Smoking is a habit which affects your health, your finances, your appearance and the people around you. Despite this quitting smoking is one of the hardest things a person can do. This article offers six pieces of advice which can hopefully help you stop smoking for good.
1) Think about the reasons behind your Smoking:- If you sit down and think about what specifically triggers your smoking you may be surprised that it comes down to one single thing. This could be stress (you smoke to temporarily relieve stress), social acceptance (you smoke to because you socialise in a group that also smokes) or a number of other things. If you can identify this trigger you can then try to avoid it. For example, if you smoke because you socialise with other smokers maybe try to not see your smoker friends as much, at least whilst you are in the process of giving up. By identifying and avoiding your smoking trigger you can seriously increase your chances of stopping smoking for good.
2) Think about how much you rely on Cigarettes:- Smoking cigarettes can become both a chemical and mental addiction. As the chemicals such as nicotine start to enter your body on a regular basis you become more and more dependent on them, hence the withdrawal symptoms and cravings when you try to quit. However, you may not be as aware that it is not just the chemicals in cigarettes you become addicted to. Smoking a cigarette is an activity that you perform more regularly than almost anything else in your life and it is easy for a mental addiction to develop. To overcome this mental addiction try to come up with something that fills the times you would usually smoke a cigarette. For example, maybe drink a glass of water or have a snack every time you would normally smoke a cigarette.
3) Consider going Cold Turkey:- Going cold turkey is one of the most difficult ways to stop smoking but it is one that often creates permanent results. Cold turkey is not a suitable method for everyone but if you are a very determined person it may be an option you wish to consider. By going cold turkey you can instantly remove the financial and health restrictions that smoking creates.
4) Think about other People:- Smoking is very harmful to those around you. If you value the health of your family this may be something you wish to consider. Instead of quitting smoking for personal reasons why not quit for the benefit of your children or your partner?
5) Try a Holistic Approach:- A holistic approach requires to you focus on being a healthier person overall and can be a good way to stop smoking. Apart from diet and exercise, a holistic approach often incorporates meditation and stress control techniques which can be very helpful in reducing your cravings for cigarettes. Plus, by living a healthier lifestyle you may develop additional motivation to stay away from the cigarettes simply because they do not fit in with your new way of life.
6) Never lose Hope:- Most smokers fail 3 or 4 times before they manage to quit for good. Do not dwell on failure. Instead look at failur as a learning process and use it to improve next time you try quitting smoking. It may take you multiple attempts but as long as you have the desire to keep trying you will get there.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article giving up smoking is one of the most challenging things some people will ever do. Sometimes a little guidance and support is required. If you are struggling to stop smoking I hope this article gives that to you.
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