Wednesday, February 20, 2013

10 Ways That You Can Stay Smoke Free

Posted by Unknown on 9:03 AM with No comments
By Sarah Freeman


1. Why quit smoking?

So you have come to the decision to quit but do you have enough reason to actually do it? Without the drive and willpower, you do not have chances of quitting. Put down your reasons in black and white and look at it everyday to stay motivated.

2. Decide on time lines

Prepare in advance and decide the day you are going to give up. Let your friends and family know that you are going to quit. Your colleagues at work could also make the difference between success and failure, you are going to need all the support you can get.

3. Take advantage of Nicotine Replacement Therapy or NRT

When you have decided to stop smoking, your resolve may be strong and you may believe you can do it cold turkey. It would however not be wise to take this approach. Most of those who take this approach end up relapsing. This is because nicotine is very addictive and the brain becomes completely reliant on it and the body tends to react to the lack of it with withdrawal symptoms. This can be very frustrating and depressing. It helps a lot to use lozenges, gum and nicotine patches. They could even double your chances of quitting.

4. Find a way to deal with the stress

Having quit-smoking you will notice your stress levels increase. Nicotine is known for it's relaxing properties and one of the reasons why many people smoke. It is a good idea to try and avoid those stressful situations. Relax and cut your stress levels by listening to music, start an exercise program or take up yoga.

5.Avoid Trigger Factors

Some situations may make you really crave for a cigarette. A common trigger is alcohol as most people smoke when they drink. Avoiding the pub or social situations where people could smoke can help. Drinking coffee during breaks may also trigger the urge to smoke. Have a lot of water to beat this and to help detox the body. Try to stick to other drinks that are free of caffeine as well.

6.Reward Yourself

There are several health benefits of quitting smoking. There is also the financial benefit of all the money that one will save. Put it all together and see how much it all adds up to. It will serve as a reminder of all the money the habit was costing you. Take it and reward yourself with a treat for your decision to stop smoking and your resolve to stick with it.

7. Keep the weight at bay.

It is hard enough to quit without the fear of gaining weight. Quitting increases the appetite. Keep your weight under control by making the effort to eat wholesome foods while keeping away from those that are high in fat and sugar. Take a lot of vegetables instead of chocolates or other sweet snacks, snack on fruit instead.

8.If at first you don't succeed....

Relapsing after trying to quit the first time is fairly common. It may even happen a number of times. Do not give up or despair but go back and think about what keeps you from succeeding. You will be stronger next time when you are facing the hurdles. Set a new date and recommit to quitting.

9. Join the group

It helps a lot to get all the support possible in order to quit smoking. Ask a health care provider like a doctor or pharmacist to direct you to a support group. They are very effective at helping people to quit. There are also online forums that you can log onto any time you need to get support. You can find others in the same position and you can help each other to stay strong.

10. Lastly, keep the faith

If you believe that you can do it, then you can succeed at quitting and you can stay smoke free forever. Having doubts will bring your resolve down. There are times when the going will be really rough but you need to keep telling yourself you can do it. Fight the temptation and stay positive. Just keep thinking that you really can do it and you will.




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