Tips On Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking is a difficult decision to make for people who have been smoking for an extended period of time. The main hurdle to overcome when quitting smoking is kicking the nicotine addiction which is why a lot of smokers really want to quit but find the process difficult.
If you want to quit smoking there are a few things that you must consider that will determine whether or not you will be successful. First, you must set your mind to commit to kicking your smoking habit and stick with it. Secondly, you need to visualize yourself quitting smoking, understand what the effects are, and commit to maintaining an ongoing non-smoking plan.
Consider Quitting
Think about quitting smoking and make sure you understand the effects you will feel in the process of quitting. Many people fail to quit smoking because they cannot handle the symptoms that accompany kicking the habit. Most people who have smoked for a long time will fail to quit multiple times before they finally succeed with kicking the smoking habit.
Set Up a Plan
Simply saying that you are going to quit smoking will not help you to succeed. Like any other goal you attempt you have to have a plan and prepare yourself to endure the consequences. Successfully quitting smoking requires preparing your body and mind for the temptations that will inevitably occur when you try to kick the habit.
Nicotine makes it very hard to resist temptations but it does not make it impossible to quit. This is why it is essential to prepare and to plan ahead for the withdrawal symptoms that accompany quitting smoking. If you have the mindset and the commitment, you can succeed.
Smoking Aids
There is a wide variety of stop smoking aids that you obtain from your local drugstore. Some of these aids will help when you experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms and other smoking aids will help you to control cigarette cravings.Smoking aids are distributed in the form of gum alternatives, lozenges, nicotine patches, and a variety of other types of aids.
Some people that are trying to quit smoking have explored the new electronic cigarette which is a revolutionary new science that is designed to change the way people smoke. Electronic cigarettes are actually vapor sticks that contain a filter that is saturated with nicotine and flavoring. You can purchase the filters in different strengths of nicotine so you can gradually step down the amount of nicotine intake.
Electronic cigarettes are battery operated and contain no smoke or flame despite the fact that they light up on the end like a conventional cigarette. When you exhale you emit the vapor instead of smoke and the filter provides you with the same sensation you get when you smoke a real cigarette. Electronic cigarettes are odorless, smoke and tar free, and they allow you to continue the usual physical movements that you do when you smoke a real cigarette.
Plan a Maintenance Routine
Plan a maintenance routine for staying a non-smoker before you actually begin to quit smoking. If you do not prepare a maintenance plan in advance your chances are good of picking up the habit once again. As a general rule, you are at risk for a relapse during the first three months after you quit smoking.
Make sure you have a support system in place when you experience weak moments. If you are hanging around people that are telling you that you will never quit this is not going to help your mindset when you try to stay smoke-free. You may also find your family telling you to start smoking again so you are not so grouchy. Also, if you are around friends that keep offering you a smoke then you need to tell them that you are adamant about remaining smoke free.
Effects of Smoking
Studies have found that second hand smoke is worse than smoking a cigarette which means you put other people in danger when you smoke around them. What’s more is the smoke you inhale can contribute to lung cancer, heart attacks, emphysema, and a host of other health problems. These are all things you need to consider when making the decision to quit smoking and remaining smoke free for life.
Quitting smoking will not happen overnight and for a while it may seem like an uphill battle however, if you set small goals each day that are attainable and keep a strong mindset, you will find that it is possible to kick the habit for good.