Quitting Smoking doesn't have to be a struggle with your will power,
or an endless battle with withdrawal symptoms. To quit smoking
successfully there are several key steps you need to take and several
things you need to look at. Contrary to what most people and 'experts'
think and say, using patches, gums will power and eating celery sticks
will get you nowhere. For more information about smoking cessation products, visit our website today!
Before we look at the ten steps you need to go through to quit smoking we should briefly look at a few statistics.
Studies have shown that only 16% of smokers who use nicotine
replacement therapy (patches and gums etc.) succeed at quitting, and
only 10% of smokers who use will power succeed. Furthermore the people
that use these methods still have to deal with cravings, pangs, nicotine
withdrawal symptoms, weight gain and stress.
Not only that but the will power method usually takes seven attempts
before a successful quit and after six months most of smokers using
either method end up smoking again.
But 84% of people who use nicotine replacement therapy like gum or patches -- or try to rely on will power -- ultimately FAIL!
If you want to quit smoking in the least amount of time with the
least amount of hassle and the least amount of stress, follow these ten
simple but very effective steps.
1. Honestly want to quit - many smokers are being forced to quit by
their families and children, doctors, employers and now the government
with many countries around the world now enforcing a public smoking ban.
As you probably know, these different sources of pressure only make it
harder for you.
It's the same reason that you probably want to strangle them when
they say 'smoking will kill you' or 'you're going to get cancer or ....'
etc. These things have the opposite effect - they combine to make you
want to continue smoking.
So it is important that you want to quit for yourself, yes bear your
children / family in mind but ultimately you should quit for yourself
and the things that YOU will get when you quit.
2. Avoid thinking that you are 'Quitting' or 'Giving Up' smoking -
unfortunately adopting this attitude is as effective as taking one step
forward and two steps back. Think of the words 'quit' and 'give up' -
what do they imply and suggest?
Essentially they both have a negative underlying theme - you are
losing out on, quitting, having to do without, giving up on and denying
yourself something. This 'something' being the things you get from
smoking.
So by saying and thinking that you are 'quitting' or 'giving up' you
are subtly telling yourself and focusing on the things that you are
going to be denying yourself when you stop smoking. It's the same
principle behind the reason that dieting doesn't work - you are denying
yourself the very things that you want, and not only that but you are
constantly focusing on them and longing for them.
The result is that no matter how hard you are trying, you are still
remembering the 'good' things that you are having to do without,
basically you will feel as if you are depriving yourself of pleasure /
relaxation etc.
Instead look forward to the very things that you will get when you
stop smoking, and fully focus yourself and your mind on them. Think 'I'm
stopping smoking and I'm saving an extra $2,000 a year, I smell ten
times better, I can taste my food more fully, I can spend more time on
my hobbies / with my children, I don't have to hide my cigarette breath
from my partner / children / customers and I don't have stand out in the
wind and rain to have a cigarette.
3. Set a Stop Smoking Date - and look forward to a new lifestyle
after that. A problem many smokers have when they set a date is they
don't do anything else other than set a date. Then the date arrives and
they get onto a panic because 'this is it' and they are now under
pressure to stick with it, this panic results in stress - and what do
smokers do when they are stressed? They smoke!
Set your date and smoke without guilt until that date and follow the
steps below to ensure that you avoid the common smoking pitfalls in the
days and weeks before and after you stop smoking.
4. Find the things that make you smoke - your Smoking Links. In
addition to nicotine addiction, there are several other things that make
you smoke. Most of these other things are people, events, situations,
people and emotions.
For example, you smoke when you wake up, on your way to work, after
sex, when you pick up the phone, with your tea or coffee, when you
finish your meal, when you argue with your partner, when you are
stressed, to relax, before you go on a long haul flight, when you meet
your partner's parents for the first time etc. All of these situations
and many, many more, either start with revolve around or end with a
cigarette.
Once you've stopped smoking, these situations and events will occur
again. So you have to remove these things, by breaking the associations,
re-establishing new routines and by finding new ways to achieve the
feelings / satisfaction / result that you used to get from smoking. If
you haven't got a reason to smoke, why smoke?!!
5. Accept that there will be problems - everyday is full of ups and
downs, it's a fact of life. So you should plan on how you are going to
deal with stress and your smoking links. First remember that smoking
will not put out your kitchen fire, fix your flat tire, get you your job
back, fix your argument with your partner, solve your financial
problems, calm your nerves after a car accident or satisfy your over
zealous boss.
