Health Tips / Quitting Smoking
Tips on Quitting Smoking.
Smoking is highly physically and psychologically addictive. The physical aspect of the addiction is provided by nicotine. Smoking a cigarette almost immediately delivers nicotine to the brain, which has the desired effect of stimulating or relaxing the smoker. Therefore, when a smoker starts to quit, the amount of nicotine in the body falls and the smoker experiences a craving for cigarettes and withdrawal symptoms of irritability, mood swings and poor concentration levels.
The psychological aspects of this addiction mean that smoking can often be associated with certain situations and locations such as in the pub or after a meal, or with certain moods. Indeed, the habit-forming nature of smoking and the "rituals" associated with smoking of lighting up and holding the cigarette is a very important part of the addictive nature of cigarettes. Those quitting smoking often wonder what will they do with their hands when they are in a situation in which they are accustomed to smoking.
Trying to quit is not easy but there are few tips make it a little easier to break both the physical and psychological addiction.
Before you quit.
1. Before starting, ensure that there is no temptation to smoke by disposing of all cigarettes, lighters, matches and anything that reminds you of smoking. Clean areas that have a smoky smell.
2. Before starting, identify specific triggers, be they emotional, certain places, or times and develop contingency plans to avoid or deal with these triggers.
Quitting.
3 Try to select the best day to start quitting. There is probably never an ideal day, but select a day which you would expect to be less stressful.
4 Tell your friends, and ask them not to offer you cigarettes. Perhaps even get a friend to join you.
5 In the first few days, in particular until your will power is strong enough, avoid the places where you usually smoke.
6 Try to find alternative things to do when you get a craving for cigarettes; Cravings are often short-lived and if you do something such as calling a friend, drinking a glass of water, going for a walk or reading a magazine, this can "distract" the brain for long enough to overcome the craving.
7 Try not to eat fatty foods and to snack as a substitute for cigarettes. If you do feel the need to snack, then have lower calorie foods available.
8 Exercise more as this will relax you and keep you occupied.
9 Ensure that your schedule is busy enough to keep your brain active but not over-pressurised.
10 Seek medical advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Select the most appropriate form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, depending on how many cigarettes you smoke and your smoking habit.
11 Have your carbon monoxide levels monitored, which will help you monitor your progress. The level of carbon monoxide in your breath is an indication of the length of time since you smoked. Your levels will decrease with time after quitting.
12 Don't get complacent, as cravings for cigarettes can happen even months after quitting.
13 Set goals and reward your efforts after certain milestones; one week; two weeks; one month etc. You can even calculate your savings and put this money towards rewards for yourself.
14 Be mentally strong. Don t use personal or work pressures as an excuse to smoke. Smoking your first cigarette after quitting will dramatically reduce your chances of successfully quitting.
15 Remember "one day at a time" and think positively, you can do it !! Concentrate on the benefits of quitting.
