BA50 TalkersSo you have made the decision to quit smoking. While this is a big step, it is only the first on a long journey that will involve many ups and downs.
The battle to stay away from cigarettes is often lost by those who don’t have a proper plan in place. Willpower and a positive mindset can only take you so far. One slip up — whether it’s due to peer pressure while having a drink with friends or because of receiving bad news — can send you straight back to square one.
With the right game plan, however, you have the ability to break away from your nicotine addiction and stay away for good. To help you on your journey, here are six steps to add to your plan for quitting cigarettes:
1. Set a Date and Plan
First of all, you need to prepare for the big day. Once you have read this article, you might decide today is the day to quit. However, this might not be the best idea. This is because you should have a strategy in place for when you go cold turkey — this can’t be done if you hastily rush into a quit date.
With this in date, pick a quit date sometime in the future that will provide enough time to fit in all preparations. Just note: don’t schedule it too far away. The reason is it might give you enough time to change your mind about quitting altogether.
As for what the plan should consist of — beyond the other steps listed below — consider the following points:
- Get rid of every cigarette and ashtray in your home
- Sign up to a stop-smoking group in advance
- Pick up oral substitutes such as straws, toothpicks, hard candy, and even carrots
- Tell family and friends about your decision. If any of them smoke, ask them not to do so around you
- Change up your daily activities if any are associated with your smoking habits
2. Utilize NRTs
NRT, an abbreviation of nicotine replacement therapy, is an effective method of kicking the smoking habit for good. In fact, research suggests that twice as many smokers who attempt to quit are more successful with NRTs than those who go it alone.
After all, the strong desire for nicotine is why smokers continue to use cigarettes. With NRTs, they supply your body with a controlled amount of nicotine, avoiding other harmful chemicals residing in tobacco. The eventual aim is that, through the constant use of NRTs, your body will be dissuaded from the need for nicotine.
NRTs can be found in the form of chewing gum, nasal spray, lozenges, skin patches, and an inhaler.
3. Switch to Vaping
Using NRTs can only go so far in satisfying the craving for cigarettes. Sometimes you need to closely replicate the act of smoking.
Enter vaping.
A trend that has risen over the past decade, vaping is seen as an applicable alternative to cigarettes due to the similarities it possesses. Although aside from being simply an alternative, it has many benefits going in its favor. One such advantage is the amount of different flavors available to satisfy all tastes. If you want an example of how many vape juices there are, visit: https://www.zamplebox.com/e-juice
4. Change Your Lifestyle
Changing what you eat and drink can contribute to erasing the hankering to smoke. For instance, foods such as vegetables, fruit, and cheese typically result in making cigarettes taste horrible. Yet simply changing your dining lifestyle can help. If you usually get your nicotine fix right after a meal, you could instead wash the dishes straight away. Removing a ‘trigger’ is a way of battling against the urge to smoke.
Exercise should also have a place in your lifestyle. Simply going on a short five-minute walk can cut down on cigarette desires, and might even assist with your brain developing anti-craving chemicals.
5. Gain Some Support
Any journey is better when you’re not going it alone. This is certainly the case when it comes to quitting cigarettes. While it might be difficult to find family or friends who want to give up nicotine at the same time, working together with the same goal in mind could supply the support needed to ultimately succeed.
If family members or friends are not there to help, consider joining a local stop-smoking group. Not only do you have that support channel among other likeminded individuals, you can also gain expert advice and help along the way.
6. Remember Why You Quit
If you begin to waver and that craving for cigarettes begins to take over, take a moment to remember why you began this journey in the first place. Make a list that details the reasons you quit, place it somewhere important where you can see it when needed, and re-read it anytime weakness strikes. It could mean the difference between succumbing to nicotine, or staying on your path to a cigarette-free life.