Smoking can have a serious detrimental effect on your quality of life for those addicted to it. It can also impact your health. You can reverse the negative effects related to smoking by quitting.
Be easy when you quit smoking. Don’t try going cold turkey. Only 5% of people who try this method are successful. Since nicotine is so addictive, it’s important to use a method that includes a prescription or nicotine patches or gum. You’ll be better equipped to make it through withdrawal and quit smoking permanently.
Tell yourself you need to go for a walk first, or try to drink a glass of water prior to smoking. If you do go ahead and smoke, the delay could cause you to smoke one less cigarette that day.
Make sure you remember to take the process one step at a time. Quitting is a long process. Just go through it one day at a time, as quitting now will help you in the future.
When you feel an overwhelming urge to smoke, use the delay tactic. Tell yourself to wait five or ten minutes when you feel the urge to smoke. It’s possible that when five to ten minutes rolls around, the urge will have passed. Repeat this step repeatedly if you need.
If you want to stop smoking forever, take things one day at a time. Focus on getting through just one day rather than for the rest of your life.You can always set more long term goals once you get comfortable with the commitment to quit.
Try to snack on fruits to avoid gaining the weight which results from quitting smoking. This will help curb any weight gain that is so common for people who’ve recently given up cigarettes.
Having a positive attitude and plenty of motivation can directly affect how easy it is for you to quit smoking. Try to imagine how good your life is going to be after you quit. Think of everything that will improve, from your skin, to your hair, to your breath, to the smell of your car. While the negative impact of smoking should never be ignored, the positive side to quitting is often an excellent bit of motivation.
Ask your friends and loved ones to be supportive about your decision to stop smoking.You have to talk to people and let them know what you’re going through, not their judgment. Let them know that you’ll be moody at the beginning, you will probably not be in the best of moods and that your thought processes may be off. Quitting smoking is a real challenge, so it’s critical that you have the support of those who are close to you at this time.
You may want to look into therapy to help with nicotine replacements. Nicotine withdrawal can make you feel depressed, restless, and becoming frustrated or irritable. Cravings can be very powerful. Nicotine-replacement therapy can help you deal with the cravings. It is very dangerous to smoke while using these products; therefore, though.
Plan ahead on how to manage any stressful situations. Many smokers get used to smoking when stressed. Planning in advance for these moments will help you avoid giving in to the stress and grabbing a smoke. Have a lot of ideas, in case your initial idea does not help.
You will be more successful if you do not try to stop smoking alone. You might also gain quite a bit from joining a support group.
While stopping smoking won’t be easy, it will be worth it when you see how it affects your health, your appearance and your social life. After having read this article, hopefully you’re more openly confident about your chances to stop smoking. Pick a tip, and try it right now.
Don’t decide to quit “someday.” Do it today. Don’t set a date in the future that hinges on something else, start today and create the plan and backups that you need to be successful. If you commit to kicking your habit, as soon as possible, you can potentially extend your life by many years. This is also stops you from hurting others with secondhand smoke, especially those closest to you.