Cigarette smoking is not just an addiction that puts the smoker’s health in jeopardy. In fact, the family, friends and the whole community suffers as a result of this notorious habit. Every smoker knows the health risks associated with smoking, the vast majority would have even tried to quit smoking in vain at least one time in their lifetime. Every time they narrate their failure story, it seems that they are under the mercy of the tobacco products. They consider themselves weak compared to the tobacco products.
Smoking cigarettes or any other tobacco products has dangerous effects on all parts of the human body. It would be a good idea to learn and be aware of the harmful effects of smoking before making the big decision to quit.
If you are one such smoker who has the right motivation, here are some tips that you can try to quit smoking.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Every smoker who seeks a doctor’s advice to help him quit smoking is in fact looking for the easiest way to do so. Nicotine replacement therapy is by far the easiest way to quit smoking. Nicotine, which is the active ingredient in cigarettes that produces the craving to smoke is embedded in various forms like gums, lozenges, patches, nasal sprays and inhalers. Whenever a patient feels the urge to smoke, they can use one of the NRTs to help pass the craving.
It doesn’t matter if you miss the NRT and light up a cigarette in the initial phase. You just need to keep continuing the NRT the very next time and not stop the therapy thinking that it has failed.
We recommend the NicoDerm CQ patches. Read it’s review here. Other popular NRTs that are available in the market can be found [easyazon_link keywords=”nicotine replacement” locale=”IN” localize=”y” tag=”beithedoc-21″]here[/easyazon_link].
Here is another tip : Do not carry cigarettes along with the NRTs. Just take the NRT wherever you go instead of the cigarette pack.
Set a Date
It always helps when you set a target date by which you should quit smoking completely. Everybody knows that the quitting cannot be done in the blink of an eye. It takes time and choosing a target date is the right way to start the quitting work. Choosing the birthday of your loved ones or making it a part of the new year resolution are good ideas to start with.
Picking a quit date should be done in such a way that you have planned the whole quit regime well in advance. Choose the period of the year when you are highly motivated and you have less stress associated with your work.
Plan the whole process and make adequate changes in your timetable so that you can follow the plan and succeed in the attempt to quit smoking.
Distract your Mind
Most of the time, there are specific situations when a person smokes cigarettes. For example, some persons needs to smoke to empty the bowels in the morning, some others light up a cigarette when they are anxious.
You should first identify that particular situation when you are most likely to smoke. This has to be done while planning the quitting process. Once you have identified those situations, try to distract your mind by doing alternate things that suits best for that particular situation.
For example, you can try reading newspapers in the morning instead of lighting up the cigarette to empty your bowels!
If you like to write articles (like me), why not scribble down something when the craving rises? If you are stuck with “no words” why not make a list of the benefits of quitting smoking?
Why not join a “Quit Smoking” online forums and participate in the discussion to distract your mind? Reading the success stories of a quitter in a blog can also help inspire you and get more ideas to find the right distraction.
Yoga, can help to put an end to your “sedentary life style” as well control your mind. Make this the right time to learn and enjoy new hobbies like swimming, running, cycling, jogging etc. These kind of hobbies can make your overall health better in addition to helping you quit smoking.
Seeking the help of a “Behaviour Counsellor” or a Psychologist will make things easier for you, which brings us to the next tip.
Get Support
Quitting smoking is not an easy job. Why don’t you seek help from your family members, friends and colleagues? They would be more than happy to help you pass the difficult testing time. If you feel a strong urge to smoke a cigarette when you are alone, make a call to your friend or family member and seek their help. There is no need to feel embarrassed in such situations. Just remember that every time you resist the craving to smoke, you are moving one step closer to the ultimate goal.
You may also seek the help of your General Practitioner or consult a Psychologist or even a Psychiatrist for support.
I hope you like this article. If you have any more ideas, share them in the comments section below. To get more articles like this one delivered right in your inbox, simply fill up the subscription box at the top of this page.
Image Credit – free photos
