Want to Know the Effective Way to Stop Smoking?

We are creatures of impulse, desire, poor long term planning, and all the bad traits companies rely on to make their sale. But if you've ever made a painful decision to say no to buying something, in exchange for some long term gain, you know what a mature delay in gratification can benefit you. Opting to save for tuition instead of buying designer jeans is a good example So is opting to stick with your crappy-looking buy efficient cellular phone, instead of getting a shiny and sleek iPhone. So is the decision to stop smoking to prevent medical complications from happening to you, and costing you tons of dollars; not to mention preventing you from living a healthy life.

If you've been following the logic of the foregoing, then you already have a clear picture of what it takes to stop smoking. The best way to do it is to fully understand giving it up costs you, what not taking part in that hip and addictive habit will end you up with, and how much discomfort, for a time, quitting would mean, physically, emotionally, mentally.

Will power is the best way. The problem is this method requires your soul to understand, to want to stop smoking altogether. A pregnant mother decides to quit drugs when the medical checkups showed her baby was declining in health while in her womb. A father goes gambling-sobber after his eldest straight-A daughter failed to pay her student loans. A single mom decides to devote more time at home, and leave her night life, when she notices how much her son needs her.


We just need to find a reason

Our will power will provide the strength to get us through our nicotine addiction. It will not be easy. And those who try to quit end up relapsing unless they are convinced, to their bones, that they want to quit. Maybe not for themselves, but for the sake of someone else. A son, a mother, a husband.

Those who go through this, suffer the pains of withdrawal, and emerge addiction-free, report that they feel like having been a different person when they had their addiction. Different from the person that emerged from the addiction. Like it was all a bad dream, or memories of a person just trying to make do with her naive worldview.

The thing about quitting smoking through willpower is that you need no rationalizations. You stop smoking because, insert reason here. And you see that reason as inevitable, as true regardless of anyone else who listens to you. Like a mathematical fact. True, regardless how much you rationalize against it, whine about it.

You will receive all sort of discouragement. Most people have smoking buddies and the media is filled with ads encouraging a life incomplete without a puff. But these will not hamper you if you know in your bones you want to quit because you have to. Not want to. That there are compelling reasons outside one's selfish circle of reasons that demand you to be better than who you are.

So if you want some non-hypocritical reason to stop smoking. There it is. Find a reason. The methods won't matter as much as long as you will is convinced you have to quit. You will emerge a better person for this.

How to Deal with Habit Cravings

Many smokers have been smoking cigarettes for the past years, or even decade. Smoking has become a part of their everyday routine, from the moment they get up from their bed

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

in the mornings up to the time that lie down again for a goodnight sleep. Just imagine how difficult it would be for them to stop smoking, a long-time habit in their routine, when they have been doing it for quite some time already. This is the reason why when they decide to quit smoking, they still have some cravings from time to time; and at times give in to the urge.

Usually, smokers have really allotted a portion of their time for smoking alone. And even without time, they can multi-task and perform their other jobs while they puff a stick. Just a few minutes is what they need to be able to finish one cigarette, and they can make sure that they have just the time to do so.


Smokers can use all the excuses they can get just to be able to puff a cigarette. You may see some people driving their cars with one hand holding a stick while the other holds the wheel. There are also times when you see a smoker light up a cigarette after a stressful event. When people are having fun, dancing in the clubs, drinking alcohol, they too smoke. And the most common time when people smoke is right after a satisfying meal. When they are too full to do other things, they smoke because they feel that it helps them digest whatever they have eaten.

People who smoke can do so every time they feel like doing so. They may bring up excuses like stress, boredom, peer pressure or just the usual “it’s a part of me” excuse. The bottom line is that they have these urges and cravings which they feel should be satisfied right then and there. Smoking must have really been a part of their life.

But, if smoking is really a part of your life now, how would you handle these things when you have finally decided to stop smoking? The act of quitting alone is a difficult task, but the part where you have to eliminate a practice from your usual routine is a lot more difficult. However, if you are really determined to live a healthier non-smoking life, you will have a way to do so.

You may try to do other things in substitute for smoking. Some people who have tried quitting may recommend you to chew a gum instead of lighting a cigarette. The important thing is that you have something to keep your mind off the idea that you are craving for a stick. You may try munching and chomping on unsalted sunflower seeds, or you may also try going for a walk when you feel like smoking. As you fight the urge to smoke, you will realize that It will become less harder for you to refrain from smoking the next time your cravings kick in. Trying to stop smoking is not an easy thing to do, but with the right motivations and with sufficient support from others, you can reach your goal and have a healthier lifestyle.

How to handle the URGE NOT to smoke ....

Your artillery. There are several weapons that you can use in your fight to quit.

EACH OF THESE WEAPONS WORK- THEY HAVE BEEN PROVEN !

