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You know the importance of quitting, you wan to stop smoking, but just can't seem to cut the habit. The following tips will get you on your way to a cigarette-free life.
Set a Quit Date.
Prepare yourself to quit smoking and set a date for your last cigarette. This is the day you will throw out all your cigarettes and smoke no more. Never again. You can work up gradually to this day by reduce the amount of cigarettes you have day by day, or by using patches or gum designed to help you quit. You can also cut cold turkey, which is difficult but often the only way people find it possible to quit for good. How you quit is up to you, if you've tried one method and it didn't work - then try the other.
Make a List of Reasons to Quit.
Write down a list of all the reasons you want to stop smoking. Make sure to list that smoking reduces your life span by at least 12-14 years, along with the importance of being free of a costly and self-destructive addiction. Put this list where you normally keep your cigarettes, so when you go for your smokes you find your list of reasons to quit instead.
Exercise.
Aerobic exercise helps you to relieve stress and fight against nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Start slow, and work your way up to 30 to 40 minute work out sessions 3 to 5 times a week. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which are natural feel-good chemicals, you will naturally feel less depressed, moody and irritable. Exercise also helps to reverse the damage all those cigarettes have done to your body.
Breathing Exercises.
Whenever you feel cravings to smoke, practice breathing exercises. Close your eyes and slowly breath in through your nose, hold for 5 seconds, and then breath out slowly through your mouth. As you do breathe, imagine yourself as a non-smoker. See yourself turning cigarettes down and visualize success in quitting. You'll be surprised how much visualization works!
Drink lots of Liquids.
Keep your body hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. This helps to flush nicotine out of your system and reduce cravings.
Avoid triggers.
Steer clear of whatever makes you feel like smoking (stress, alcohol, work, bars, etc.). Plan alternate things to do in place of smoking when you are put in situations that do trigger your desire to smoke. For example, suck on a lollipop, chew gum, drink coffee or tea, etc. Everyone's avoidance methods differ, do what works best for you. If it means you don't hang out at a bar for awhile, then don't. It's time to stop risking your life by smoking.
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