Tired Of Those Cigarette Cravings? Try These Tips

Aug 1, 2012 by aria99

Looking at a picture of smoker’s lungs may be all you need to quit smoking. When a person smokes, their lungs turn black after a while and they could end up with lung cancer. As harsh as it may seem, viewing the picture may set off a signal in your brain to quit.

If you’re trying to stop smoking it’s important to identify the situations that make you want to smoke and avoid them, or find an alternative activity to do. For example, if you tend to smoke more often when you have a lot of stress, avoid stressful situations. If you smoke immediately after meals, try chewing gum instead. Knowing the reasons why you smoke can help to quit.

If you have quit smoking in the past but started back up, only to want to quit again, this time you need to come up with a plan of action. Write down everything that caused you to relapse in the past so you are better prepared to handle these issues as they arise going forward.

If you experience the jitters when you quit smoking, try drinking less caffeine. Nicotine is notorious for doubling how quickly your body metabolizes caffeine, making coffee more potent to new ex-smokers. If you have not adjusted your coffee intake yet, consider doing so just before you attempt to quit smoking for good, in order to avoid anxiety.

Prepare to say goodbye. Smoking is not a habit, it is a relationship. You will grieve the loss of an old friend. So you need to be prepared to go through the six stages of grieving a loss and parting ways with your smoker self. Think back to how you have said goodbye to things in the past and apply the successful tricks you used then.

Every time you decide to have a cigarette, make it a deliberate decision. Say out loud that you are going to have a cigarette and why. This will help keep you from having those smokes that are more about having something to do than a true craving. Most of the time, having to say it aloud will keep you from smoking it at all.

If you do not want to use nicotine replacement therapy to help you quit smoking, consider asking your doctor for a prescription. There are medications that can alter your brain chemistry and reduce your nicotine cravings. Taking one of these prescriptions may be just the aid you need to get you over the hump.

Stay away from alcohol or other things that trigger an urge to smoke. Alcohol and coffee are a known trigger for smoking, so stay away from them if possible. Also, smokers tend to light up after eating, so find something else to do, such as washing the dishes or cleaning your teeth.

Clean your house. This will give you an opportunity to stay busy. Additionally, you will be able to see the buildup of nicotine and tar on your walls and furnishings. This should discourage you from wanting to start again and purge the trace smells and sights associated with cigarette smoking.

Having a fixed date for when you want to be done with smoking can give you something to focus on. Deadlines often make it easier to achieve a task, and quitting smoking is no different. If you tell yourself that you must quit by a certain date, you will make a greater effort to do so.

If you have a loved one or friend that is trying to quit smoking and want to help them, then you need to provide them with your patience, love and understanding. This is the best way to help them out. If you try to push them, you may make it harder for them to quit in the long run.

Many have quit years ago and have never given in to a craving since, and the tips in this article are all items that have helped former smokers. If you truly want to quit smoking, then today is the day! Use these ideas and you’ll be cigarette-free in no time.

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