There are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Your family, friends and co-workers can serve as support. But to be successful, you really must have the desire to stop smoking. The following can help you get started.
Information
Most people who have been able to quit successfully tried it at least once without success in the past. Try not to see past attempts to stop smoking as failures. See them as learning experiences.
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Quitting smoking or quitting using smoke-free tobacco is difficult, but anyone can do it.
Know what symptoms you should expect when you stop smoking. These are called withdrawal symptoms. Common symptoms include:
- An intense desire for nicotine
- Anxiety, tension, restlessness, frustration or impatience
- Difficult to focus
- Drowsiness or trouble sleeping
- Headaches
- Increased appetite and weight gain
- Irritability or depression
The intensity of the symptoms will depend on how long you smoke. The amount of cigarettes you smoked will also influence.
DO YOU FEEL READY TO STOP SMOKING?
First set the date to start. This is the date on which you will stop smoking completely. Before that date, you can start to reduce your cigarette consumption. Remember, there is no safe level of tobacco use.
Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit. Include the benefits in both the short and long term.
Identify the times when you are most likely to smoke. For example, do you tend to smoke when you are stressed or depressed? When do you go out at night with friends? When are you drinking coffee or alcohol? When are you bored? When are you driving? Immediately after a meal or having sex? During a break at work? While watching TV or playing cards? When are you with other smokers?
Tell all your friends, family and co-workers about your plan to stop smoking. Tell them the date you will do it. It can help that they know what you are going to be going through, especially when you are grumpy.
Get rid of all your cigarettes just before the date you are quitting. Clean everything that smells like smoke, like clothes and furniture.
MAKE A PLAN
Plan what you are going to do instead of smoking at times when you are more likely to smoke.
Be as specific as possible. For example, if in the past you smoked while drinking a cup of coffee, now drink tea. Tea may not trigger the desire for a cigarette. Or, when you feel stressed, take a walk instead of smoking a cigarette.
Get rid of the cigarettes in the car. Instead, place cookies or candy.
Find activities that occupy your hands and your mind, but that are not exhausting or fattening. Computer games, solitaire, knitting, sewing and doing crosswords can help.
If you normally smoke after eating, find other ways to finish a meal. Eat a piece of fruit. Get up and make a call. Take a walk (a good distraction that also burns calories).
CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE
Make other changes in your lifestyle. Change your daily schedule and habits. Eat at different times, or eat several small meals instead of three large ones. Sit in a different chair or even in a different room.
Satisfy your oral habits in different ways. Eat celery or other low-calorie snack. Chew gum without sugar. Suck a cinnamon stick. Pretend you smoke using a straw in your mouth.
Get more exercise. Walk or ride a bicycle. Exercise helps relieve the urge to smoke.
ESTABLISH SOME GOALS
Set goals to quit smoking in the short term and reward yourself when you achieve them. Every day, put in a jar the money you normally spend on cigarettes. Then, spend that money on something you like.
Try not to think about all the days that await you when you need to avoid smoking. Take things one day at a time.
Just a smoke or a cigarette will make the desire for cigarettes stronger. However, it is normal to make mistakes. So even if you smoked a cigarette, you do not need to smoke the next one.
OTHER ADVICE
Enroll in a smoking cessation program. Hospitals, health departments, community centers and workplaces often offer programs. Learn self-hypnosis or other techniques.
Ask your health care provider about medications that can help you quit nicotine and tobacco and prevent you from falling. These include nicotine patches, chewing gum, medicated candy and sprays. Prescription medications such as varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) can help decrease cravings for nicotine and other withdrawal symptoms