9 Tips to Help You Kick the Habit and Quit Smoking

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably already thinking of quitting. What are your reasons? Do you even know why? Simply saying that smoking is bad for you isn’t good enough. To get yourself motivated to quit, you will need powerful, personal reasons to do so. Perhaps you’re doing it for your family, or to protect your kids from secondhand smoke. Maybe health problems or the thought of lung cancer scares you. Whatever your reasons may be, establish at least one that will help you get through.

No. 1: Get Support

Quitting isn’t at all a walk in the park. Before you embark on your journey to ending this addiction, inform your friends, family and co-workers. This is especially important if you belong to a social circle with other heavy smokers. Let them know your reasons why, and engage their support and encouragement. Joining a support group or talking to a counselor can also be helpful. Some counselors may even propose the possibility of behavioral therapy, which is a form of counseling that gets you to identify and stick to strategies that help you quit smoking.

No. 2: Keep the Stress Down

Ask any smoker and he or she will second the idea that smoking aids relaxation. Truth is, it isn’t the act of smoking, but rather the nicotine contained in cigarettes that eases stress. After depending on nicotine for too long, it is only natural for smokers to turn to cigarettes when things get a little too tough to handle. The solution to this is finding an alternative way to cope with stress. It can be a trip to the spa, listening to music, going for a walk, or talking to someone. At best, avoid stress during the first few weeks of not smoking.

No. 3: Don’t Go Cold Turkey

If you’re thinking that simply dumping your cigarettes and calling it quits is going to work for you, think again. Going completely cold turkey will not be easy. Most smokers who try to quit without the help of medication, therapy, or support end up relapsing because of their addiction to nicotine. Once your brain becomes addicted to nicotine, withdrawal symptoms are bound to occur in its absence.

No. 4: Know the Triggers and Avoid Them

Apart from stress, there are certain situations and activities that may aggravate the urge to light up. Some smokers will agree that alcohol is a common trigger, while others may name coffee as another. Drink less alcohol, switch from coffee to tea, chew gum, brush your teeth after meals – you name it. Identify the triggers that increase your cigarette cravings and avoid them whenever you can.

No. 5: Try Nicotine Alternatives

The reason why it’s so difficult for smokers to end their addiction is the alkaloid we call nicotine. The sudden and complete abstinence from nicotine can cause you to feel depressed, frustrated, irritable, and restless. While it’s ideal to do away with it entirely, using nicotine-replacement alternatives will help manage these felling better. Nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches have also been proven to double your chances of success when complemented with behavioral therapy.

No. 6: Spring Clean

If you’ve been smoking long enough, your house should be reeking of strong cigarette odor. Wash your curtains, mop the floor, clean the carpets, change the bed sheets, and toss out all ashtrays and lighters. Once all of that has been done, use air fresheners to rid that familiar scent of smoke and make your home conducive for quitting. Try thinking of it as a new beginning, your time to start afresh.

No. 7: Get Active

As dreadful as it may sound, physical activity can be extremely beneficial for those who are trying to quit smoking. Getting active helps reduce your nicotine cravings and eases withdrawal symptoms, making the process of quitting less of a bumpy ride for you and those around. So, whenever you hear your brain crying out for a puff, give it a breath of fresh air instead.

No. 8: Reward Yourself

If motivation alone doesn’t do the job, what you might need are incentives. Set goals and reward yourself whenever you achieve them. For a start, you can put aside the money you save from not smoking. Watch your savings grow day by day, and then finally treat yourself to something fun at the end of every week.

No. 9: Keep Trying

Quitting isn’t very straightforward. Anyone who tries beating this addiction will very likely experience multiple relapses. Many smokers end up trying several times before managing to give up successfully. With every failure, reflect and examine what went wrong, how you felt, and improvements you can make. Don’t feel disheartened if you trip, slip and stumble. Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn and do better the next time.