Top Tips For Giving Up Smoking
Top Tips for Giving Up Smoking. Always wanted to quit smoking, then here's your big chance! Follow the guidelines of Videojug, and you'll soon be smoke-free. give up smoking in no time!
-
Step 1:
-
DECIDE TO GIVE UP AND THINK POSITIVE
-
Before you actually stop smoking, think positively about the benefits, for you, your friends and family.
-
90% of smokers say they want to stop for the sake of their health.
-
And for men smoking can be a cause for becoming impotent.
-
The senses of taste and smell are dulled by smoking .
-
And it has long been acknowledged that non smokers live longer, healthier lives than smokers.
-
Most people choose to give up for health reasons: it's hard to be fit when you get out of breath or have a persistent cough. As more and more people are giving up, you may well find that more of your friends are non-smokers than smokers.
-
Step 2:
-
DESTROY ALL CIGARETTES
-
Throw away or destroy all cigarettes and any other smoking paraphernalia.
-
If you really want to kick the habit, you've already overcome the first hurdle.
-
Even if you have some cigarettes left, seize the moment and throw them away. You will feel stronger in your resolve when you do this.
-
Step 3:
-
GET HELP AND SUPPORT
-
There's a lot of support available for people wanting to
-
quit smoking and the first step could be to see your doctor.
-
You can also find lot of support on the internet and some of the organizations dedicated to helping smokers kick the habit are:
-
ASH, a public health charity;
-
and QUIT, an independent charity.
-
In the United States there is Quit Smoking
-
and an Australian site is Quit Now.
-
Smoking help lines and email motivational support are also available on these sites.
-
Here are some of the many websites available:
-
www.givingupsmoking.co.uk
-
www.quit.org.uk
-
www.ash.org.uk
-
www.quitnow.info.au
-
www.quitsmoking.about.com
-
The NHS helpline number is 0800 169 0 169
-
Step 4:
-
KEEP A SMOKING DIARY OR LOG
-
To help you fully understand your smoking habit and addiction keep a smoking diary or log.
-
Write down the times and places when you smoke and what you are doing, who you are with.
-
This will be vital information as you give up smoking, helping you to avoid those moments when you know you will want a cigarette.
-
Step 5:
-
CONSIDER NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
-
NRT helps with nicotine withdrawal and is available in the form of patches, lozenges, chewing gum, nasal spray and inhalers.
-
Figures show that it roughly doubles your chance of success. Taking a small amount of nicotine allows you to reduce your dependence whilst taking the edge off your desire for a cigarette.
-
Step 6:
-
ASK DOCTOR ABOUT ZYBAN
-
Zyban is a new prescription drug. It takes away the buzz of smoking and many smokers stop within two weeks of taking it.
-
Currently, Zyban is available only on prescription, so you will need to visit your doctor in order to find out about this.
-
Step 7:
-
TRY ACUPUNCTURE
-
If you don't mind needles, why not try acupuncture? It really isn't painful and some smokers have found it very valuable in the fight to give up.
-
Acupuncture has been used successfully in China for thousands of years.
-
Although you may feel nervous about acupuncture, it really doesn't hurt.
-
Acupuncture patients report a drop in their desire to smoke.
-
Its use is growing within the NHS and it is a safe treatment if carried out by a trained practitioner.
-
Step 8:
-
TRY HYPNOTHERAPY
-
Many ex-smokers have used hypnotherapy to help them quit.
-
Hypnotherapy bypasses the conscious, busy mind to plant suggestions in your unconscious to support you in giving up.
-
Step 9:
-
CHOOSE BEST METHOD FOR YOU
-
Only you can decide which method is the best for you. You may like to try a variety to see which you prefer. There is no one right way. What matters is to use whatever works best for you.
-
Step 10:
-
PREPARE YOURSELF MENTALLY
-
When you decide to give up, it can be very helpful to start thinking of yourself as a non-smoker, so that you have a positive frame for your efforts, and feel that you are becoming something new, rather than giving up something that you used to have.
