We're all hoping that this quit-smoking attempt will be the one that sticks. When we stub out the last cigarette and begin to heal our bodies, we hope to achieve permanent freedom from nicotine addiction.
Fortunately, there are numerous tips and strategies available to help you quit smoking and keep it off. You can ensure your smoking cessation plans are successful by learning what you should (and shouldn't) do when attempting to quit and educating yourself on what happens when you stop smoking.
1. Make a Fool-Proof Strategy
A little planning can help you get into the mindset to quit smoking and gather some tools to help you manage the first week to ten days after your last cigarette, which the American Lung Association says will be the most difficult.
Schedule a physical examination. Inform your healthcare provider that you intend to quit smoking during your visit, and discuss which types of nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine-free quit aids would be most effective for you.
- Find out more about nicotine addiction. Smoking is more than a "bad habit" that you can kick at any time. Nicotine is an addictive drug that alters the chemistry of your brain.
- "Schedule" your departure date. It's best to plan no more than a week or two ahead of time to avoid losing momentum.
- Determine your exit strategy. For example, you could go "cold turkey" or take a more gradual approach.
- Prepare for cravings. Make a list of "craving busters," or activities that you can do quickly to satisfy your desire to smoke. Here are a few examples: Take a walk, drink some water, do a crossword puzzle, eat some fruit, or call a friend.
2. Be Consistent and Patient
It's natural to want to quit smoking and expect to be done with it in a month. That would be nice (very nice!), but that is not how it works.
We are overcoming nicotine addiction (including physical and psychological withdrawal) and letting go of a habit that most of us have carried for many years, if not our entire adult lives, when we quit smoking. It's reasonable to expect that it will take some time to break down the old associations that tied us to smoking and replace them with new, healthier habits.
Remember that quitting smoking is a process, not an event.
Take a seat, relax, and consider time to be one of your best quit buddies. The more time that passes between you and your last cigarette, the stronger you will become. Be patient with yourself and the process.
Test Your Lung with The Short Video Below: -
3. Concentrate on the Present
Nicotine withdrawal manipulates our minds early in the smoking cessation process. We think about smoking all the time and worry that we will always miss it.
Thinking about never lighting another cigarette can be paralyzing for a new quitter. If unchecked, thoughts like this can easily lead to a smoking relapse.
If you find yourself panicking about your smoke-free future, take a deep breath and focus solely on the day ahead of you. Staying in the present requires practice and patience, but it is possible and a great way to maintain control over your quit program.
When your mind wanders ahead or back, consciously pull yourself out of it by focusing your attention on the present moment. Your ability to affect change in your life is present today and will always be. You have no control over what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow, but you do have control over today.
4. Maintain Your Confidence in Your Progress
According to statistics, the average person has approximately 66,000 thoughts per day, with two-thirds of them being negative. It should come as no surprise that many of our negative thoughts are directed at ourselves. Let's face it: we are almost always our harshest critics.
Quitting smoking is a process, and staying positive can help you get through the ups and downs as you work to achieve your quit-smoking goals. Here are a few strategies for staying positive to add to your quit-smoking toolbox.
- Affirmations to quit smoking should be practiced. Find a few positive messages or mini mantras that you can repeat to yourself to help you stay on track to quit smoking, such as "I am strong enough to beat nicotine" or "I choose my health over cigarettes."
- Maintain a gratitude journal. Keeping a gratitude journal makes it simple to develop the habit of focusing on the positive aspects of your life while also reaping the stress-reduction benefits of journaling.
- Use humor to your advantage. Seeking out sources of humor, whether it's a silly video, a hilarious sitcom, or a funny friend, can help you relax and think more positively.
- Be gentle with yourself. Begin paying attention to your thoughts and removing those that do not serve your best interests, such as lamenting the things you cannot change, such as the years you smoked.
- Concentrate on the positive changes. Consider previous quit attempts not as failures, but as lessons to be learned as you work to make positive changes in your life by quitting tobacco now. Action will come more easily if you affirm the positive changes you are making in your life.
- Set your browser to "ignore mode." There will be bad days. Expect it and accept it. Such is life, and such is smoking cessation. On bad days, resolve to put yourself in "ignore mode." In other words, don't dwell on your negative thoughts' atmosphere. Instead, do everything you can to distract yourself and ignore your bad mood.
- Negative thinking should be reframed. When you notice yourself thinking negative thoughts like "I can't do this another day" or "this is too difficult," try to replace them with something more positive like "I'm trying every day" or "this is difficult but necessary for my health."
Long-term cessation always begins with our thoughts.
5. Look after Yourself
Early smoking cessation should be approached with caution to ensure that all of your physical needs are met. Taking care of your body, especially during the early stages of quitting, will help you minimize the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal.
The following advice will help you cope with nicotine withdrawal more comfortably:
- Consume a well-balanced diet. As it works to flush the toxins from cigarettes from your system, your body requires high-quality fuel.
- Get more sleep. Nicotine withdrawal will most likely leave you exhausted for a few weeks. Don't fight it if you're tired. If possible, get more sleep. Nine times out of ten, you'll wake up feeling 100% better the next day, and you'll be thankful that you're still smoke-free.
- Drink plenty of water. Water is an excellent quit aid. It aids in detoxification and acts as a craving suppressant. You'll feel better overall if you stay hydrated.
- Exercise on a daily basis. Exercise benefits both physical and mental health, and it is another effective way to manage smoking cravings. Walking is a low-impact aerobic workout that is an excellent choice3 for those of us who lead inactive lifestyles. Before beginning a new exercise regimen, consult with your doctor.
- Take a multivitamin every day. Cigarettes deplete our bodies of many nutrients4, so for the first few months of smoking cessation, give yourself the boost that a good multivitamin provides. It may assist you in regaining your energy more quickly.
Remember that, while nicotine withdrawal is not a pleasant experience, it is a necessary stage of recovery that we must all go through.
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