Don't Quit Smoking! Immediately Part III
In this third and final post of the series, I will provide you with some additional tips to help you get through these difficult times. I hope that this advice will help as you go about your quit smoking journey.
- The hardest days of your life won’t last for more than 3 weeks, so don’t give up! Things become easier with time.
- Keep up on your nutrition and exercise routines. Lack of physical activity and quality sleep can make it hard to manage cravings over time as well as lead to relapse into depression or anxiety disorders. Moreover, lack of sleep can make the difficult process of quitting harder.
- Keep positive thoughts in mind. You WILL get through this, just don’t give up.
- Write down your goals and plans to support you through this difficult process and keep yourself on track with your quit smoking objectives!
- Find a support system to keep you accountable while staying positive and focused on your goals. Family or friends are there to help you out when needed, so make sure they know how much they mean to you.
- Remember that together, we can beat this! Keep in mind that you have support behind you as well as that others have been through similar experiences before and have overcome the same struggles. Just remember, we all want to quit!
- Staying positive will help you handle cravings as you cannot use cigarettes as a replacement for emotions. When you are not smoking, you will feel different from the moment when you first started smoking: no anxiety, no depression, no mood swings and so on.
- When should I have my first cigarette? Some people start by having a cigarette while they are walking down the street or just thinking about cigarettes – this is too soon and it is hard to know how you feel without having had a cigarette first. Try to go without having a single cigarette for at least 3 weeks. A little more than 3 weeks is better, but if you want to try 5 or 6 weeks, that will be fine too. If you feel urges and cravings, just put them aside until tomorrow.
- Keeping track of how many cigarettes you smoke is really important. You are going to have a lot of cravings at some points during your quit, and knowing how many cigarettes you've smoked will help you determine when to have a cigarette and when not to. It’s very difficult to know if the craving is caused by anxiety or boredom. By keeping track of how many cigarettes you smoke, you can readjust based on your smoking habits. For example, if you smoke 3, 5 or 7 cigarettes a day, it makes sense to have 1 cigarette every 2 hours. So if you smoked your first cigarette at 9:30am, the next one will be at 11:30am and so on. If you smoke 10 cigarettes a day and they are less spaced out (every 45 minutes), then it’s better to have 3 or 2 cigarettes each hour until the same time slot in order to keep the same frequency of smoking but with fewer cigarettes overall.
- Making a plan is important. For example, if you know you will be spending a long period of time without cigarettes, then having a plan for this period of time (that does not include smoking) will make the experience more enjoyable.
- Get rid of all the paraphernalia that are reminders to smoke – everything! Don't keep information about how to quit cigarettes at home such as books, papers or websites. Keep these things in a place where you can turn to when it is convenient for you (e.g. in your car or at your office). This can be difficult and can lead to them influencing your decision making when choosing whether or not to have a cigarette even though they are no longer around.
- The most important thing is that you take control of your life. You can do it! Everyone says you should be able to quit, but it is not easy. You need to set your goals, make a plan for yourself, stick to this plan and work on making it work. Don't hesitate to ask for help – you will feel much better at the end of it. But remember that together we can beat this!
- Remember that you are not alone in this process! Your family will support you through whatever difficulties come up during your quit and they know what they mean to you. Your friends won't judge or try to help in any way other than being supportive (whatever form that might take). And this is the most important thing: you will not be alone and you will never be alone!
- Be sure to tell people you love how much they mean to you. Life is short, don't wait and regret not telling them before it was too late.
- Lastly, but most importantly: have a plan and stick to it!
- Do not use any medication that has nicotine in it. This could make the process of quitting harder for you as well as lead to a relapse. As mentioned before, there are things that can help – see below for more information about quitting aids.
- Don't abuse the nicotine replacement products. They will help you to stop smoking, but it can be difficult to let go of all that nicotine. Nicotine replacement may work in the same way as morphine, a drug which is also used to treat addiction to smokers who have been trying to quit. Smokers who use nicotine replacement gum or patches tend to take less time to stop smoking and may experience a greater reduction in cravings than those on placebo patches or gum.[/ARTICLE END]
A few words about quitting aids:
If you are planning on quitting, there are certain things you should know about these products.
- If you are not a heavy smoker, then using nicotine replacement products is not really necessary. This is because using these products for long periods of time could cause health problems such as heart disease or high blood pressure. If you think this applies to you, talk to your doctor about the best course of action for you.
- Use nicotine replacement gum and patches responsibly. They are available over the counter and some countries allow them to be sold by pharmacies without a prescription. One should be careful when using both their nicotine patch as well as their cigarette to avoid pain in their mouth or headache while they are quitting smoking (e.g. by switching from using cigarettes to nicotine patches).
- The gum and patch create a physical dependence on the chemicals contained in them. If you are planning to use them to quit smoking, it is best not to use them for long periods of time as you will likely have some trouble quitting when the time comes.
- You should talk about your plans for quitting with your family and close friends. The support of those close to you will help you through this difficult process (if they smoke too) or at least keep you from feeling lonely if they do not smoke. (do remember: smoking is very bad for people around you too!)
- Smoking is not only a bad habit, but also a drug addiction.
Conclusion:
Quitting smoking can be a long and challenging process. Many people have quit successfully, but many others have not. Either way, it is something that you should be aware of. The information on this page is only an introduction to the subject. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
Information taken from : http://www.qccmd.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/resources/sites_introduction_to_smoking_cessation_-_the_road_to_success_-_a4-handout-final-1_-0_.