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.

Kick that Bad habit

Smoking is a bad habit that is very difficult to give up. It is not only dangerous to the smoker, himself, but to the people around him as well. Once a person becomes addicted, it becomes difficult for him to stop smoking. However, despite all the reminders regarding the bad effects of smoking to health, a lot of people are still drawn into the aroma of cigarette smoking.

People should not have started to smoke. Because as you all know, once you have become dependent on nicotine, it would be very difficult for you to eliminate it from your system. Advertisements have constantly reminded people that cigarette smoking is dangerous to health, yet it is as if they have not heard a single reminder. Well, people who do not admit that they are addicted to smoking have a really big problem.

Smokers who are trying to stop smoking can attest to the difficulty of the process of quitting. Determination and will power are needed in order for one to reach his goal of being a non-smoker.



Most people would say that a gradual cutting down of the cigarette smoking is a good method for quitting. Small steps are taken, one at a time to ensure that the process is going in the direction that is more beneficial to the smoker who plans on quitting.

Preparation Necessary to Stop Smoking

Preparation is necessary when you feel like stopping. Reflect on your reasons for smoking, and take note of when you usually smoke and how you typically go about it. You may want to deviate from your usual smoking habits, and try things that you son not usually do when smoking. For instance, you may want to try new things as a replacement for smoking, like when you are urged to smoke, you may just chew a gum or munch on healthy snacks. Or, if you really want to smoke, you may do so but not with the hand that you usually use when smoking. If you are used to holding the cigarette with your right hand, you may try your left hand instead. You need to learn these things so that you can make a good plan that you can follow as you cut down the sticks you smoke.

The Beginning of the Actual Renouncement

Get rid of all the things that may remind you of smoking. You may want to keep your ash trays way from your view, or you may also, for the time being, avoid people who smoke. This way, you are not constantly reminded of your tendencies to smoke. Think of ways activities that can keep your mind off the idea of smoking. Give yourself a reward when you have not smoked for the whole day, this way your act of not smoking will be reinforced. You may also want to visit your dentist so that you can get your teeth cleaned from all the nicotine that may have stained them.

Living a Smoke-free Life

There may be times when you feel irritated or depressed; these may just be the withdrawal symptoms. You should learn to avoid smoking despite these symptoms. It may be difficult at first but as time passes by, you would realize that it gets easier and better. Think of all the benefits that you may have if you stop smoking - financially, physically and socially.

Stop Smoking : A Friend’s Reminder

Smoking may lead to an addiction; one thing that is very difficult to keep away from your system. Quitting smoking is a very hard process; thus, if your friend is on the process of d

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oing so he will need all your support to do it. Be supportive and encourage him to defeat his urge to smoke. Be there with him as he tries to stop smoking.

Proper Encouragement

As a friend, your encouragement is your best contribution to your friend's rehabilitation. Remember, with the right words said at the right time, you are able to push your friend to reach his goal. But, how can you really give encouragement without sounding too much of a nagger?

Encouragement follows after a person finally decides to quit smoking. Once he has the determination to quit, you step in to give him words of encouragement so that he will not lose his focus. This is the time when you have to let your friend feel that you are with him throughout this process and that you will stay beside him until he finally reaches his goal. Sometimes, words are not necessary anymore – your acts alone may be enough as encouragement.


You also have to remind yourself of the difficulty of the process that your friend is going through. This reminder will let you understand your friend more, and the better you understand his situation, the more helpful you can be. There may be times when your friend may not stop himself from puffing another stick, but you should not use this against him. Instead of criticizing his mistakes, try to remind him of his progress and steer him away from the said errors. You should not dwell on his mistakes, but on how he was able to correct such afterwards.

And though after quitting, addictive substances such as nicotine and tobacco still remain present within the system of someone who has recently stopped smoking. This is what causes relapse. Thus, the process still continues even after a long time, and you should continue to encourage for as long as your friend’s battle with smoking continues.

Process of Quitting

People have their own ways of quitting. Some say that it is better to quit all at once; however, there are still others who believe that it should be done slowly but surely. Slowly quitting would mean that nicotine exposure would be decreased moderately by consuming lesser cigarettes each day.

Really, it does not matter how one chooses to proceed with quitting. Whatever method he chooses, you should always be ready to give him the encouragement he needs. To do so, here are some things that may help you give confidence to your friend who needs to stop smoking:

1. When you talk about progress, stay positive and inspiring by pointing out the instances when he has really surpassed a trial.
2. Talk about his slip ups but refrain from dwelling on the matter.
3. You should support whatever quitting technique he may have chosen.
4. Help him avoid situations which may trigger his desire for smoking again.
5. Continue to be a friend!

You do not need to be licensed counselor to give good encouragement. All you need to be is to be loyal and one who cares for a friend. Just stay with them, back them up and make them feel that they are not alone in their attempt to stop smoking.

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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

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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.

