Smoking is an unhealthy activity that can have severe negative consequences for both you and the people around you. It destroys your lungs and throat, damages your heart and wreaks havoc on your mouth. The people around you will also face health consequences from inhaling second-hand smoke. For these reasons, it is important that you quit immediately. The following article lists several ideas that may help you stop successfully.
Let your family and friends in on the secret that you want to quit smoking. Sharing your plans with those around you may mean that you can depend on them to boost your motivation or distract you when cravings strike. This can be the little nudge you need to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Be sure that you are willing to stick with your plan to quit smoking. A lot of people are unable to quit smoking successfully because they are not sufficiently committed, or do not approach it with the proper mindset. It is possible for you to maintain a high level of commitment by keeping in mind the reasons why you want to quit.
Set a day that you plan on quitting your smoking habit permanently. Write down this date on your calendar, and plan on this day. Your mind should be ready for a new change that will last for the remainder of your life. You could even have a small party on the morning of the day that you’re quitting.
Many people find the electronic cigarettes a great way to quit smoking. They do not have as many of the negative effects of normal cigarettes and can be a good way to taper off your smoking from your normal levels to a lesser point, until you are no longer smoking at all.
Take the time to really sit down and think about how quitting smoking will improve your life. This is especially effective if you already have serious health conditions that smoking can exacerbate, like asthma or diabetes. If your family has a predisposition for cancer, then it can also be very powerful for you to acknowledge that quitting now could actually save your life.
Each time you hit a landmark in your regimen to quit smoking, reward yourself. Write down a list of rewards you will allow yourself when you have stopped smoking for a day, a week and a month. Keep the list on display so that you have to look at it every day. Looking forward to your rewards can help you stay motivated during the moments you feel like caving.
To fully prepare yourself with the struggles of quitting, know exactly what to expect before you start. Know how soon you can expect symptoms of nicotine withdrawal to kick in, and know all of the possible symptoms you could experience. This will also help you to anticipate your strongest cravings and most likely pitfalls.
Before beginning to quit, talk with your doctor about your intentions. Your doctor can advise you on the best methods to quit, and if need be, can provide you with prescription drugs to aid your quitting. Also, your doctor can be an important sounding board throughout your entire quitting experience.
Think of how your smoking affects those that you love, and how it may ultimately rob them of years with you. Roughly twenty percent of Americans die from smoking-related causes. You don’t want to be another statistic.
Write down a journal of every time you have a cigarette and what your reasons were for having one. This journal will help you to find out what your smoking triggers are. For some it may be the first morning cigarette, or the need to smoke after a meal. For others, it may be stress. Determining your triggers will help you to figure out a way to fight them.
You’ll be more successful in your attempt to quit smoking if you ease down on how many cigarettes you smoke per day. You can create a set schedule for when you can smoke, and how many cigarettes per day you’ll smoke, gradually letting yourself smoke fewer and fewer until a set date when you’ll completely stop.
Positive thinking makes a big difference when it comes to quitting smoking. You will be able to better conquer temptations if you recognize every day without smoking, as an achievement in itself. By keeping track of small goals, you can keep your self-esteem high and hopefully, conquer that habit for good!
Stock your refrigerator with fruit juice before quitting. Nicotine releases sugar into your bloodstream, so when you quit you may have massive sugar cravings for a few days. Drinking juice is a healthy way to relieve these cravings. However, if you’re diabetic this solution can be dangerous for you, so you should talk to your doctor about safe ways for you to manage sugar cravings.
Add exercise to your regular routine if you are trying to smoke. Physical activity can help you to deal with the nicotine cravings you will experience. Exercise can help to lessen these withdrawal symptoms. Get out and walk the dog or dig in your garden, and you will have an easier time quitting smoking.
Smoking is an unhealthy and dangerous habit. Some major health risks that smoking cause are lung cancer, emphysema and heart attack. You are not the only person affected by your smoking habit; second-hand smoke puts those around you at risk for health hazards, as well. It is hoped that the advice you have read will help establish a foundation for quitting.
