Self-Help Tips To Stop Smokin

Breaking free from addictions is always a tough task and no matter how much extraneous help you may take, self-help is the best help especially when it comes to stop smoking.

Nicotine addicts know how difficult it is to give up smoking which may be a habit of many years. Starting with that one cigarette, you probably never even realized when and how you graduated to a pack and more of cigarettes per day and so on. Very soon it became a part and parcel of your being and you could not imagine even an hour without inhaling tobacco. But now, the ill effects are showing upon your health and you would like to quit smoking. Easier said than done!

To give up smoking requires firm discipline and determination and an honest appraisal of your habits and where they are leading you. Combining certain external factors along with self-help is one way of trying to combat the addiction of smoking.

The first thing to do is to make quitting smoking your number one priority. By using your concentration on a specific goal as the most important, there is less chance of that priority falling wayward. Focused goals increase the odds of success.

Secondly, don`t set improbable or impractical dates for giving up smoking. Smoking is an addiction which cannot be given up in a jiffy. And if you set too close a date from the time you are trying to quit smoking, you may not be able to keep it and then lose hope in your ability to achieve your goal. Set a reasonable date and then stick to it. On the other hand, self-help does not mean giving yourself too long a leverage. You may get distracted from your goal.

Self-help to stop smoking also includes a very effective aid and that is the visualizing aid. Don`t under estimate the power of visuals; just keep imagining yourself becoming a non-smoker gradually and visualize yourself being able to give it up totally.

Motivation is the key to any success and more so when self-help is utilized because only if you are motivated enough will you help yourself. Telling yourself that you can quit smoking and repeating this at regular intervals will help you stop yourself from grabbing that cigarette. Sometimes, wives or children are great motivational subjects and telling yourself that you have to give up smoking for their good may work wonders.

When you are stressed out, picking up a cigarette (for smokers) is the first step to reduce that stress. Any addiction acts as a stress-buster and probably this is how it had all begun. So, try to reduce stress from your life; take up yoga, walks or any other form of exercise and eat healthy. Keeping yourself meaningfully occupied will also keep you away from that nicotine stick.

Throwing out negative thoughts is part of the self-help program. Instead of telling yourself `I can not do it`, switch over to `its getting easier` and you will see the difference. Have a positive statement for every day. By writing down things which trigger off most strongly the urge to smoke, you will be able to see clearly when and how it happens. You can thus exercise some control over the situation.

Reward yourself for every smoke-free hour or smoke-free day. Put aside the money saved on cigarettes in a separate jar and plan a nice treat for yourself. Self-help is the best method because you will resort to this only when you are determined to make a success of it and that would be half the battle won!