When your desire to quit is strongest, put those feelings into a poem or song. Carry it with you and read it when you need motivation. Research has shown that this method is very helpful in quitting smoking.
Always say, "No!" to even one puff. It is simple to tell yourself when you're really craving that one more won't hurt, but it can turn into another few days or even years of smoking, which erases all your hard work. Put the danger of smoking a single cigarette into perspective before you actually have to deal with that situation.
When attempting to quit smoking, you should make friends and family aware of your planned changes. Just by letting them know what you are attempting to do, they will be able to be a support team for you and assist you in staying motivated and fighting temptations. The help of these people can keep you focused on your plan to quit smoking.
You should get a bag of suckers and carry it with you. Put a sucker in your mouth every time you feel like smoking. You can hold it like a cigarette and it will fulfill your emotional need for smoking. Likewise, the sugary end offers some degree of satisfaction for your oral fixation. Having both your mouth and hand occupied can break cravings quickly.
As you meet your short-term goals for smoking cessation, reward yourself! For instance, go to a movie after one week that you don't smoke. Once you reach a month without smoking, go to a special restaurant. After that, slowly build the reward until you've reached the point at which you no longer think about smoking.
To keep cravings at bay, try some deep breathing exercises. Count from one to ten as you inhale deeply. Concentrate on holding your breath and exhaling orally as you mentally count to ten. Doing this can reduce your urges and get you to focus on other things. Not only does this technique calm you down, but it increases your awareness of how well your respiratory system recovers each day that you do not smoke.
Make your home a smoke-free zone during the period when you're decreasing your daily smoking limit. Quitting smoking tends to be easier if you are inconvenienced each time you crave a cigarette. Going outside where it's cold, without a computer or television, could help you in stopping the habit sooner.
Make your attempts as manageable as possible. It is not usually wise to try and quit cold turkey. There's about a 95% chance doing this will be unsuccessful for you. Since nicotine is so addictive, it is best to wean yourself off. These therapies can alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms, which makes it easier to break the habit.
Exercise is a great tool to combat smoking withdrawal. Your body will produce endorphins that can help to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. The added distraction of the activity may even take your mind off of cigarettes. Incorporating exercise into your program will also help you avoid the weight gain that some quitters experience.
Avoiding the triggers that cause you to crave a cigarette is key in quitting totally. You may associate smoking with driving or reading. Take a look at how you can change the way you do these things, so that the associations are weaker and do not make you think of cigarettes. Get involved with something else during those times, to keep your mind off of your desire to smoke.
If you have an oral fixation associated with your smoking habit, find new ways to occupy your mouth. Some individuals find that chewing gum or eating a piece of candy can help. Others use electronic cigarettes, which mimics the act of smoking, and provides something to hold in the hand as well.
Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking. A physician may know about methods for quitting that you are not aware of. He can also prescribe you medication to help treat anxiety and stress, deal with cravings or other health issues which appear when you quit.
Use a good delay tactic when you are feeling an overwhelming desire to smoke a cigarette. Tell yourself you will wait about 10 minutes and then assess how you feel. During that time, distract yourself and chances are, after the 10 minutes are up, the craving will be gone. If you do not see the results you are looking for right away, you should keep trying.
To help quit smoking, find an item you can play with in your hands to replace a cigarette. Maybe you would be comfortable holding a toothpick in your mouth to combat the oral fixation. You can also use mints or gum.
Avoid food as a supplement for your oral habit. Eating during cravings can lead to issues with weight, and nutrition control.
Try quitting with a friend. Partner with another "quitter" at work or at home and help each other out. Besides the support you can give to one another, you might be able to start with some hobbies or other activities that will make the quit process easier. You and your buddy can also share the advice and techniques that are working best for you.
Your family and loved ones offer the greatest motivation for quitting. They can be affected by not only your possible illness or death, but also by negative health consequences from being around your smoke. Statistics prove that one in five deaths in America are related to smoking. Avoid becoming a statistic!
Not only is smoking unhealthy, it's dangerous. There are so many health risks that have been linked to smoking like lung cancer, heart attacks and emphysema. You are not the only person affected by your smoking habit; second-hand smoke puts those around you at risk for health hazards, as well. If you follow the guidelines that you have just read, you should have an easier time kicking your habit
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