Tips to Stop Smoking

cigarette smoking

Smoking is a known cause of death around the world. Even though facts say that it is dangerous, people still continue to use cigarettes and tobacco products. The harmful effects can be lethal even in a short time of usage. People around you will also suffer from secondhand smoke. The great news is that smoking can be overcome. Knowledge of the research underlying nicotine addiction will make moves to becoming tobacco-free much simpler for you.

Why Do People Smoke?

Smoking was regarded as socially acceptable for much of the 20th century. Only in the past few decades did we discover it’s harmful effects. Most people started smoking when they were young, those with parents who smoke are more likely to smoke than those whose parents did not

Sometime,s peer pressure overpowers your decision, you become blinded to what is truly good for you because you want to be one apart of the group around you. You think its right because adults are doing it, but in reality, it’s one of the unhealthiest things you can do. Studies show that smoking is most often a problem in teens. The younger you are when you start smoking, the more likely you are to becoming dependent on nicotine as you get older.

Identify Triggers

The best way to solve this kind of issue is to identify triggers. It will aid you with your path if you know the causes of why you smoke. You will get an understanding of how to combat it by recognizing the factors that cause you to smoke. These are ways to identify how triggers occur.

Keep Notes

Start journaling and keeping notes of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This will help you to understand yourself better and what makes you tick. Having a better understanding of the inner-workings of your mind is essential if you’re trying to avoid triggers to use nicotine/tobacco products.

Knowing this will help you change your pattern to stop the cravings from coming to you and will help you focus on doing other things.

How to Quit Smoking?

Before you think of ways to stop smoking you must have the right mindset to surpass the challenges along the way. Triggers will haunt you day and night. It is advisable to talk to a specialist for guidance as withdrawals are sometimes intense, depending on the severity of dependence on smoking. Here are some tips you can do to stop smoking.

Prepare Yourself for “The Day”

Quitting cold-turkey is strongly advised against; slowly wean off the substances and then determine a day when you can finally stop smoking. You should prepare your mind and body for the big event, realizing that it is not easy to quit.

Gradually change your lifestyle and reduce the amount of nicotine intake before the day you set. Plan a solution for the moments that urge you to smoke again. Remember, you have plans to stop smoking, and a little drawback will destroy that plan.

Make a List of Reasons to Quit

Reminding yourself of the negative effects of smoking and that will give you a picture of yourself in the future if you continue. The list will serve as a reminder when you are tempted to smoke even when you successfully withdraw from smoking.

Tell Your Family and Friends About Your Plan

Allow the people around you to know that you are planning to quit smoking, let them know that their support and encouragements are valuable to your journey. Find someone willing to quit smoking as well; this creates a sense of community and eliminates that feeling of loneliness that many recovering addicts often struggle with. In this case, you can help each other during times of difficulty.

The positivity among your family and friends will have a big impact on you. It will solidify your plans in the coming days, you have another reason to move forward because you know that there are people who are wishing for you to be free from smoking.

Exercise

The benefits of physical activities are not limited to physical changes but also your overall mood. You produce chemicals when you exercise that creates a natural high and amplifies your mood. Sweating also gets rid of those nasty toxins that have invaded your body from your past smoking habit. This can help alleviate the extreme cravings to use again.

If you are at the office and you don’t have time to exercise during the weekdays, you can do simple stretching, just reach your knees while sitting. A simple walk will do or even walking up and down the stairs. If you’re a more isolated person, you can do chores at home like cleaning the entire house, do the laundry, vacuum, etc. Dancing may help you sweat, too.

Associate With the Right People

It is advisable to surround yourself with the right people when you are in recovery from smoking. This does not mean you will abandon your old friends, no, it’s just refreshing to have new people which inspires you to do better in life. However, if your old friends continue to coax you to smoke again, it is advisable to cut them out of your life.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

The sole reason for people to smoke is because they are addicted to nicotine and they think that it helps them feel better. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is used to prevents you from using cigarettes and supplies you with a controlled dose of nicotine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved types of NRT, which include:

  • Skin Patches
  • Chewing Gum
  • Lozenges
  • Nasal Spray (Only if prescribed)
  • Inhaler (Only if prescribed)

Before you give up smoking, make an effort to see a specialist and figure out just how severe your dependency is. It’s important to be prepared for what’s to come after detox from nicotine/tobacco products. Withdrawal from this kind of thing can be just as bad as withdrawal from alcohol (depending on the severity of dependency). Follow these steps that we’ve laid out today and make sure to seek professional help.