14 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking!
1. Sip Cold Water and Eat Small Meals
Sipping cold water can help replace the act of suckingon a cigarette. New research shows that sipping cold water through a straw releases dopamine, a feel-goodbrain chemical that can help ease negative moods.
Eating small meals can also help you get past the urge the smoke. Choose lean, healthy foods to avoid any possible weight gain.
2. Recognize Instant Rewards
You don’t have to wait long to begin enjoying thebenefits of a smoke-free life. Keep a written list of thebenefits as you begin to experience them. These may include feeling in control, saving money, smelling better, tasting food more vividly, and feeling more energetic. When the urge to smoke strikes, look at thebenefits you’re already experiencing.
3. Brush Your Teeth Frequently
One of the immediate benefits of quitting is that yourmouth tastes better and your breath smells better.Brush your teeth frequently. That way, you’ll be less inclined to light up a cigarette and foul that clean, fresh mouth.
4. Avoid Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is one of the most common reasonspeople go back to smoking. There are several reasons why. By breaking down inhibitions, the effect of alcoholcan erode your commitment to quitting. The act ofdrinking alcohol is also associated with smoking for many people, so it may serve as a trigger.
5. Find Your Own No-Smoking Zones
When the urge to smoke strikes, go somewhere where you can’t light up — a movie, the library, or a store for example. The more distracting the location is, the easierit will be to ride out cravings.
6. Remember Your Reasons for Quitting
Write down a list of all your reasons for quitting. Makecopies and post them wherever you spend time — in the kitchen, at the office, beside the bathroom mirror. Be sure they are prominently displayed so that you arereminded wherever you go. Some ex-smokers say they found it useful to put photographs of family and loved ones alongside their reasons.
7. Be Active Every Day
Physical activity offers a powerful distraction fromcravings. When your body is active, it sends out natural chemicals that help your mood and reduce your stress.Walking is one of the easiest exercises for most people, but choosing a variety of activities may help you staymotivated. Especially during the first few weeks afterquitting, set aside time to be physically active every day.
8. Fill Your Calendar
During the first few weeks of quitting, make sure your days are filled with things you want or need to do. Makeplans to eat meals with family or friends. Try to steer clear of smoking temptations. Also include activitiesthat you enjoy. The busier you are, the more distractedyou’ll be from the urge to smoke.
9. Put Something Else in Your Mouth
Part of the urge to smoke is having something in yourmouth. In place of a cigarette, pop chewing gum, hard candy, or a healthy snack in your mouth when the urge strikes. Be sure to have something with you at all times. If you’re concerned about gaining weight, stick withsugar-free alternatives.
10. Secure a Lifeline
Ask someone to be there for you when you needsupport. The best choice is a friend who is also a former smoker who has kicked the habit. But anyone who caresfor you and wants you to quit smoking can help whentimes get tough.
11. Limit Caffeine
Caffeine helps some people get going in the morning and stay alert when they’re tired. But caffeine can makesome people feel tense, jittery, and stressed. These effects can be amplified when you’re in the process ofbreaking nicotine addiction. If caffeine negativelyaffects you, try cutting back to see if it helps reduce your anxiety.
12. Be Alert to Bad Moods
Negative emotions — depression, anger, frustration — are another common reason people go back to smoking.Bad moods happen to everyone. And chances are you’ll experience more than your fair share of negative emotions during the first few weeks of quitting. Find ways to distract yourself. Useful strategies includegetting together with friends or doing something youreally enjoy.
13. Avoid Troublemakers
Although friends and family should be supportive, theyaren’t always. Some people may be threatened by your decision to quit. They may even try to undermine yourbest efforts. If you sense that there are people like thisin your life, avoid them. If that isn’t possible, sit down and explain to them why quitting is so important to you.Ask for their support.
14. Be Patient and Stay on Track
Once you make it through the first two weeks, you’re on your way to a lifetime free of nicotine addiction. But beprepared in case you falter. Remember: one lapse doesnot signal a collapse. Analyze what went wrong. Thenbrainstorm strategies to prevent the same problem fromhappening again.
Source: webmd.com
