You Can Do It! Quit Smoking Today With These Proven Techniques

Jul 25, 2012 by bobo99

Prove to yourself that quitting is possible by reading some success stories. It sounds sentimental, but you might be surprised by how empowering it is to read about how others have improved their lives by quitting smoking. No doubt you will also recognize some of your own challenges in their stories.

One of the best things you can do if you are trying to quit smoking is get support. At times, family and friends are not present or are not able to provide support. There are other resources available including live instant messaging chat, telephone counseling, and support groups. Do some research and find the support that you need.

While it may be difficult, stay away from other smokers while you are trying to quit, or ask smokers to leave their cigarettes at home for a few weeks when they come to visit. One of the biggest triggers for relapse is simply having the opportunity to smoke, so do not make it easy for yourself to bum one off of anyone.

Don’t turn back to smoking during a family crisis. Sometimes the most difficult times in our lives, turn into the easiest times to take a bad habit back up. While you might be tempted to do so, try to stay focused on all the reasons that you quit. Talk to a friend or family member about what you’re going through or even seek counseling if you need to. Whatever you do, don’t reach for that cigarette.

When you’re ready to quit smoking, and have a plan in place to do so, set a firm date after which you won’t smoke anymore. Prepare for the date, and make a big deal out of it. Think of it as the day when you regain control of your life, and make it a joyous occasion.

See your doctor and ask him to recommend a stop smoking program or medication. Only five percent of people who attempt to stop cold turkey, with no help, succeed in their attempt to quit smoking. You need help to overcome the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that accompany any attempt to quit.

Look online for a quit smoking calculator. These calculators are a great motivating tool in quitting. They can tell you just how long it has been since your last cigarette and exactly how many smokes you haven’t had since your quit date. You can also see how much money you have saved since your quit date.

Write down a journal of every time you have a cigarette and what your reasons were for having one. This journal will help you to find out what your smoking triggers are. For some it may be the first morning cigarette, or the need to smoke after a meal. For others, it may be stress. Determining your triggers will help you to figure out a way to fight them.

When you want to quit smoking, you need to be careful to avoid your triggers. There are some activities that your brain will always associate with smoking. For many people, the trigger is drinking alcohol. For others, it is drinking a cup of coffee. Try reducing your alcohol intake or switching to drinking tea while you are attempting to give up smoking.

Don’t worry if you have a relapse. It’s not uncommon for a smoker to try multiple times to quit before they succeed. Always think about what made you relapse, and try to avoid that situation in the future. Decide on a new day to quit, prepare yourself, and stick with it.

As already mentioned, giving up cigarettes is very hard. Learning to stop smoking can be very confusing and daunting for many people. With the right information, the chance of successfully quitting is greatly increased. By following the steps outlined in this article, a person can learn the information they need to quit smoking.

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