So you have finally decided it’s time to drop stop smoking? Congratulations. Quitting smoking is one of the best choices you can make for your health. Smoking affects you negatively in a variety of ways. The following article will give you some tips to help you make your decision to quit a lasting one.
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.
Don’t Go Cold Turkey
Do not quit cold turkey. It can be tempting to throw out your cigarettes and say, “I quit!” But cold turkey is not the way you want to go. Studies show that over ninety percent of people who try to quit smoking with no medication or therapy end up relapsing. The reason for this is because nicotine is addictive and your brain craves it. Without it, nicotine withdrawal symptoms set in.
Try not to eat too much to fill the void left from quitting cigarettes. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so do not be surprised when you start to feel hungrier after quitting. Eat healthier when you quit smoking cigarettes. This will give you more room for calories you will consume by snacking.
To keep yourself motivated to quit smoking, be clear about why you want to quit. While there are many good reasons to quit smoking, you want to focus on your most powerful, personal reasons. Every time you feel tempted, remind yourself how much you want to improve your health, save money or set a good example for your kids.
Set a day that you plan on quitting your smoking habit permanently. Write down this date on your calendar, and plan on this day. Your mind should be ready for a new change that will last for the remainder of your life. You could even have a small party on the morning of the day that you’re quitting.
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.
A major factor in terms of quitting will be your positive thinking and your motivation to quit. Consider the many ways your life will improve after you quit. Consider that your teeth are going to be brighter and cleaner, your breath and clothes will smell better, and your home is going to be full of freshness and cleanliness. Even though when people know the bad things about smoking they may get scared enough to quit, going over positive changes can help too.
To improve your odds of quitting smoking for good, don’t combine your effort to quit with another goal, particularly weight loss. You already have enough stress and cravings to deal with just trying to quit smoking. If you try to wean yourself from something else at the same time, you are likely to fail at both.
Increasing the amount of exercise you do can help you quit smoking. Exercise not only distracts you from smoking, but it also helps to reverse all the damage you have done to your body over the years by smoking cigarettes. Start slowly if you have to, and gradually increase the amount of exercise you do each day.
To clarify why it is so important for you to quit, ask the people you love to tell you how they think smoking has affected you. Just be prepared to hear unpleasant comments about how your car or clothes smell or more emotional confessions like how your kids worry about your health.
Before beginning to quit, talk with your doctor about your intentions. Your doctor can advise you on the best methods to quit, and if need be, can provide you with prescription drugs to aid your quitting. Also, your doctor can be an important sounding board throughout your entire quitting experience.
To help with the motivation factor of smoking cessation, always remember your family and those who would be affected in a big way if your health declined substantially because of this very dangerous habit. Statistics show that one in five Americans die because of cigarettes. Avoid becoming a statistic!
For most of us, quitting smoking is not easy. The addiction to nicotine is a powerful one and overcoming it takes much determination. Do not be discouraged if you are not successful the first time. The most important thing is that you continue on your path to quitting. Good luck!
