, using one of these will probably double your chances of succeeding.
When the temptation to smoke overwhelms you, using stalling tactics to make yourself wait. 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, repeat the process! Tell yourself you'll wait five to ten minutes before smoking.
When you decide to stop smoking cigarettes, throw away all of your ashtrays, lighters, empty packs, and other smoking paraphernalia. Keeping these items around can be triggering during your weaker moments, and removing them from your surroundings will make it easier for you to think of yourself as a non-smoker.
Once you commit to quitting smoking, give your home, car and other personal spaces and effects a thorough cleaning. Smelling smoke will only make you want to smoke. Likewise, your sense of smell will improve the longer you go without smoking, and cleaning will give you a chance to appreciate just how bad the smoke made your items smell.
Take the money that you would usually throw away on your cigarettes and spend it on yourself on something that you really want. This is sort of like a reward for your hard work. Treat yourself to an expensive coat, a nice jacket or even that pair of shoes that you have been eying.
You should pick your method, or methods of quitting. Some people may only be able to use the "cold turkey" method, meaning cutting their nicotine use entirely without tapering. However, this can make some people exceptionally cranky and exacerbate withdrawal. Gums, lozenges and other quitting cessation products exist to make the first week easier to handle.
To get off to the best possible start, talk to your doctor about your plan to stop smoking. Your doctor can be a valuable source of information and support and can also recommend the most effective way to quit, as well as, how to deal with the negative effects of nicotine withdrawal.
One way to make it easier to stop smoking is by finding a substitute for cigarettes that you can hold in your mouth or hand. This way, you can gradually replace your cigarettes with something else. A drinking straw can work, or a piece of candy or a pretzel can serve as an effective substitute.
Don't think of quitting as a sacrifice; think of it as doing yourself a favor. Staying positive helps you keep going when quitting gets difficult and helps you more quickly kick the habit. Think about positives such as how much more healthy you'll feel. Focus on these positives rather than negatives, such as missing the taste of cigarettes in your mouth. This can give you the incentive and the rationale to kick the habit immediately.
When cravings strike, remember that they almost always pass within 10 minutes, so do something to distract yourself. Walk to the water cooler, have a healthy snack, meditate, or call a supportive friend to keep your mind off your craving. You'll be surprised at how quickly it's over, and your delaying tactics can keep you from giving in.
Rid your home and car of cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and matches. Seeing any of these items, or even smelling stale, disgusting cigarette smoke may be enough to weaken your resolve to stop smoking. Be sure to throw everything to do with smoking away. Do not pack it in a box to get rid of later.
Be sure that when you're trying to stop smoking that you try to limit beverages that make you crave tobacco. For some people this means cutting back on coffee or alcohol. If you consume these drinks you might feel urges to smoke, especially with alcohol. Stay away from these things or limit your intake for a while if you're quitting smoking.
Avoid carrying your cigarettes around with you. This makes them harder to get to and you will be able to cut back on smoking by doing this. When they are an inconvenience to get to, you won't smoke them as often. This will eventually help you quit smoking http://ecigfume.weebly.com/ for good.
Do not neglect to look at alternate methods to stop smoking, including natural remedies. Acupuncture is not proven scientifically, but many have benefited from this method. It is typically applied to areas around your ears. Make sure that you choose a practitioner who is certified by the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.
Start working out as soon as you quit smoking. Exercising can make quitting smoking much more attractive when you notice the immediate improvement of lung capacity. You will also avoid gaining weight. Although you get tremendous benefits from the endorphin's produced through exercise, it won't replace the nicotine high, but at http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php least it will help calm down your cravings to smoke.
As stated in the introduction, smoking is a terrible habit that makes you smell bad, costs lots of money and is harmful to your health.
With the myriad of strategies available to help you quit smoking, there's no reason to think that it's impossible. Hopefully some of the tips you just read resonated with you. Choose your favorite tips and apply them to your life so that you can get a handle on your smoking habit.