Nicotine Patches to Help You Stop Smoking

Those who try to simply stop smoking face a big pain : withdrawal symptoms. Their bodies, which have been so used to having nicotine in the bloodstream, craves for the same amount. Without the normal dosage - yes, smoking is like a drug that's regularly administered - the smoker's body goes through symptoms familiar to those who quit and took up smoking again : depression, insomnia, irritability, and an undefined sense of something lost.

Website and homebrew remedies details some ways to help the quitting smoker get a hold of himself or herself through the process, so that a relapse will not follow after the decision to stop smoking. One way to help through the process is to use nicotine patches. But one should keep in mind that this, too, like a drug, have conditions for it to work as expected on the quitting smoker. It's not a one-size fits everyone solutions, it's not an overnight magical answer.

The patch reduces craving. Contrary to what some who want to smoke thing, the nicotine patches do not completely eliminate the cravings they go through. Smoking carries with it some physical and mental effects on one's person, and some aspects cannot be handled by nicotine patches.



There are also reported side effects of using patches. Some of them just as unpleasant as not having patches at all, as reported by those who had already tried them. These discomforts include headaches, constant vomiting, stomach pains, and nausea. In some cases, these are the outcome of overmedication using the patches; in some cases these effects are temporary. But it pays to know the side effects before going completely headstrong into nicotine patches. Some who stop smoking did so with out them.

So how does one approach whether you should or should not use nicotine patches to stop smoking?

Step one. Don't just rush into buying the patches themselves. Consult with your doctor if you have medical conditions that may get aggravated when you take patches. You don't want to rake in more medical bills on the off chance you get worse.

Step two. Should your doctor approve, the first application of the patch will tingle a bit, so choose a section of your skin that's got less hair. Also, vary the areas you stick the patch to. Inspect the areas well, they should not have open wounds and rashes. Should you feel any sudden palpitations of breathing changes, go to your doctor and have yourself checked out.

Step three. Mind the doses. Also, note that you may have to try lower doses after maybe two weeks, as your body will have gotten used to them by then. These things vary from person to person. Hence the need to be monitored by a physician through consultations. You may experience a surge in appetite, so bear with it.

Just remember to consult with your doctor before you try the nicotine patch, and to stay in touch during the process. If anyone could simply stop smoking, nicotine patches and other 'remedies' won't be needed. Sadly, nicotine addiction is a medical condition wherein your body craves a substance. So weaning yourself away from the substance by getting less and less of it is key to your decision to stop smoking. In this case, nicotine patches help a great deal in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms.

How to Stop Your Cravings When You Stop Smoking

The attempt to stop smoking is a very difficult endeavor. It entails will power and determination just to be able to control the cravings that may accompany the withdrawal stage. See, as a smoker tries to cleanse his body from the nicotine that he consumes, the body would continue to look for nicotine for it to be able to function properly. This craving will urge the smoker to just continue smoking so that his body needs can be satisfied. This is where his focus and strength of mind should come in. He needs to fight off the urge in order for him to start a non-smoking life.

Some smokers who are on the process of quitting resort to drugs to assist them during the withdrawal stage. Several medicines that are publicized by media are offered to the public to help defeat the urge to smoke; and they are designed to give pleasure to the brain in the same way the nicotine affects the brain. Because of these drugs, the smokers will feel exactly the same feeling as if they had just finished a stick; so as a result, there is really no need for the smokers to actually puff a cigarette.



Despite the help that you may get from drugs, you still have to put in mind that you still need to exert effort in order for you to successfully overcome the temptation to smoke. Be reminded that the first few days of your renunciation would really be the toughest, so you should be prepared to face the difficulty. To be able to do so, you should try your hardest to stay away from things which might remind you of smoking.

For instance, you may want to avoid places where you may encounter a lot of smokers, because you might be tempted to join their fun. For some people, they try to replace a cigarette with healthier foods life cinnamon sticks or celery just to satisfy the need to have something pressed between their lips; and if it is your hands which crave for something to hold on to, try to replace the cigarette stick with a pencil or anything which may take its place. If you are the kind of person who associates smoking with drinking, then you may want to avoid drinking alcohol as well. Keep your mind of the idea of smoking, and keep yourself busy so that you would forget the temptation to smoke.

If despite all your efforts to avoid smoking, you are still craving for a puff, you may want to try these few tricks just to satisfy your longing :

==> Light a matchstick instead of a cigarette, and pretend that it is a cigarette stick that you are holding. This trick may cheat your brain, and it may gratify your urge if it does not, you can always treat yourself with a refreshing bath.

==> Think of why you are quitting, and stay focused. Remind yourself of your objectives, and constantly repeat to yourself that you are strong enough to win this battle against smoking.

==> Do not think that a single stick will have no effect on your struggle to stop, otherwise you might start from the very beginning again.

==> And, do not be afraid to ask for your family’s and friends’ support, because in your journey to stop smoking, you need a strong support system.