You must know why you want to stop smoking. Having shallow reasons, like it is bad for you are not good enough. To really get yourself motivated, you need a personal and powerful reason to quit. Maybe you are scared of lung cancer. Or maybe you would like to keep your family from second hand smoke. It might be because you want to both feel and look younger. Choose a strong reason that outweighs your urge to light up.
It is important to realize that although cold turkey may work for one person, it may not work for you. People think that they can quit smoking on their own and only end up going back because they tried too much, too fast. You may require an aid for quitting, such as a nicotine patch.
To maintain your willpower, despite intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms, look for healthy outlets for 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. When you have some free time, have pleasant distractions around you, such as reading an excellent book, talking with your friends, or playing new games.
If you have struggled time and time again with quitting smoking, consider scheduling an appointment with your doctor. There are a number of prescription medicines that will make quitting easier, including, a few anti-depressant medications. They may also offer other avenues of support or treatment.
Keep a cold glass or bottle of ice water nearby at all times. When you get a craving for a cigarette, take a sip of water--even if this means you hardly put the bottle down at first. This gives you something to do with your hands and mouth, and it can be a useful way to prevent snacking, too.
If you have a loved one or friend that is trying to quit smoking and want to help them, then you need to provide them with your patience, love and understanding. This is the best way to help them out. If you try to push them, you may make it harder for them to quit in the long run.
Try to avoid alcohol if you're trying to stop smoking. Alcohol and cigarettes are naturally complimentary to each other. In addition, alcohol lowers your mental focus, meaning you are more likely to give in to temptation or peer pressure. If you avoid alcohol, you're more likely to stay clear of mind. This might just mean that quitting becomes a bit easier.
Consider any therapy that can replace nicotine. Smoking itself is kind of disgusting and easy to give up, but the nicotine withdrawal usually proves the nail in the coffin of a quit attempt. Do whatever you can to deal with the withdrawal, from medicine prescriptions to alternatives like the patch, gum or even throat lozenges.
If you have a friend or loved one who is having a hard time trying to quit, then you should try sharing with them some of the painful truths about smoking. Try to be sincere and understanding as you relate this information so that they understand that you are trying to help them and that you are not trying to attack them.
If you've quit before, don't assume that whatever you tried didn't work. If using the patch let you go three weeks without smoking, think instead about what caused you to light up again in week four. Plan your next attempt with the knowledge and optimism that the patch can get you through three weeks, and then have a secondary plan to get through the fourth week.
One of the best things you can do to help yourself quit is to not falter if you have a relapse in judgement. Many smokers had to try several times prior successfully quitting. Once you have committed to leaving your smoking habit behind, you must do everything in your power to ensure that you to do not fall victim to the habit again. If you should slip up, and light up, immediately get back on track and set a new quit date. Just keep at it and try to extend the amount of time you quit, while you learn what triggered you into smoking again each time. You will find that you will become better at quitting, and eventually you will quit altogether.
Don't stop smoking cold turkey. Nineteen of twenty cold turkey quitters relapse and wind up smoking again. If you are going to quit, have something to help you. Jump into this armed with anything you can, from a support group to a prescription medicine. Your willpower might free you from cigarettes for a few days, but not for life.
Think of the health implications of quitting smoking. Once you stop, your blood pressure levels are reduced within 20 minutes. After 24 hours, the carbon monoxide levels in your body revert to normal. After about a month, the chance of having a heart attack or stroke decreases, and your lungs will start to function at a better level. All of this is the perfect reason to quit.
Consult your doctor about quitting. Your doctor can prescribe smoking cessation aids such as nicotine gum or nicotine patches. In addition, your doctor may know some strategies for controlling cravings that you don't know. He can help you create a plan to stop smoking as well as monitoring your health while you work on quitting.
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.
Eat well. Do not diet and try to quit smoking simultaneously. Make sure you are eating healthy, balanced meals. Studies show that tobacco residue in your mouth makes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarette_smoking_for_weight_loss veggies, fruits and low-fat dairy items have a bad taste. If you eat these items when you do not smoke, you will be doing a huge favor to your health, and it will help you stay away from those harmful cigarettes.
Be sure that when you're trying to quit 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 e cig benefits with alcohol. Stay away from these things or limit your intake for a while if you're quitting smoking.
Drink lots of cranberry juice the first three days. Any consumption of acidic fruit juices will really take the edge off of the nicotine withdrawal as your internal chemistry slowly accepts the change. Just remember to quit after three days, as the physical nicotine withdrawal will end by then and the juices will just fatten you up after that.
Learning to stop smoking is a big deal, so take it seriously. This article is full of good information on how to stop smoking. If you have the right information, the will to quit, and follow the tips mentioned in this article, then you will have a good chance of quitting.
