Many people want to get out of the habit of smoking. Smoking is never healthy. It can cause long-term or permanent damage to major organs, including your heart and lungs. Read this article to learn how to end your smoking habit forever.
Plan on using exercise as you quit smoking, not just for the added health perks, but to distract yourself from the desire to smoke. Just getting moving will help you defeat your stress. Do not let your lack of exercise impede you. Start small and move forward from there. Make sure to discuss any exercise routine with your doctor before beginning it.
When you are slowly cutting back on cigarettes to reach a smoke-free lifestyle, ban smoking from your home. The more inconvenient you can make smoking, the easier it will be to quit. If you need to be outside when smoking, you will be less comfortable doing so regularly.
Allow yourself three attempts at quitting. Try to stop cold turkey on your first attempt. You have only a five percent chance of succeeding using this method. However, you might be lucky enough to succeed on the first try. Try to cut back slowly, to make your quit date. If that doesn't work, just go into your third attempt gung ho! Discuss alternatives in prescription treatments, and join a support group.
When you decide you want to quit, it's key to not give up. Quite often, it takes someone a number of attempts to kick the habit before they actually quit for good. If you do experience a relapse, determine why the setback occurred, and renew your commitment to quitting once more.
To assist you with quitting smoking, know that your family will have to join in and help and that they know if it continues you can get very sick. Roughly twenty percent of Americans die from smoking-related causes. You don't want to be another statistic.
When attempting to quit smoking, reward yourself for every milestone that you pass. You can take yourself out to a new movie release after the first week. Maybe after a month, you could go to a nice restaurant you have been wanting to go to. Continue to give yourself a reward in increasing amount to acknowledge your progress until you don't think about the urge to smoke.
Come up with some fun things to do instead of smoking, and keep that list of suggestions handy for when cravings strike. When you get a craving, you won't be as clear-headed to find something else to do, so accessing this list can give you options quickly. Try activities like taking a warm bath, doing crossword puzzles, or taking a walk.
Just stop smoking if you really want to quit. In fact, this is the only possible way to start yourself on the road to a smoke-free lifestyle. Stop smoking, and do not ever pick up a cigarette again. This method of quitting cigarettes is not the easiest one. It has been proven to be very effective, in long term cases.
If you are having trouble resisting the urge to smoke, get someone else in on it right away. This can be a family member or close friend, but you really need to talk with them about your temptations. The time you spend chatting can distract you until the craving passes, and you will feel good knowing that you do not have to experience your struggle alone.
Advise friends, family and co-workers that you are going to stop smoking. If many people know you have stopped smoking they will help hold you accountable. You will not want to disappoint your loved ones or become embarrassed that you keep smoking and fall short of what they expect from you. The fear of failure or disappointment can serve as a positive motivator throughout the process.
Hopefully this article has given you some practical advice to get you ready to drop the smoking habit for good. Remember you must stay strong, and while the choice is for you, quitting smoking helps you stay around longer for your loved ones too.
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