Health Blog

There’s no doubt that quitting smoking can be one of the most daunting challenges you’ll ever face, but you may be surprised to know that it doesn’t exactly have to be torturous, either. There are plenty of aids that can help you quit smoking with less discomfort, like nicotine replacement products, hypnosis and more.

But one of the most powerful techniques is already in your possession, whether you know it or not! This technique is one that you already use every single day of your life. You use it when you’re sick, when you’re feeling great, and when you’re working through challenges. It can make all the difference between success and failure, no matter what you’re doing at the time.

What is this technique? Self-talk.

Don’t dismiss it – when you really think about it, self-talk is truly powerful.

Have you ever accidentally talked yourself into being sick? Perhaps you woke up with a slight headache, then spent the morning telling everyone that you didn’t feel good and by the end of the day you were not only suffering from a much worse headache but also body aches and other symptoms? On the other hand, perhaps you can remember experiences where you talked yourself into being well too.

Using self-talk to help yourself through the stages of quitting smoking is not only simple, it works! Your thoughts have immense power to shape your perception of everything that happens to you.

What do you think would happen if you quit smoking and then complained mentally about it the whole time? “This sucks.

I want to smoke, but I can’t. It’s not fair that other people can smoke but I can’t. I’m so sick of these cravings already, how am I going to make it through a few more weeks like this? I can’t do this. Maybe I should wait until I’m less stressed…” On and on it goes – and before you know it, you’ve talked yourself into smoking again!

On the other hand, you can use this same type of self-talk to HELP yourself through your quit.

Here’s how to do it:

When you wake up on your first day as a non-smoker, you’re likely to experience some feelings of anxiety. You might have thoughts like, “Oh, that’s right, I’ve quit smoking. Man, I really want to smoke. Maybe I should quit tomorrow instead…” As soon as you become aware that you are thinking thoughts like this, immediately turn it around. Say with confidence, “Today is going to be a GREAT day! I have officially quit smoking and I feel better already. (take a deep breath) It’s so good to be able to breathe again, and it’s going to get even better as I go along!”

Throughout the day, periodically say things like this to yourself: “I’m doing really GOOD at this! Not smoking is actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I’ve had a few cravings, but nothing that I can’t handle. I can handle anything if I really set my mind to it. I’m so proud of myself.”

When you do experience cravings, simply talk yourself through them. “Okay, I’m having a craving. It’s just a feeling and it will pass. Having a craving doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it. If I just ignore it, it will go away on its own. I’m okay. This is manageable, I can handle it.”

These are just examples of some positive self-talk that you can use, but feel free to improvise. You could also be a little more aggressive, like this: “I refuse to give in to your call, nicotine! You will not beat me. I’m stronger than you are, and I’m proving it every time I refuse to smoke.”

The important thing is to avoid using negative self-talk because it will simply push you back toward the desire to smoke again. If you catch yourself thinking or speaking negatively, turn it right around and affirm how great you feel, how strong you are, and so on. In no time at all, you’ll really start to believe it.

As the old saying goes, “You are what you think.”

Electronic cigarettes have found their appraisers across the globe. One can easily quit smoking with this electronic device which is beneficial not only for smokers but also for those who are affected by passive smoking.

Every day campaign against smoking and its related dangers that started few years ago has forced a huge proportion of public to quit this ill habit. Chain smokers are trying hard to quit this bad habit and are looking forward for cigarette cessations. Many companies have taken the benefit of the moment and have started manufacturing products which can be used as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Right from nicotine patches to nicotine gum, smokers have been using every damn thing, but of no use.

However, are totally different from the league of normal cigarettes and their alternatives. These are known to give the exact same feeling like traditional cigarettes and resemble the later only in looks. Otherwise, the feel of electronic cigarettes gives the same excitement to the smoker which they get after smoking a traditional cigarette. Electronic cigarettes emit artificial smoke which is not at all harmful for the smoker as it does not contain nicotine. An user of electronic cigarettes inhale nicotine in vaporized form which resembles to smoke but doesnt contain any carcinogenic agent or tar, ash and carbon monoxide.

Most of the electronic cigarettes comprise a cartridge containing liquid nicotine. On being inhaled, a tiny battery powered atomizer turns this liquid nicotine into vapor. This gives the user a nicotine hit within seconds as compared to the hit from nicotine patches or gum. When the user inhales a electronic cigarette, a small LED light glows orange at the tip to give the feel of an original traditional cigarette.

Nicotine cartridges in various electronic cigarettes vary along with the standard strengths. Leading e cig brands, such as best electronic cigarettes are available in minimal strength, half strength and full strength.

Electronic cigarettes are specially designed and developed for the people who really want to quit smoking. Once you start smoking electronic cigarettes, you can gradually minimize the strength until you quit.

