Posted by Nikoletta Ventseslavova

Read this for: Ideas to quit smoking that really work

Mark Twain said “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”

Health and medical associations regularly run anti-smoking campaigns on TV, on websites, on radio stations, in magazines and on billboards, warning us about the health risks smoking causes. We are familiar with slogans like “Smoking kills”, “Cancer cures smoking”, “Tar the roads, not your lungs “and “The Marlboro Man Died of Lung Cancer”. However, that doesn’t make kicking the habit any easier. Regardless of the type – lifetime pack-a-day smoker, or a teen smoker – quitting can be tough. Smoking is a cruel psychological habit and a physical addiction. Once it enters in our lives, smoking turns into a daily ritual, giving us a temporary dosage of nicotine we get addicted to.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention each year in the USA 438,000 smokers die from smoking-related illnesses including lung cancers and cardiovascular disorders. Despite these horrible statistics and a high probability of leaving their family alone and unsupported, many smokers are unable, or unwilling to put an end to the habit. Statistics indicate that 70% of smokers want to quit and that 40% make a serious attempt to quit each year; but each year fewer than 5% succeed in quitting permanently.  The few who do succeed do so because they truly want and need to do it. We are intelligent creatures and we are capable of winning too if we decide to. In order to increase our chances of success, we need to be highly motivated and to know very well what to expect.

How to overcome the bad habit

Prepare yourself

Begin by changing your attitude. Try to be positive and stop thinking this is hard to achieve. Instead, think of the benefits of giving up. Admit to yourself that your body is going to experience physical cravings and withdrawals for 1-2 weeks. Be aware of the fact that most relapses occur during the first week after quitting , when nicotine cravings are still too strong. Thus, use the social support of your family and friends, they will help you pass through the battle and you won’t feel alone. Some useful tips here:

-  Make smoking unpleasant by switching to an unpleasant tasting brand, low in nicotine for a couple of weeks before the “last cigarette” day and try to change your smoking behavior. Reduce the number of cigarettes and don’t inhale them more deeply than your old brand and don’t smoke more of them. The main goal here is to get used to a lower level of nicotine.

- Decrease the number of cigarettes step by step. Decide how many cigarettes you will smoke during the day and light up the first one an hour later than usual . Start by delaying each subsequent cigarette by 20 minutes.

-  Start changing your habitual smoking hours. For example, if you smoke after lunch or dinner, replace it with a chewing gum and light up a cigarette in the afternoon.

-  Stop buying cigarette value packs. Wait until one pack is empty.

- Practice going out without cigarettes when you usually have them and smoke in circumstances, which you don’t find pleasurable. If you like smoking with friends, or colleagues, start smoking alone, for example.

Find out why you smoke

Some of the most common reasons why adults smoke are stress, nervousness, fatigue, boredom, loneliness or fear. After something bad happens we automatically light up a cigarette, thinking it will relax us. Actually, it does not. We have to change our habits. We need to realize that there are healthier and more effective ways to control unpleasant feelings, like exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, or simply breathing exercises. In addition, it is important to get enough sleep and rest more, in order to avoid fatigue. After that identify and address your smoking habits. Ask yourself what feeds the nicotine dependency: is it the social environment, or the alcohol, or the fear you will gain weight; or because you are worried of getting a smoking-related disease? It is a good idea to list all the reasons and repeat those 10 times every night, or every morning in order to maintain high motivation levels of quitting the bad habit.

Make a quitting plan and set a quit day

There isn’t a recipe to stop smoking. There isn’t a magic medicine – pill or method that makes it easy. Most smokers use the cold turkey strategy – they stop completely, at once, with no nicotine replacement. Others cut down the number of cigarettes step by step and after the quit day they use nicotine substitutes in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

The next important step is to pick a quit day. This depends on your individual character. If you need more time to rationalize and change your mind, take it. But, if you think that this can diminish your motivation, choose a closer date. An idea here: make a strong, personal commitment to quit on the day you’ve chosen, by picking up a date with special meaning, or the date of the Great American Smoke out, or New Year’s Day. Remember, that if you have planned to use a prescription drug, you will need to schedule it with your doctor in time for your quit day. (For example, Zyban and Chantix are taken a full week before the last cigarette.) Some useful tips here:

-  Mark the “last cigarette” day on your calendar

-  Tell all your friends and relatives about your last day of smoking and promise them to accomplish your goal. Ask them to support you, especially the smokers!

-  Throw out all the cigarettes and ashtrays from home and place of work and maintain a fresh, nonsmoking environment.

- Think back to past attempts to stop smoking. Figure out what didn’t work.

-  Keep active and busy; don’t let boredom to conquer you. Try walking, exercising, going out with your dog, call a friend, go bike riding, etc.

- Drink lots of water and fresh juices – they will help your body get rid of the nicotine. Reduce alcohol and coffee – they are always associated with a cigarette.

-  In the first week after the quitting day, stay away from places where you are tempted to smoke. Later you will be able to handle temptation with more confidence.

-  Rewards – every week, put aside all the money you usually spend for cigarettes and buy a present for yourself. You’ll be surprised how much you can buy.

Stay still, avoid withdrawals

In order to overcome cravings, we need to identify the illogical rationalizations, which come to mind when we are weak. Heeding them may justify smoking and pull us back to the bad habit. It’s crucial to learn to win over phrases like “I wasn’t smoking that much”, “One cigarette doesn’t matter”, “Life isn’t fun without a cigarette”, “Air pollution is probably just as bad”, “Grandpa John smoked for 50 years and lived 90 years”, etc. Look out for them and when they appear, write them down . think of the reasons which drove you to quit. Be ready with techniques to distract your attention. Other good ideas:

- Occupy your hands and do something to reduce stress (hobbies like needlework, puzzles; a hot/cold shower; dancing, listening to music, jogging, reading, singing, etc.)

- Breathing technique: when you feel a craving, take a deep breath and feel how your lungs are filling with fresh air. Think again of the reasons for quitting.

- When you feel you are about to light up, wait at least 10 minutes. This simple trick will help you overcome the urge to smoke.

-  Use substitutes you can put in your mouth like: nicotine gum, apples, raw vegetables or seeds, even a coffee stirrer.

Weight gain

Many of us are concerned about gaining weight. In fact, pounds pile because we eat more once we quit smoking. Of course this depends upon the individual. I know people who have quit without putting on weight. Nicotine and tar are appetite suppressants and also they increase the metabolic rate. Smoking causes the liver to release glycogen and increases blood sugar level. When smokers quit, their senses of smell and taste improve and their metabolism decreases. As a result they burn less calories. The good news is that the metabolism rate reverts to normal within a few weeks. To read more about healthy diets, follow this link: Forget about fad diets, nutrition is what really counts

What if a slip occurs?

Remember that there is a difference between a slip and a relapse and you can control it.  A slip is a one-time mistake that is quickly corrected. A relapse is going back to smoking. We can go back to smoking or find out what went wrong and renew our commitment to stop smoking for good. Even if you do relapse, don’t get discouraged. In fact, very few people are able to quit on the first try. Most people make several attempts before they succeed. What’s important is figuring out what helped you when you tried to quit and what worked against you.