1. What should drive you to quit smoking?
You may have resolved to quit smoking but what will motivate you to do so? Without the will and motivation, chances of succeeding are reduced. List the reasons on paper and go through it often to stay on track.
2. Choose the date
Prepare in advance and decide the day you are going to give up. Let your friends and family know that you are going to quit. Your colleagues at work could also make the difference between success and failure, you are going to need all the support you can get.
3. Make use of aids like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Now that you have declared you are quitting smoking it might be tempting to go cold turkey. However this could be disastrous as almost everyone relapses without a little medical help. Nicotine is highly addictive and your brain has become totally reliant on it. Without it your body will go into withdrawal. NRT can help you cope with these feelings of frustration, depression and restlessness. Using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges could improve you chances of quitting as much as two-fold.
4.Manage Your Stress Levels
When trying to quit, stress levels will inevitably go up. One reason that people smoke is to reduce stress after all. It may be hard but avoid stress as much as possible. Engaging in relaxing activities and keeping busy such as by taking up exercise like yoga helps.
5. Keep triggers at bay
Certain situations may increase your urge to want to start smoking again. For instance alcohol can be one of the most common triggers. Avoid going to the pub in the first few weeks of quitting smoking. Having a cigarette during your coffee break at work can also be a tempting situation. Drink plenty of water and switch to another caffeine-free beverage instead.
6. Give yourself a gift
One of the things you will notice when you stop smoking on top of all those health benefits is the extra cash you have to hand. In fact why not save all the money you could of spent on cigarettes and place it in a jar. Over time this will be a highly visible reminder of how much your smoking habit cost. Then periodically splash out - you deserve it, buy yourself a special present for your landmark achievement.
7.Keep the pounds off!
Apart from the difficulty of quitting, smokers are wary of it because they are afraid of gaining weight. When one quits, appetite also increases. You can beat this by making a conscious effort to eat healthy food and avoiding high sugar and high fat food. Add more vegetables to your diet and instead of snacks like chocolates and cookies choose fruits for snacks.
8. If you fail the first time
Relapsing after trying to quit the first time is fairly common. It may even happen a number of times. Do not give up or despair but go back and think about what keeps you from succeeding. You will be stronger next time when you are facing the hurdles. Set a new date and recommit to quitting.
9.Self Help Groups
You may find that you need extra help after all quitting smoking is not easy. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional about referring you to a self help group. They have a good track record on helping people to quit smoking. Don't suffer in silence sign-up to a forum on-line and speak to like minded people who can empathise with you. Chances are that their will be others out there with worse experiences than yours.
10. Lastly, keep the faith
If you have a can-do attitude then chances are you will succeed and quit forever. You certainly will not do yourself any favors if you are constantly doubting your resolve. When things get rough just tell yourself you can get through this. Put temptation to the back of your mind ignore that urge and think positive thoughts - YOU CAN DO IT!
You may have resolved to quit smoking but what will motivate you to do so? Without the will and motivation, chances of succeeding are reduced. List the reasons on paper and go through it often to stay on track.
2. Choose the date
Prepare in advance and decide the day you are going to give up. Let your friends and family know that you are going to quit. Your colleagues at work could also make the difference between success and failure, you are going to need all the support you can get.
3. Make use of aids like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Now that you have declared you are quitting smoking it might be tempting to go cold turkey. However this could be disastrous as almost everyone relapses without a little medical help. Nicotine is highly addictive and your brain has become totally reliant on it. Without it your body will go into withdrawal. NRT can help you cope with these feelings of frustration, depression and restlessness. Using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges could improve you chances of quitting as much as two-fold.
4.Manage Your Stress Levels
When trying to quit, stress levels will inevitably go up. One reason that people smoke is to reduce stress after all. It may be hard but avoid stress as much as possible. Engaging in relaxing activities and keeping busy such as by taking up exercise like yoga helps.
5. Keep triggers at bay
Certain situations may increase your urge to want to start smoking again. For instance alcohol can be one of the most common triggers. Avoid going to the pub in the first few weeks of quitting smoking. Having a cigarette during your coffee break at work can also be a tempting situation. Drink plenty of water and switch to another caffeine-free beverage instead.
6. Give yourself a gift
One of the things you will notice when you stop smoking on top of all those health benefits is the extra cash you have to hand. In fact why not save all the money you could of spent on cigarettes and place it in a jar. Over time this will be a highly visible reminder of how much your smoking habit cost. Then periodically splash out - you deserve it, buy yourself a special present for your landmark achievement.
7.Keep the pounds off!
Apart from the difficulty of quitting, smokers are wary of it because they are afraid of gaining weight. When one quits, appetite also increases. You can beat this by making a conscious effort to eat healthy food and avoiding high sugar and high fat food. Add more vegetables to your diet and instead of snacks like chocolates and cookies choose fruits for snacks.
8. If you fail the first time
Relapsing after trying to quit the first time is fairly common. It may even happen a number of times. Do not give up or despair but go back and think about what keeps you from succeeding. You will be stronger next time when you are facing the hurdles. Set a new date and recommit to quitting.
9.Self Help Groups
You may find that you need extra help after all quitting smoking is not easy. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional about referring you to a self help group. They have a good track record on helping people to quit smoking. Don't suffer in silence sign-up to a forum on-line and speak to like minded people who can empathise with you. Chances are that their will be others out there with worse experiences than yours.
10. Lastly, keep the faith
If you have a can-do attitude then chances are you will succeed and quit forever. You certainly will not do yourself any favors if you are constantly doubting your resolve. When things get rough just tell yourself you can get through this. Put temptation to the back of your mind ignore that urge and think positive thoughts - YOU CAN DO IT!
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