Ways to Quit Smoking
A quick search of the Internet revels that there are many ways to quit smoking available, but what are the best ways to quit smoking? And, which ways to quit smoking are better than others?
The answer is relatively simple and straightforward. The best ways to quit smoking are those that work best for you. Before we go on, it is also important to understand that the worst way to quit smoking is to try and stop immediately. This is commonly referred to as quitting cold turkey, and of the smokers that try to quit cold turkey, over 90% of them fail. Think about it, of 10 smokers that try to stop smoking through this method, maybe one will be cigarette free in three months!
Understand What Drives You to Smoke
This sounds simple, but it is actually very important. You see, there are two driving reasons why people smoke:
- They are physically addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. When nicotine enters the bloodstream, it travels to the brain, and interacts with sensors in the brain to create feelings of calm and pleasure. After a short period of time, the brain craves these feelings brought on by nicotine.
- Smokers also have developed a habit of smoking. They turn to cigarettes when they are bored, to take a break at work, when they feel stressed, in the car, after meals, etc.
In order to maximize your success, you must pick ways to quit smoking that will address both your habit and your addiction to cigarettes.
Ways to Quit Smoking that Break the Habit
There are many ways to quit smoking that will help you break the habit. It is important that you pick the ways to quit smoking that best suit you. Here are a few tips that are free and easy to adopt:
- Set a goal. As we discussed, quitting cold turkey does not work for the vast majority of people. Instead, pick a date in the future that will allow you to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke a day to zero. This date should be between eight and 12 weeks in the future.
- Understand when you smoke. This sounds too simple, but it is really important. In order to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke a day, it will be helpful to know when you smoke - in the car, on breaks at work, after meals, when you feel stressed, etc. Take a few days to understand your habit better.
- Develop a plan to eliminate those times when you do smoke. Once you have determined a goal and understand your habit, you need to put together a simple plan that gradually reduces the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Select those times when you smoke and have a plan to eliminate each one of them. For smoking in the car, your plan might look something like:
- Week 1: Smoke only to and from the jobsite
- Week 2: Smoke only to the jobsite
- Week 3: Smoke only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
- Week 4: Stop smoking in the car
- Make your plan and your reason to quit public. By letting your family and friends know what you are trying to accomplish and why, they can assist you in your goal. They will serve as reminders of what you are trying to accomplish, and they will be more understanding if you experience the withdrawal symptoms that are common to smokers trying to kick the habit. These symptoms include irritability, moodiness, anxiety, headaches, and even trouble sleeping.
By following these simple ways to quit smoking, you greatly increase your chances of breaking the habit.
Ways to Quit Smoking that Break the Addiction
While you are breaking the habit of smoking, you will also need ways to naturally break the addiction. There are three primary methods available to you:
- Nicotine Replacement Therapies. These are products that release small amounts of nicotine in the body to reduce the cravings to smoke and the withdrawal symptoms your body will be going through. These products are often available without a doctor's prescription, but smoker's looking to quit often find that they need to use multiple products to help them break the addiction. These products should be used as directed because they can be habit forming.
- Prescription Medications. These are medications that require a visit to the doctor. Success rates usually range between 30% and 45%. However, it is very important that you understand the risks associated with these drugs. They do come with the strongest warning from the FDA because they can cause suicidal behaviors, suicidal thoughts, hostility, and depression.
- All natural herbal supplements. These utilize all natural ingredients to help your body reduce the cravings to smoke. When used as recommended, herbal supplements are not habit forming, they don't require a prescription, and the ingredients are straight from nature.
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