You should do two things, firstly find simple yet effective ways to
calm your nerves and reduce stress in a matter of seconds or minutes.
Breathing techniques are a good way but not necessarily everybody's
favourite choice. So take a five minute break, play with a stress ball,
channel your aggression and stress and let it all out in a controlled
manner - e.g. sports, call a friend or close your eyes and forget about
the problem for a minute.
Secondly, make and set aside special time for relaxation and
de-stressing. For example, plan a weekend retreat, set aside half an
hour at the end of every day to go for a run, go to work on a boxing
bag, read a book, take a bath, spend time with your partner / children
with no TV or other distractions.
Know that there will be problems and accept that smoking is no longer
an appropriate way to deal with them, and then find something else to
help you.
6. Find a new hobby / source of pleasure to take your mind off
smoking - this is crucial. Remember the above point about focus and
'quitting' and 'giving up smoking'? Well they don't work because you are
still focusing on cigarettes. So you need to find one or two new things
to focus on.
You need to find something that will:
a). take your mind off smoking
b). replace the pleasure you got from smoking
c). give you something to look forward to
A new hobby or two will do all three of these three things perfectly.
It is very important that you find something or several things that
fulfil all three of these needs. If you don't, you will find yourself
longing for cigarettes and constantly thinking about them.
It's best to have two hobbies, one you can spend half an hour or so on a day (if you look at how much time you spend smoking it's probably about an hour a day) and one you can spend a whole weekend on or several hours at a weekend on. Try to make these hobbies ones you can really get your teeth into and involved in, also don't forget with the money you've saved on smoking now you can manage to spend some extra cash.
In case you really get involved with your brand-new or forgotten hobby you'll show and convince yourself that you could enjoy existence free of cigarettes.
7. Prepare and plan regarding how to PREVENT withdrawal signs and symptoms and putting on weight - fundamental essentials two most typical causes of relapse. Putting on weight and withdrawal signs and symptoms don't have to take part in quitting smoking. The easies methods to prevent these two will be to eat!! But consume the right types of foods.
Withdrawal signs and symptoms are partially because of your body realising it's bloodstream sugar level is very low. Nicotine blocks the discharge of insulin which controls bloodstream sugar levels.
With nicotine in your body - your stores of sugar and the body fats are freed to your bloodstream - tricking the body into thinking you have eaten.
Whenever you stop smoking, insulin is re-released which stops the discharge of the stores of sugars and fats (normally only released whenever you starve) as well as your body realises it has not eaten enough food. Which means you feel irritable and cranky - withdrawal signs and symptoms. Want to know more about quit smoking aids? Visit our website today!
For this reason you consume a lot whenever you quit smoking - because eating naturally feels good - it's comforting as well as since it eases withdrawal signs and symptoms. The main problem is that you simply eat an excessive amount of and put on weight. Why? Because today's foods don't have the minerals and vitamins our body requires, which means you eat excessively to obtain the 'vital' foods that your system needs.
To resolve the issue you need to drink lots of fresh juice (containing the minerals and vitamins your system needs) and take mineral and vitamin supplements and eat plenty of fruit and veggies, and reduce the quantity of unhealthy foods, frozen food and eager what you eat.
8. Whenever your Stop Smoking Date arrives - go 1 hour at any given time and concentrate on the things you will receive from quitting smoking.
If you feel 'I haven't were built with a cigarette since ....' or 'I can't believe I'm able to not have a cigarette again' you're only punishing yourself. Believe that this can be a positive step and alter your focus from cigarettes.
9. Establish new routines - what will you do rather of smoking throughout the 20 or occasions each day whenever you ordinarily have a cigarette? e.g. after coffee, all the time / bar, when awaiting a buddy, when nervous or missing confidence, when bored, once you awaken etc. Break your old patterns of conduct and adhere to your brand new ones until old the situation is re-written without cigarettes.
10. PREVENT relapse - No. one in this task would be to STOP Considering CIGARETTES. Don't place your headaches, stress, sore arm or stress lower to insufficient cigarettes.
And do not lust after cigarettes by thinking such things as - 'Ohhh that cigarette looks soooooo good, she appears like she's really enjoying that, If only I possibly could have one' or 'What can i do if my vehicle will get damaged into or, I separate with my lady etc.'
Another two steps you can take to avoid relapse will be to prevent putting on weight as well as prevent withdrawal signs and symptoms - both of these are often avoided and don'thave to be a part of quitting smoking.
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