13 tips to quit smoking for good
Want to quit smoking but do you know why? “Because it is harmful” is insufficient reason.
To be motivated, you need a strong personal reason to quit smoking. For example, to protect your family from secondhand smoke.
Or the fear of lung cancer, or simply because you want to look younger and feel younger. Choose your reason and follow our advice.
Don’t Quit Smoking Suddenly
You might be tempted to quit smoking all at once and make it public. But doing this is not so easy.
95% of people who try to quit smoking without therapy or medication, then start smoking again. The reason is that nicotine is addictive. The brain gets used to it and craves it. If you don’t get it, the symptoms of nicotine craving appear.
Use nicotine replacement therapy
Nicotine cravings can cause frustration, depression or irritability. The urge to take a cigarette just once can be overwhelming.
Nicotine replacement therapy can reduce these symptoms. Research shows that nicotine gum, lozenges and patches, combined with a behavioral program can double your chances of success.
Take medications only as prescribed
To relieve nicotine cravings without using products containing nicotine, ask your doctor for a recommendation.
The pills reduce the desire to smoke, which affects the addiction centers in the brain. They make smoking quite unpleasant if you light a cigarette anyway.
Other drugs suppress nicotine cravings, depression and inability to concentrate.
Don’t go through this alone
Tell your friends, family and colleagues that you are trying to quit smoking. Their support can make all the difference.
You can also join a support group or contact a consultant. Behavioral therapy will help you find a strategy to quit smoking.
Stress Management
One of the reasons people smoke is because it relaxes them. When you quit smoking, you’ll need another way to deal with stress. Try getting a regular massage, listening to relaxing music, doing yoga or tai chi.
If possible, avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks.
Avoid alcohol and stimulants
Some drinks may increase your urge to smoke. Alcohol is one of the most common stimulants. Try to reduce your alcohol consumption once you stop smoking.
If your stimulant is coffee, switch to tea for a few weeks. If you usually smoke after eating, find another activity – brushing your teeth or chewing gum.
Tidy up your home
After you’ve smoked your last cigarette, throw all ashtrays and lighters out of your home. Wash any clothing that smells of cigarettes, clean bedspreads, curtains, blinds and upholstered furniture.
Use air fresheners to remove the smell of tobacco from your home. You should not see or smell anything that reminds you of smoking.
Don’t try again
Relapsing into a bad habit is very common, so don’t try again. Many smokers have tried to quit cigarettes countless times without success.
Analyze the feelings and circumstances that made you reach for cigarettes again. Use this as an opportunity to reaffirm your ambition to quit smoking.
Move
Physical activity can help reduce the urge to smoke and relieve nicotine cravings.
When you feel like smoking, instead of taking a cigarette, put on your sneakers or put on your rollerblades. Even light exercise like walking the dog is helpful.
By burning calories, you will save yourself the obesity characteristic of the period after quitting smoking.
Eat fruits and vegetables
Don’t try to diet when you quit smoking – too much deprivation leads to unpleasant consequences.
Instead, try to eat more fruits and vegetables, as well as low-fat dairy products.
Studies show that these foods make cigarettes taste more unpleasant. This not only gives you strength to quit smoking, but also supplies you with many useful vitamins and minerals.
Choose your reward
In addition to the huge health benefits, one of the benefits of quitting smoking is the money you will save. Encourage yourself and choose a gift to buy yourself if you succeed in quitting.
Do it for your health
Accept that the health benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the savings in money. Quitting smoking lowers blood pressure and heart rate, blood gas balance is restored.
Two weeks to three months after that, the risk of a heart attack is reduced and lung function is improved.
Long-term benefits include a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke and various types of cancer.
