Trying to quit smoking is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. The good news is that it can be done if you try hard enough. There are websites and articles that fill the internet up with things on how to quit smoking and yet you are probably still struggling with your smoking demon.
I am a fourth generation smoker, I have successfully quit but I still consider myself a smoker because I still have the cravings but refuse to pick up another cigarette. These tips and tricks are some of those that I personally have used and still use and the ones that my dad had used.
I smoked for over ten years starting at a young age and my dad quit after smoking for forty-one years. Quitting smoking can be done if you have enough will power.
How to quit smoking lesson 1
Before you try to quit smoking you must want to quit or you will be defeating the purpose. If you don’t really want to quit smoking, wait until you do. Once you decide to quit, get as much information as you can on the subject so that you can be better prepared.
How to quit smoking lesson 2
There is nothing wrong with asking for help no matter how big or small it is. My dad quit smoking cold turkey and I don’t recommend this, I tried it and felt nervous and anxious all the time. After trying it cold turkey, I then tried a method of different ways including the stop smoking patch.
The patch kind of worked. It says on the package to not smoke while on the patch but like a smoker, I had to have a cigarette. The patch did help me to lower my cigarette intake though. I went from two packs a day down to ten cigarettes a day.
My conclusion on these stop smoking products is that they can actually help you to lower your cigarette intake but they may not help you quit smoking completely and can be expensive but not as expensive as cigarettes can be.
How to quit smoking lesson 3
Candy has become a really good friend of mine. I don’t just mean any candy though; peppermints are great for that smoking urge. The way that it works is each time you want a cigarette, pop a peppermint in your mouth. The good news is that it can be very effective for each craving by giving you something to do with your mouth and there is something about the taste that will make the craving go away. The bad news is that it can make you to gain weight or hurt you if you have any medical problems where you are suppose to limit your candy intake.
How to quit smoking lesson 4
Get rid of all your cigarettes. Come on, you want to quit smoking don’t you? Go ahead and just throw them away. If you have them lying around, the urge can overwhelm you. Dump all ashtrays and get rid of them also. Keeping just one cigarette for an emergency should be avoided. Just one cigarette can cause you to relapse and do more harm than good.
How to quit smoking lesson 5
Get up and clean or exercise when you have those urges. Doing something physical will help you to keep your mind off of it. My house was deep cleaned every day for about a month while I was going through the withdrawals.
The cravings will usually only last for a couple of minutes so fight it. Breaths of fresh air, water, brushing your teeth, sucking on a mint, chewing gum, these are all ways to help you with the cravings.
How to quit smoking lesson 7
If you are use to holding something in your hand like a cigarette, try something else. I walked around with a straw in my hand and often chewed on it because it was like having a cigarette without all the bad stuff.
How to quit smoking lesson 8
Nicotine is out of the body in about 72 hours so it has been said that the first 72 hours is the hardest. No one ever said that trying to quit smoking was going to be easy but once you get past the first 72 hours, it does become more bearable.
How to quit smoking lesson 9
What if you can’t quit or you relapse? Get back on that horse and ride again. If you fear that you can’t quit smoking, try to decrease your nicotine intake as much as possible so that you won’t have as many cravings that next time that you decide to quit smoking.
Like everything else, practice makes perfect even when you are trying to quit smoking.