You may use one, all, or a combination of several to achieve your g

Image via Wikipedia

oal.

1. Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and exhale as if you had just taken your first puff on a cigarette.

Part of the feeling you get from smoking is a direct result of taking a deep breath. A deep breath allows you to take in a maximum amount of oxygen, and exhaling lets out large quantities of carbon dioxide. This results in a feeling of relaxation. Try it, you'll see.

2. Take a sip of water several times during this five minute period.

It can help to diminish the need to smoke, and gives you something to do with your hands. The extra water will also help to flush the nicotine out of your body.

3. Put something in your mouth that has no calories, such as a stirrer, toothpick, or another substitute for a cigarette.

4. Get busy with something, anything, to keep you busy for the next five minutes.

5. As long as it does not lead to a craving, chew a piece of gum or a piece of hard candy. Life Savers work well.

6. Get up and move around for five minutes. It will help the urge to smoke to pass.

7. Use a nicotine patch as replacement therapy.

NicoDerm CQ STEP 1 Clear Nicotine Patches

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

Sometimes the best thing we can do when craving a cigarette is to simply redirect our attention to something different and interesting. Nine times out of ten, the urge is gone within moments. Our thoughts color our lives, so if you find that yours are taking you places you'd rather not go, take charge and shift your focus.

The following list was generated by forum members. Thanks to all who contributed!

1. Read a book.
2. Wash the car.
3. Wash the dog.
4. Go for a walk.
5. Knit a scarf.
6. Do a crossword puzzle.
7. Take a nap.
8. Call a friend.
9. Post a message here
10. Play with the cat.
11. Turn the bathroom into a spa and do all those beauty treatments.
12. Listen to a relaxation tape or some favorite music.
13. Go to a store and get a free make-up session.
14.Give yourself a manicure and pedicure.
15. Try out a new hair-do
16. CHEW SOME CLOVES!
17. Go to the movies.
18. Hang out at a mall.
19. Do a jigsaw puzzle online at Jigzone.com
20. Breathe deeply!
21. Swig down some ice water.
22. Jump on a treadmill or go to a gym.
23. Give someone you love a huge hug.
24. Plant some flowers.
25. Do some exercise - swimming, aerobics, yoga, etc. Great for releasing endorphins (feel good factor) and relieving stress (physical and mental).
26. Work out how to post a picture in the forum!
27. Take up a new hobby/interest - channel your thoughts into something constructive and interesting.
28. Work in the garden.
29. Retail therapy with the cash you saved from not smoking.
30. Suck on a piece of TART candy (Jolly Rancher is my personal favorite).
31. Slather on a rich, creamy hand lotion and rub, rub, rub! It keeps fingers busy, and reminds you how nice it is not to have tobacco stink on them.
32. Eat a popscicle.
33. Floss and brush your teeth.
34. Make-out with your special someone! Hubby hated kissing me when I smoked, but now he LOVES it. Soooo, when the urge strikes and he's within kissing distance, I plant a big one on him!
35. Chew gum.
36. Chew a toothpick (shiny teeth).
37. Spend time with a kid.
38. Give yourself a treat every day of your quit - not matter how small.
39. Spend an hour filling the paddling pool in the garden on a gorgeous sunny day, only to find that the kids would rather play on the computer.
40. Play several games of Internet Scrabble, and hopefully win one!
41. Walk in an old graveyard with the man you love.
42. Get your jammies on early, and park yourself in front of your computer for the night.
43. Build a REAL closet
44. Hang the sheetrock on said closet.
45. Do the mudding, taping and sanding on that closet.
46. Paint the closet.
47. Add the doors to the closet.
48. And last...when the real closet is finished, create THE CHOCOLATE CLOSET on this site.
49. Hang on dearly to a caramel apple sucker.
50. Sing loudly.
51. Practice smiling in the mirror (releases endorphins)!
52. Make lists of pros and cons of smoking.
53. Find gross smoking disease pictures.
54. Play with Silly Putty.
55. Whistle "Don't Worry - Be Happy."
56. Get a camera, and take some pictures.
57. Write a letter (you know...on paper).
58. Clean OUT the closets.
59. Crank up the radio and sing at the top of your lungs (works great for driving craves).
60. Crank up the radio and dance like no one is watching.

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking (Distract Yourself and the Urge Will Pass...)
By Terry Martin, About.com

5 Quick Stop Smoking Tips

1. Don’t smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again.

Smoking “low-tar, low-nicotine” cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.

2. Write down why you want to quit. Do you want to—

Feel in control of you life?
Have better health?
Set a good example for your children?
Protect your family from breathing other people’s smoke?
Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good—they’re very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.

3. Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke.

There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever you need to succeed.

4. Half of all adult smokers have quit, so can I !! That’s the good news. There are millions of people alive today who have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take.

5. Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support.

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