Smoking is a habit that is not easy to break. Both men and women struggle with quitting because of the physical as well as oral addiction. Some smokers are not interested in quitting at this time. Unfortunately, those are the people that have health issues down the road. Once their health starts to go downhill, it is too late to turn back your physical condition.
If you are reading this article, congratulations, you have taken your first step to quit smoking. That is the step of contemplating a healthier life without cigarettes.
There are a lot of different products to help in quit smoking like patches and pills. For many though, cold turkey works. Here is a list of ways to help you succeed to quit smoking cold turkey:
1. Quit and Recognize:
Scheduling the day you are quitting is a great way to make a mental pledge to yourself. A good example of this is a woman who knew her best friend’s birthday party would be too much of a struggle for her not to smoke. She scheduled the morning after as her quitting date. When she got home from her party, she threw away all cigarettes available to her and made a commitment to not keep an emergency pack in the house. By doing this, she knew there was no way back without at least 15 minutes to go to the store. She would have time to talk herself out of it and it worked for her. A very important part of your scheduled quit smoking date is to realize that even though you just quit, you are still addicted and that recognition will help you through the hard times.
2. Plan Ahead:
Since your body is still addicted to the cigarettes, there needs to be a plan for your first craving. This will probably hit you with in the first hours of quitting. In the beginning, use substitution. Find something to chew on or drink that will relieve the cravings. (Sugar free keeps the pounds away.) After that first phase of cravings, create the next plan. Some people actually replace all lighters and ashtrays with chewing gum. When you naturally go for the lighter, you pick up the gum instead. It works great for a lot of people. Some Truck Drivers that are quitting smoking keep a pack of gum in their cab at all times.
3. Tell People You Quite Smoking:
When you tell people you are quitting, you are creating help for yourself. People who know you quit usually respect your space and not smoke around you, keeping the temptation away.
4. Change Your Routine:
Many people believe that this step is the most important part to quit smoking. An example of changing your routine is changing your morning routine. If you woke up to cigarettes and coffee, change it by waking up and eating a granola bar and a fruit juice. Make changes that keep your mind off of cigarettes. Addiction, whether it is cigarettes or any other habit you are trying to break, includes the routines, smells, and places you are. If the smell of coffee reminds of that morning cigarette, remove the coffee. Replace the coffee with a completely different smell and routine in the morning.
Change your social settings to. One suggestion is if you have the habit of smoking while playing pool in the pub; go to dinner instead with a friend in a smoke free restaurant. It gets easier as time goes by, you will be able (if you choose so) to go play pool with your friends after a couple of months and not smoke.
If you have a moment and you smoke, get back up and try again. Make the moment of stop smoking your scheduled quit again and start at the beginning. It’s not impossible to quit. But it is hard for some. Follow the four points above to help you become cigarette free. Follow the guidelines; quit, recognize, plan, and change routine. And most important, Remember that you can do it.