Why electronic cigarettes are better than any other smoking alternative? You have got one reason for that and that is it gives nicotine hit much quickly. The other reason why smokers are not comfortable with patches and gum is the fact that they still miss the habit of puffing smoke from a cylindrical cigarette.
Not only this, electronic cigarettes are also helpful in saving money. You can buy a set of five nicotine cartridges for less than which is equivalent to 550 cigarettes. You might find this wastage of money as the initial investment in an electronic cigarette kit, but in the long run, it only saves money.

I would like you to remain cautious of the Chinese imitations of electronic cigarettes that have flooded the market. These are half the price of any branded e cigarette and look exactly similar to any genuine e cigarette but as these are not tested, I advise you to keep these at bay.

Are you trying to quit smoking and wondering if you really have it in you to give up such a powerfully addictive drug? There is no doubt about it, most smokers have to try several times before they are able to quit once and for all. If it has been a while since you last tried to quit, or if you have never tried to quit, you should take a few moments to look into all the different methods to quit smoking cigarettes.

First, there is the “cold turkey” method. This is the old-fashioned way of doing it, and requires a lot of willpower and strength and determination. Quitting cold turkey means you make the decision to quit one day, and you just do it, with no outside help. Some people are successful with this method, but most find they need some sort of help to quit.

Next, there are the smoking-cessation products put out by the drug companies.

Generally referred to as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), these products are designed to wean you off nicotine. They contain nicotine and are used instead of cigarettes to help you steadily decrease your dependence on smoking. They come in different forms such as gum, lozenges, and patches.

Also, you may want to try one of the “alternative” methods such as hypnosis or acupuncture. Some people are quite successful with these methods, while others are not. Similar to acupuncture, is a newer method called quit smoking laser therapy, which relies on stimulating certain areas of the body to reduce the craving for nicotine long enough to get you over the major withdrawal period. Some folks, too, can benefit from a combination of herbs that can help you quit.

There is now even an injection – yes, a shot – that you can get at your doctor’s office that may help you say goodbye to your dependence on smokes forever. Imagine – no more counting the minutes until your next smoke break and no more getting out of breath by climbing a flight of stairs.

There are endless good reasons to quit smoking, including reducing your risk of cancer, heart disease and early death. Despite these well-known risk factors, however, many smokers find themselves needing a more personal reason to want to kick the habit; possibly because the threat of “maybe” contracting a deadly disease just doesn’t seem likely (the old, “it will never happen to me” syndrome).

This article is going to share some easy steps to help you come up with your own powerful, compelling reason(s) to quit smoking once and for all.

1) First, take a few moments to jot down on a sheet of paper the negative aspects of how smoking makes you feel. You can include actual physical problems like shortness of breath and fatigue; as well as feelings like embarrassment that your clothing and hair may stink; feeling like an outcast stepping outside to smoke while everyone else stays inside socializing and having a good time; or even your fears, like dying young and leaving your children before your time.

Write down as many reasons as you can, and try to make them reasons that really matter to YOU – not just what other people have said to you or you’ve heard others say before.

2) When you’re done with your list, look it over carefully.

Read each item on the list, and really think about how it feels to experience that situation in your daily life. Now choose the top three reasons that are most repulsive to you and circle them.

Take another sheet of paper and write a longer description of each of those three items. For example, if one of your top reasons was “to not die young and abandon my children”, write a paragraph or two about why that is important to you.

How would it affect your children if you died before your time? How will your smoking impact them, now and in the future? Will your smoking addiction encourage them to smoke later in life? Continue writing until you feel you have identified your core reason for wanting to quit smoking. This may seem like a morbid exercise, but it can be incredibly powerful. Being a smoker for a long time desensitizes you to the true long-term effects of smoking. This exercise jars you out of the haze of denial.

Now go through this same process for the other two important reasons on your list.

3) When you’ve got your three descriptions written, read them over again. Now take a final sheet of paper and write a description of the opposite outcome. When you do quit smoking, what will happen instead of those other experiences? For example, you might write that you will be around to love your children and grandchildren for many years to come, your kids will be really proud of you for quitting, they’ll be blessed with a healthy, strong parent that has the energy and stamina to play with them, and so on.

Do this for all three reasons you described earlier.

Carry these lists with you and read them slowly each day, really paying attention to how they make you feel. With enough repetition, you will actually begin training your brain to view smoking as an unpleasant, dangerous activity – which will make quitting easier when you decide it’s time.

While this may not remove the discomfort that comes along with nicotine withdrawal, it will certainly help you to stop seeing smoking as a harmless activity and instead see it for what it is: a true threat to your health, happiness and longevity.

If that isn’t enough reason to quit, what is?