3. Consider Nicotine-Replacement Therapy
When you stop smoking, nicotine withdrawal may give you headaches, affect your mood, or sap your energy. The craving for “just one drag” is tough. Nicotine-replacement therapy can curb these urges. Studies show that nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches improve your chances of success when you’re also in a quit-smoking program.
4. Learn About Prescription Pills
Medicines can curb cravings and may also make smoking less satisfying if you do pick up a cigarette. Other drugs can ease withdrawal symptoms, such as depression or problems with concentration.
5. Lean on Your Loved Ones
Tell your friends, family, and other people you’re close to that you’re trying to quit. They can encourage you to keep going, especially when you’re tempted to light up. You can also join a support group or talk to a counselor. “Behavioral therapy” is a type of counseling that helps you identify and stick to quit-smoking strategies. Even a few sessions may help.
6. Give Yourself a Break
One reason people smoke is that the nicotine helps them relax. Once you quit, you’ll need new ways to unwind. There are many options. You can exercise to blow off steam, tune in to your favorite music, connect with friends, treat yourself to a massage, or make time for a hobby. Try to avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking.
7. Avoid Alcohol and Other Triggers
When you drink, it’s harder to stick to your no-smoking goal. So try to limit alcohol when you first quit. Likewise, if you often smoke when you drink coffee, switch to tea for a few weeks. If you usually smoke after meals, find something else to do instead, like brushing your teeth, taking a walk, texting a friend, or chewing gum.
8. Clean House
Once you’ve smoked your last cigarette, toss all of your ashtrays and lighters. Wash any clothes that smell like smoke, and clean your carpets, draperies, and upholstery. Use air fresheners to get rid of that familiar scent. If you smoked in your car, clean it out, too. You don’t want to see or smell anything that reminds you of smoking.
9. Try and Try Again
Many people try several times before giving up cigarettes for good. If you light up, don’t get discouraged. Instead, think about what led to your relapse, such as your emotions or the setting you were in. Use it as an opportunity to step up your commitment to quitting. Once you’ve made the decision to try again, set a “quit date” within the next month.
10. Get Moving
Being active can curb nicotine cravings and ease some withdrawal symptoms. When you want to reach for a cigarette, put on your inline skates or jogging shoes instead. Even mild exercise helps, such as walking your dog or pulling weeds in the garden. The calories you burn will also ward off weight gain as you quit smoking.
11. Eat Fruits and Veggies
Don’t try to diet while you give up cigarettes. Too much deprivation can easily backfire. Instead, keep things simple and try to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. These are good for your whole body.
12. Choose Your Reward
In addition to all the health benefits, one of the perks of giving up cigarettes is all the money you will save. There are online calculators that figure out how much richer you will be. Reward yourself by spending part of it on something fun.
13. Remember That Time Is on Your Side
As soon as you quit, you start to get immediate health benefits. After only 20 minutes, your heart rate goes back to normal. Within a day, your blood’s carbon monoxide level also falls back into place. In just 2-3 weeks, you will start to lower your odds of having a heart attack. In the long run, you will also lower your chance of getting lung cancer and other cancers.
What about a proven and effective harm reduction technology... electronic cigarettes. 'One study from 2014, conducted by a team of researchers at University College London, examined the cessation efforts of roughly 6,000 smokers. That study discovered that the use of electronic cigarettes was more effective than nicotine replacement tools like the patch or nicotine gum – as well as so-called “cold turkey” efforts to quit.
ReplyDeleteThat study focused on surveys of former smokers who had quit tobacco use between 2009 and 2014, with adjustments made to reflect the study group’s various demographic differences. When those adjustments were in place, the study revealed that electronic cigarette users were 60% more successful in their efforts to end their smoking habit that those who used nicotine patches, gum, or nothing at all.
The study’s senior author, Professor Robert West, referred to his and other efforts to discover the potential uses of e-cigarettes as cessation tools as something that could potentially have a positive impact on the lives of millions of smokers who have struggled to quit their tobacco habits. It should be noted that West has never taken even a dime of money from electronic cigarette manufacturers – something that should inoculate him from any suggestion that his study results have been bought in any way.'
Good point....but they don't want to hear that.
ReplyDelete