Tips to Quit Smoking
Smoking is a habit that one can get easily addicted to, but face several difficulties while quitting. While one can resolve to quit smoking and take necessary efforts, it is still a difficult habit to quit. Moreover, failing to quit smoking can be discouraging and can lead to a serious and difficult relapse into the habit. Knowing where to start and how to go about it can help immensely. For starters, check out these useful tips for quitting smoking.
- Chart a plan
You can’t just get up one day and quit, while it may work initially, you may falter without motivation. Therefore, find a reason first that will serve as motivation to help you stay focused on kicking the habit for good. Understand that for some people, it may be rising health concerns in the family, while others may want to quit to improve their health. The more personal and compelling the reason, the better are your chances of charting a roadmap and strictly adhering to it. Every person’s journey is different, but there is no harm in talking to people who are on their way to quit smoking and learn from their experiences. - Identify triggers
Smoking is not an involuntary action, but a habit that may have been triggered due to someone or something that forces you to crave for a cigarette. These triggers can range from unpleasant situations to unwanted feelings. Identifying the trigger can help you find an alternative way to deal with the problem. So instead of reaching out for a pack, you can figure out a healthier way of confronting these situations and overcoming these feelings. This will take some time, so do not lose hope or be disheartened. - Your company matters
If you really want to quit smoking, then be prepared to make the necessary changes in your lifestyle. You can try your best to quit smoking all day long, but it won’t matter unless you stop socializing with people who smoke regularly. Even inhaling secondhand smoke can result in a relapse. Find people who motivate and discourage you from smoking. Find support groups that provide counseling and professional help to increase your chances of quitting significantly. - Prepare for withdrawal
Nicotine found in cigarettes is a powerful compound, and if you smoke regularly, the brain gets addicted to nicotine. So when you stop smoking, you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms along the road to recovery. The best way to manage withdrawal is by adhering to potent-nicotine replacement therapies such as chewing nicotine gums or having nicotine lozenges that can mimic the effect of the compound. Alternatively, you can also use nicotine patches to help manage the withdrawal symptoms.
Furthermore, you can reduce your alcohol intake, make healthy changes to your diet, and follow an exercise routine to successfully quit smoking.