Need help and advice on how to quit smoking! ? -
Need help and advice on how to quit smoking! I quit for over 5 years and stupidly started again last May while going through a separation... I know I need to quit for good, but it is so hard to do - any success stories or good advice on how I can make this much needed change?
POSTIVE OUTLOOK - don-t look at quitting smoking as a negative thing
GREAT SUPPORT - ask your friends or family (whomever) to help you and have fun with it. tell them to tell you how bad you smell :) or when you want to go have a cigarette tell them before you go out and maybe they can come up with something creative.
REMEMBER how good it felt when you quit. Even just to be able to say, -I-m a non-smoker.-
ADJUST your lifestyle. If you have a cig in the morning with coffee, that-s a good place to start! wake up and go for a walk or do something else you enjoy. Maybe have juice in the a.m. if coffee is a trigger - wait until you get to work to have your coffee.
realize it is not easy - very difficult. Slips aren-t failure. Even cutting back is a GREAT way to try. It feels good accomplishing for a week that you-ve only x number of cigarettes. It becomes addicting*
BECOME ADDICTED TO SOMETHING ELSE - something better for you of course. Without trying to sound cheesy - it-s a HUGE mental leap from worrying about quitting smoking to becoming addicted to exercising or something else. It will soon replace your desire to have a cigarette. Do you have a beautiful icon you absolutely adore? I started a little book of things that motivated me. Sounds goofy but everyday was different and I needed different motivation everyday, even at different times of the day.
~Good luck! Plus, there are WAY cooler ways to die! :)
If you are considering smoking cessation, set your target date now. Then, two weeks before your target date, switch to a brand of cigarettes that you don-t like, and keep changing your brand every few days. Completely finish smoking the pack you have, before you purchase a new pack. Throw away your lighter, and don-t ask to use someone else-s. When you do light your cigarette, light it while standing in front of a mirror so you can see yourself lighting your cigarette. And never empty the ashtrays.
The day before you quit, try to smoke 4 whole packs of cigarettes. Save every single cigarette butt and put them in a quart size container filled with water. Be sure to tell your family and friends that you are quitting.
The day you quit, throw away all the lighters, matches, cigarettes, and ashtrays. Keep very busy and make a list of all the things you will buy with the money you can save from not smoking anymore. Have a dentist clean your teeth. Go to a movie, eat in the non-smoking section of a restaurant, take long walks.
On the first few days after you quit smoking, spend as much time as possible in places where smoking is prohibited. Drink lots of liquids, but not alcohol or coffee if you associate them with smoking. You may find it helpful to keep a plastic straw, pen or pencil in your hand. Try chewing sugarless gum or mints. After each meal, brush your teeth immediatly. Temporarily avoid situations that may trigger your urge to smoke. If you cannot avoid such situations, stay close proximity to nonsmokers. Do whatever it takes to make smoking as difficult as possible, even impossible and unnecessary. Excercise regularly and get busy with activities that make it difficult to smoke. Get plenty of rest and pay particular attention to your appearance. Don-t let anyone smoke in your home. Take one day at a time.
If you get the -crazies- chew on things such as sunflower seeds, apples, carrots, celery, pickles, sugarless gum, take a shower or bath. Learn to relax quickly and deeply. Light incense or a candle instead of a cigarette. Never allow yourself to think, -one won-t hurt- because it will. From time to time, write down the reasons you are glad that you quit smoking. Reward yourself for not smoking.
Many smokers are afraid to quit smoking because they worry they will gain weight. The fact is, most people who quit, do not gain weight and it is an unrealistic concern for most smokers. If there is weight gain, it is relatively small in most cases. Remember, to reach the same health risk as smoking one pack of cigarettes per day, the average smoker would have to be roughly 125 pounds overweight!
I quit smoking 3 years ago and lemme tell ya, its tough! Imo, the roughest time is the first 3 days. Determination and support from friends and family helps. There are also some quit smoking aids that you can get a prescription for from your family doctor. When you get cravings, go out and do something. Try to get your mind off having a cigarette.
Remind yourself when you get cravings that quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and your pocketbook! Start a savings jar, put the money you usually use for buying cigarettes and put it in a jar or savings account. After a week/month/year, go out and buy yourself something.
Its a rough journey, but you can do it! I-ve been 3 years without a cigarette and still get the occasional craving. Be persistent and determined and you WILL quit!
Best of luck!
I know there-s all kinds of medications advertised but I don-t know how effective any of them are. I quit over 30 years ago by just going cold turkey. My brother couldn-t do it that way so he went to a hypnotist and that worked for him.