Smoking is a habit that some pick up from an early age and others, with the influence of those in their adulthood. For some, smoking is a social habit and for others, an addiction.
Whether a person is addicted to smoking or not, it’s an unhealthy habit that can cause a considerable amount of problems later on in life. With that being said, many try to quit the habit, with some succeeding and others falling back into the habit despite trying.
However, with another year, comes new resolutions. Are you looking to quit? Well, here are some tips for helping quit smoking for good this year and beyond.
List reasons to quit
What are the reasons for quitting? Everyone is different when it comes to their reasons. For some, it might be for personal health and for others, it could be to help those around them who are also breathing in that second-hand smoke.
It could be that the cost of smoking has become too much and you want to spend money on things that will help enjoy life with others, rather than spending it all on cigarettes.
Listing the reasons is good because it helps remind the person what they’re doing it for. Seeing that list somewhere visually whether it be on notes on the phone or plastered onto the bathroom mirror, is going to help motivate you on those days when perseverance is dwindling.
Ditch any remaining cigarette packets
In order to help avoid the cigarettes from drawing you back to the dark side, think about ditching any remaining cigarette packets. They’ll be too much of a temptation if they’re just left out on the side.
It’s similar to when trying to cut down on unhealthy foods – if it’s in the home, then it’s more likely to be consumed. The same can be said for cigarettes. If a person who smokes, sees them every day while trying to quit, it’s not going to help keep them on the straight and narrow.
Try nicotine alternatives
When quitting smoking, one of the biggest challenges comes from finding an alternative. There are plenty of options to help with quitting smoking but not all of them are as effective as smoking itself. For example, nicotine patches and nicotine gum might satisfy the cravings but it’s the inability to hold something in the hand that can cause issues.
With that being said, a good option is vaping. Designed to mimic cigarettes, they are very effective in helping cut the habit of smoking for good. As a growing market, there are plenty of vape devices worth trying and seeing if they help transition from smoking more easily. There are also lots of vape deals online worth looking at.
Tell people that you’ve quit
Have you told people that you’ve quit yet? No? Tell them. While it might be like shooting yourself in the foot, it’s probably the best way of guilt-tripping oneself into keeping away from smoking again.
When you’ve committed to telling people that you’ve quit, it can make it a lot harder to go back on your word and start back up. It’s the eyes of disappointment that will be upon you and for some, that can be hard to deal with.
So with that in mind, if you’re easily influenced by what others think of you and how you’re judged, compromise yourself by telling people you’re quitting. It’ll hopefully improve the chances of quitting the habit for good.
Don’t go cold turkey
Cold turkey almost never works. It’s a strategy that only works for the very strong-minded and motivated. This is something that when smoking is an addiction, can be hard to succeed in. Going cold turkey is switching off the tap without first slowing it down and easing it off.
As a result, it’s likely going to result in mood swings, cravings and a more intense need to smoke. Whereas, if you slowly wean yourself off cigarettes, you will eventually be able to stop smoking altogether and hopefully sustain that no-smoking habit.
Of course, there are those few who defy the odds, go cold turkey and somehow manage to pull it off. Thank your lucky stars if you’re one of them. Otherwise, join everyone else in the weaning stages first.
Learn the smoking triggers
With any addiction or habit, there are triggers attached to it. For those who are looking to quit smoking, there will be certain smoking triggers that influence the likelihood of it happening.
From friends or colleagues that smoke together to stress-related triggers that make it hard to stop oneself from picking up a cigarette, there are lots of them.
With that in mind, try to learn what smoking triggers you have and use these to avoid them like the plague. By avoiding the triggers as best as one can, it will help prevent smoking from being picked back up again. Some triggers are easier to avoid than others, so try to do your best where possible!
It may be worth telling friends or work colleagues who smoke that you’re trying to quit. They can then make a conscious effort to smoke away from you or not encourage you to smoke. There’s nothing worse than trying to have your arm twisted on the one thing that you’d really like to do.
Exercise to keep urges at bay
Exercising is a good way to help keep the urges at bay. It serves as a distraction and it can also show you how healthy the body can be when giving up smoking in general. To begin with, exercising might be tough due to the impact that cigarettes have on the lungs, however, it will get easier.
With that being said, think about getting some exercise or fitness routines in place for when you decide to make the decision of quitting.
To quit smoking successfully is challenging. However, with enough perseverance and support, it can be a habit that you quit, which helps change your life forever!
