If you have decided to quit smoking, there is one thing that you should keep in mind – that decision is only half of the battle. Knowing where to start on your way to quit smoking can help you with some major problems that you might come across and in this article, you will be able to read about some ways that you can quit smoking. Let’s take a look at the list:
Prepare for Quit Day
Once you have made the decision to stop smoking, you will need to set a quit date. Choose a day that is not too far away, but which will give you enough time to prepare yourself. There are a few ways that you can quit, however, in the end, you will need to choose between two options:
- Quit abruptly or continue smoking right up to your quit day and then completely stop, or
- Quit gradually or reduce your cigarette intake slowly until the quit date and then stop.
Keep in mind that you should tell your family members, friends, and co-workers about the quit date you set. Once the quit day arrives, you should throw away all cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters. Also, on your quit day, you should not smoke at all, try to stay busy, drink more juice or water, do not drink alcohol, and avoid situations where you have a strong urge to smoke.
Use NRTs
Quitting abruptly or quitting without the help of NRT, therapy, or medication is a popular way to stop smoking, however, only 6% of these attempts are successful. NRT can reduce withdrawal symptoms, as well as cravings. The FDA has approved five types of NRTs that include skin patches, chewing gum, lozenges, nasal spray, and an inhaler.
Try Alternative Therapies
Some people find that alternative therapies help them quit smoking and some of these methods include filters, smoking deterrents, e-cigarettes, tobacco sticks or strips, nicotine lollipops or straws, hypnosis, and acupuncture. But the best thing you can do is to stop smoking completely, according to Grinds. You can also try practicing yoga, meditation, or mindfulness which are great methods to relax your mind and body, as well as keep you focused on other things.
Smoking can decrease your lifespan by up to 10 years or more. Smokers who smoke only occasional cigarettes usually have a shorter lifespan than nonsmokers; smokers who smoke daily have a shorter lifespan than even those who smoke only occasionally.
E-cigarettes
A lot of people consider e-cigarettes useful to give up smoking. According to the experts from steamo.de, various studies concluded that e-cigarettes are less addictive than cigarettes and they also concluded that smoker who use e-cigarettes are more likely to quit smoking than people who never tried e-cigarettes.
Make a Vision Board
A vision board is an important tool that can help you visualize your goal of quitting smoking. This will help encourage you to keep going when the going gets tough. create a board by placing pictures of yourself without cigarettes or tobacco products throughout your home and office. Write down your reasons for wanting to quit smoking, what quitting feels like, and what your goals are for the year ahead.
Seek Behavioral Support
The physical and emotional dependence you have on smoking can be difficult to overcome after your quit day. In order to quit, you will need to deal with that dependence. You can try counseling services, support services, or self-help materials that will help you during this time. You can also call the smoking helpline, smokefree websites, smokefreeTXT text messaging service, as well as join various Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram groups devoted to helping people quit smoking.
Conclusion
Quitting smoking is never easy and it will require you to be committed, as well as well-organized. You should create a good strategy, opt for alternative therapy, or try NRTs that will assist you with giving up smoking. Hence, do not waste any more time and start making a good strategy for quitting.
