Every smoker has tried to quit at one time or another and have found that it can be very difficult. You can increase your chances of being successful by having support and having tricks in place to help you when you need it.
Use the tips below to create a solid plan for your battle against smoking.
To aid in smoking cessation, remove yourself from your circle of friends who smoke. Don’t worry; this is just a temporary measure, but you really do need to do this. Constant exposure to cigarette smoke, plus the social aspect of smoking together, will automatically squash your hopes for success.
Avoid some of the places and behaviors that can lead to smoking cigarettes. As an example, if you used to automatically light a cigarette before you made a phone call, you will need to substitute something else in its place. Distract yourself with something else at those times.
Try to get it through your mind that smoking is not the solution to any problem you may encounter, whether it is a flat tire or a family issue. Smoking has never solved a crisis, and it will certainly not begin to alleviate your woes. Remember this when you are on your way to quitting smoking.
If you are finding that you aren’t enjoying food and drinks as much as you used to, consider quitting smoking. Smoking can cause damage to the taste buds in your mouth, meaning that you don’t recognize tastes in the same way. If you quit, your taste buds will soon recuperate, meaning you will be able to enjoy your favorite meals once again.
To effectively quit smoking, have a plan mapped out. Take some time to prepare yourself by writing down the steps you will take to quit, who you will call for support, and what you will do if you should slip up. Putting these things in writing makes them concrete, and it is much like making a contract with yourself. This can have a very powerful affect on your mindset, helping you to stay focused on your journey toward quitting.
Avoid triggering that make you want to smoke. Alcohol is a trigger for many, so when you are quitting, try to drink less. If coffee is your trigger, for a couple of weeks drink tea instead. If you like to smoke after eating a meal, do something else rather like taking a walk or brushing your teeth.
If you are trying to quit with the use of crutches such as patches and medication, then you need to be careful. When you begin taking in these other substances, you are in turn putting yourself at risk of developing a new dangerous addiction. Be careful when you begin your quitting crutches.
Make smoking hard to do. Wait until you have finished a pack before buying another one. You should also avoid buying cartons of them at a time. This will make it harder for you to get them. It also will remind you of what an inconvenience smoking is.
Avoid dieting when trying to quit smoking. A lot of aspiring quitters try to diet while quitting so they can avoid the supposedly inevitable weight gain. However, in doing so, they’re depriving their bodies of too much at once and they wind up relapsing. This just means gaining weight, while they’re still smoking.
Look into non-traditional methods of quitting smoking. No one quits smoking the same way and what works for your friend, may not work for you. If you are having trouble quitting with the more conventional methods, take a look at your options. Hypnosis and acupuncture are both highly successful methods to help you quit.
Kill your nicotine addiction before you quit smoking. Talk to your doctor about any possible medicines they can prescribe that can make nicotine powerless over you. After you are on one for a while, you will find smoking having no effect on your mood. You will just stop because it does not do anything for you anymore.
It is true that most smokers have tried to quit and have failed at least once. There are many reasons for their failure but you can greatly increase your odds for success by learning from others and using tips like the ones in the above article to stay on track and finally achieve success and be a non-smoker at last.
