5 Easy & Healthy Tips to Stop Smoking

how do you stop smoking

Cigarette smoking is injurious to health. Anti-smoking advertisements first started in the late 1960s and have been a significant global campaign ever since. Whether it is a motion picture or an advertisement; cigarette smoking scenes always come with a statutory warning that it is cancerous.

There are multiple health risks involved due to cigarette smoking and it has been proven numerous times. Despite public awareness, it is difficult to suddenly wake up one day and stop. Smoking is mostly done to cope with anxiety, stress, boredom, and even depression. To stop a daily habit is tough, but to stop an addiction is challenging. Sudden withdrawal leads to craving, weakness, mood swings, sweats, etc.

The battle against cigarette smoking is won halfway when you decide to quit and work on your routine and habits. Take a look at the following easy tips to follow to quit smoking.

1Involve your family and friends

The best way to initiate this journey is to intimate your friends, family, colleagues, etc. Most of the time, it is due to your social circle that influences you to smoke. It is important to address daily habits and routines but more importantly, you must make a declaration so that they can support you through this journey.

Firstly, your peers who smoke would not offer or invite you to smoke. Secondly, your family members would stop you from smoking or distract you from craving for it. The journey is challenging. However, constant support and encouragement from people around you will make all the difference.

2Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

Nicotine is the core addictive agent in cigarettes. This is the reason behind the shocking and discomforting withdrawal symptoms after you quit. With NRT, you are provided a small quantity of nicotine sans the toxic agents that are found in tobacco cigarettes.

Symptoms like nausea, insomnia, cravings, mood swings, etc., can be regulated and controlled through Nicotine Replacement Therapy. It is available in the form of lozenges, patches, inhalers, sprays, and gums.

Patches work slower compared to lozenges, gum, inhalers, and sprays. However, the effect lasts for a longer time. Mostly, the latter is recommended for intense cravings. Instead of using a single NRT product, a combination of NRT products is mostly advised.

3Dietary changes

Every addiction withdrawal syndrome has an indirect connection with your diet. The same is the case with smoking. A study revealed that most people like to smoke a cigarette after a heavy meaty meal. On the other hand, foods like vegetables, fruits, and cheese do not make you crave a cigarette.

Another study revealed that smoking after a meal increases the risks of lung and bowel cancer. Therefore, swap your filet mignon with a fresh veggie pizza.

Also, regulate the consumption of fizzy drinks, alcohol, and caffeine-rich beverages like coffee or tea. These drinks enhance the flavor of cigarette smoking. Therefore, opt for fresh juices or water while you are out clubbing or meeting friends for meals.

Another habit to adopt should be to engage immediately after your meals. You could either sit with your family to talk or do the dishes. Anything to distract you from craving for an after-meal puff.

4Therapies & Support Groups

There are a number of things you could rely on to distract and heal yourself. Indulge in therapies like acupuncture that is known to release endorphins that relax the body. This would help in controlling withdrawal symptoms.

Another great tip is behavioral therapy, which helps an individual adopt a new lifestyle and learn new habits and skills. Good habits come from adopting a healthy lifestyle and ritual every single day.

Hypnosis is another great way to have you relaxed and determined to quit smoking. Consult expert hypnotists who have experience in a similar case like yours.

Nothing is better than spending time with people who are sailing on the same boat as you. Join a support group that would help you quit smoking and stay motivated to stick to this new journey.

5Make a list of reasons to quit

The life expectancy of a smoker cuts down ten years shorter than non-smokers. So, motivate yourself to stay determined by listing reasons that would make you give up smoking, whether that’s starting a family, becoming an athlete, or both. List them as reminders to keep going.

All in all, the above tips would help you give up smoking once and for all. Remember to stay positive throughout the journey. It would be best if you stay determined and go slow and not go cold turkey.

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Author: Dustin Jensen

Disha is an author and the editor at PCR Smoke. She enjoys writing and educates people to maintain a healthy and safe lifestyle.