-
It can be useful to feel that you want to give up, rather than feeling that you ought to give up.
-
Step 11:
-
DON'T SABOTAGE YOURSELF
-
Don't sabotage yourself by falling for any of the common myths that smokers tell themselves, such as …
-
SMOKING CALMS ME DOWN
-
Smoking really doesn't calm you down: it sets up a cycle of anxious desire which is satisfied only briefly by having a cigarette, before it starts up again. When you give up, think how much more satisfying it will be to get off this treadmill altogether.
-
THE DAMAGE TO MY HEALTH IS ALREADY DONE.
-
Sometimes people think that they have already damaged their health, but in fact the body begins to recover from smoking immediately: you breath more easily; your risk of serious disease begins to fall; your circulation improves.
-
ITS NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO GIVE UP
-
You can always find a reason not to give up today, so don't let any of those put you off: you have to let yourself know that now is the right time for you and say to yourself “right, that's it, I'm giving up right now”.
-
IT WILL RUIN MY SOCIAL LIFE
-
More people don't smoke than do smoke, so join the majority.
-
I'LL PUT ON WEIGHT
-
Although you may gain weight in the short term, it's only temporary, and you will be able to lose it again. Anyway, it's worth gaining a little weight for the rewards to your long-term health when you give up smoking.
-
Step 12:
-
GET FRIENDS AND FAMILY INVOLVED
-
It's good to ask your friends and family for support. Let them know what you're doing and how they can help you. They're likely to be pleased that you're giving up, and will do what they can to help.
-
Step 13:
-
DO THINGS THAT MAKE SMOKING DIFFICULT
-
Find things to do that make smoking difficult, like cycling, washing the car, doing an exercise class, going to places where nobody smokes. You will find that keeping active takes your mind off smoking.
-
Step 14:
-
AVOID STIMULANTS
-
It may seem hard, but try and stay away from alcohol, coffee, sugar and other stimulants at least for the first week, maybe or longer. They lower inhibitions and throw your willpower off balance – and they tend to be associated with smoking and relaxing.
-
Step 15:
-
DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF
-
Don't underestimate how tough it is trying to give up. Recognise that and get professional help and support.
-
If you do smoke, just see it as a natural part of the process of giving up, and try not to have another one.
-
Don't beat yourself up if you slip up and have a cigarette. Just don't get it out of proportion, or use it as an excuse to start full-time again. Let it go and just carry on with your new life as a non-smoker. Take each day as it comes.
-
Step 16:
-
CHANGE YOUR HABITS
-
Find something else to do with your hands and mouth to replace the habitual activity of smoking.
-
Reach for something else rather than a cigarette. Chew gum or eat vegetable sticks, and drink lots of water.
-
Learn to do things differently to support your motivation
-
towards a new life.
-
Step 17:
-
AVOID TRIGGERS
-
At least to begin with, you may find it easier to avoid the people, places and activities that you associate with smoking.
-
Some people find it helpful to avoid the pub for a while, and you'll find resisting temptation is simpler if you keep it at arms length, so don't go to the smoking room at work, for example.
-
Step 18:
-
HAVE YOUR TEETH CLEANED
-
Many smokers have teeth that are yellowed by nicotine. You may like to visit a dental hygienist to have your teeth cleaned and enjoy a whiter smile than you are used to seeing in the mirror.
-
Step 19:
-
DEEP BREATHING STOPS CRAVINGS
-
Many people report that deep breathing is a useful technique for reducing cravings. Focusing on your breath as you take a slow in-breath, pause, and let the air out of your lungs slowly, will clear and calm your mind.
-
Exercising also makes you breathe deeply, refreshing the body and relaxing the mind.
-
Step 20:
-
REWARD YOURSELF !
-
Put aside the money you used to spend on cigarettes and use it to reward yourself. You may be surprised to find out how much you save, and you deserve a reward for all the effort you've put in.
-
We hope that VideoJug's top tips to stop smoking prove useful to you.
-
Good luck.