2018 New Year's Resolution: Quit Smoking |
Posted: January 19, 2018 |
If you are like many other people who is looking ahead to New Year, there is a good chance that you want to tackle better health habits. This is one of the most frequently pursued goals in the new year and quitting smoking is a popular one because many people recognize the health risks associated with smoking on a regular basis. Even when you know the health risks, this does not make it any easier to kick a hard to break habit. Whether you are a pack-a-day smoker or a person relatively new to the smoking scene, quitting could be tough because you may have developed a strong addiction to nicotine. However, with the right game plan you can break the addiction and join millions of people who have freed themselves up from the habit of smoking forever. Is this the year you finally curb the bad habit? Set yourself up for success with the tips below. Developing A Personal Stop Smoking Plan You need to think carefully about your individual circumstances before articulating a plan for breaking your smoking habits. First of all, consider whether or not you have a very bad addiction. Stronger addiction such as people who are smoking more than a pack a day may struggle with the basic nicotine patch. Furthermore, consider whether or not you are using e-cigarettes, which can also pose potential dangers. Many people tend to use e-cigarettes as one way to transition out of a traditional smoking habit but this can come with its own set of risks as well. The most important thing to do to generate a stop smoking plan is to set a quit day. Choose a date within the next couple of weeks so you have enough time to prepare without losing the motivation to quit. If you smoke primarily at work, it is a good idea to quit on the weekend so you already have a few days of your new smoke-free lifestyle to help you adjust to this change. Telling other people can help you remain accountable when you are thinking about quitting a bad smoking habit. Letting family, friends and coworkers in on your intentions to quit can help you with additional support when you need it. Anyone else who is looking to quit smoking is an excellent accountability buddy when you are looking to curb this bad habit. Anticipating and planning for challenges that you may face over the course of quitting is extremely important to avoiding many of these problems. Removing cigarettes and other tobacco products from your car, home or work may take some time but it will be especially valuable during those weak moments when you are tempting to reach for another cigarette. You might also wish to talk directly with your doctor about getting help to quit. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication that will help with the withdrawal symptoms. Other alternatives can also be recommended by a physician that will make it easier to stick to your new habit. Knowing your own smoking triggers is another powerful way to recognize when you are most likely to cave in. Think about all of your previous smoking behavior and when and where it occurred. Think about hits over the last couple of weeks to identify your common triggers. Many people, for example, smoke to relieve overwhelming or unpleasant feelings. It may seem as though cigarettes are the only comfort that can be provided to you during these difficult days. However, there are other ways that you can replace a smoking addiction with a healthier one such as meditating, exercising and using simple breathing exercises. Finding alternative ways to handle these difficult feelings is extremely important if you intend to succeed with your decision to quit a smoking habit. Even when cigarettes are no longer part of your daily life, the unpleasant or painful feelings and experiences may still be there. Other common triggers may include alcohol, the behavior of other smokers and the end of a meal. Doing as much as possible to control your schedule in the immediate aftermath of choosing to discontinue your smoking habit is very important. The more you can structure your days and set yourself up for success, the easier it will be to avoid temptations. If you are in the same situations that frequently triggered you to have a cigarette in the past however, you are much more likely to struggle. Many people find that the challenges they experience over the course of choosing to stop smoking have to do with the physical symptoms as their body withdraws from nicotine. Withdrawal from nicotine begins quickly, usually within one hour of your last cigarette and it will peak a couple of days later. If you are currently experiencing this several days after you have stopped smoking and discontinued all nicotine use, this is completely normal. Bear in mind that your withdrawal symptoms may vary from another person's and that they may come and go at various times. For example, withdrawal symptoms can last up to several weeks and will look different from one person to another. The most common withdrawal symptoms, however, include:
Avoiding smoking triggers might help put down your urge to smoke but it will not enable you to avoid these cravings completely. Cigarette cravings, thankfully, do not last long so try to wait it out whenever possible. Having a plan to cope with cravings is extremely helpful. This includes reminding yourself why you quit, distracting yourself, rewarding yourself for situations in which you can overcome cigarette cravings and removing yourself from tempting situations. Many people who have struggled with smoking and discontinuation of this habit in the past have found support in the form of:
All of these powerful tools can make a big difference in your decision to discontinue smoking.
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