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.”

Plenty of reasons explain why people should quit smoking. The most obvious reason is that smoking is harmful to a smoker’s heath as well as non-smokers who inhale the smoke. Also known as second-hand smoker, this nonsmoker could be your child, parent, or spouse. Would you want them to suffer from the ill effects of your smoking? It pays to quit smoking early on than postponing it so that you don’t compromise your health, as well as that of your loved ones.

It is hard to break the addiction to nicotine. But the willingness to curb the unhealthy habit is strongly recommended so that smokers can prevent the risk of heart and lung diseases, thereby extending their lives by as much as 15 years. How do smokers quit this extremely hazardous habit? There are practical and easy ways to quit smoking. A smoker just needs to focus on that goal for a healthier and worry-free life.

Before you start with the quitting process, ask yourself if you really want to curb your addiction.

Make sure that your reasons for quitting are strong enough to discourage you from smoking when the craving starts to kick in. You must also understand the reasons why you smoke. This will help you determine why you need to stop smoking. Next, set a target date for quitting smoking. Select a date that is the least stressful but at the same time a busy day for you, thus keeping your mind away from smoking. It is ideal to set the date two weeks after you have started lessening your cigarette consumption. Rather than resorting to the cold turkey way of quitting smoking, do it gradually. Quitting cold turkey entails stopping your smoking abruptly. Although quitting cold turkey is very popular, it is the hardest way to stop smoking. It works only for smokers with a very strong will to break their addiction.

You can also seek help from a doctor. Ask your doctor what drugs can help you stop your cigarette cravings. You can also seek advice about issues concerning smoking cessation such as weight gain and withdrawal symptoms.

If you have friends or coworkers who are also willing to stop smoking, then make them your quitting partners. Your quitting partners will serve as your support network. They can help a lot especially in reminding you to focus on your goal. In turn, you can help them quit smoking.

Of course, your home is the best place to find unconditional love and support. Let your family know that you are planning to quit smoking. Your parents or siblings can provide you with advice and constant reminders when time comes you strongly crave for a puff.

Most importantly, have a healthy and balanced diet as well as regular exercise. Following a rigid diet and exercise plan can greatly reduce stress levels aside from making you feel invigorated. Thus, maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle through proper diet and exercise leads to less smoking cravings.

These easy ways to quit smoking, when done faithfully and consistently, will result in your healthier and more active well-being.

When people decide to quit smoking, they just usually think of trying to lessen their cigarettes in a day or they just try to eradicate cigarettes completely. This could be good, but it will be difficult to just do it without any clear cut plans and strategies to help you. This will just usually make you disorganized and could possibly lead you back to your old, bad habit.

This is the reason why you should have a step by step procedure on how to quit smoking. If you do not know where to begin, here are some easy steps to quit smoking.

Accept the fact that you need help because you have a problem. If you do not see smoking as a problem or if you are still trying to defend it and find good reasons for doing it, then you are not prepared to quit. This very first step is important in doing the other next steps.

Decide on your own and stick to your decision.

Fighting an addiction or even a simple habit is all about firm decisions and not letting anyone decide for yourself. You can ask for other people’s advice but the decision should still be up to you. Also, do not constantly change your decision or the ways that you have come up with. To be successful in defeating smoking, you have to be consistent with everything.

Give yourself a deadline. The date should not be too easy such or too difficult. It will be very easy if you set your deadline after 20 years. Or it will be impossible, especially for heavy smokers, to quit right away, say, right now. Your goal should be something attainable. You can set your long term goal of eradicating cigarettes completely after one year and short term goals of decreasing the number of cigarettes every week.

Do not be too easy or too hard on yourself. Be honest with what you can do and what will keep you challenged.

Having cigarettes lying around the house is no good for smokers who are trying to quit smoking. Throw away all temptations. Do not save even one stick of cigarette. Again, be honest with yourself.

Busy yourself with different activities. You can play sports, learn how to sew, start an art and craft project, or put up our own business. Whatever it is, it will keep you away from cigarettes and your cravings because you are focused on other things.

Be optimistic. If you keep on telling yourself that it is too hard and that you cannot do it, then just forget about it. You have to think positive. In doing so, you will have the drive to succeed, instead of always complaining about it.

Never give up. As you have probably known by now, quitting smoking is not going to be a walk in the park. It needs major effort and sacrifice on our part. In those times when you think you cannot make it because of some physical withdrawal symptoms, just think about how far you have come. Don’t allow yourself to let everything go to waste.

Ask your loved ones help and support. Nothing will be happier when they finally hear from you that you want to stop smoking. They will encourage you through difficult times during your whole phase as a rehabilitating person.

Finally, take advantage of your independence from smoking. It is fun to be able to actually do or feel something without having to reach for and light a stick of cigarette. Being able to go through the days without smoking even one cigarette is very liberating.

How can you quit smoking? Patches do not seem to work, gums leave you wanting more and if you go cold turkey then chances of you quitting are virtually nil. Unless you are sent to a desert island with no cigarettes you will not stop.

Many people think they can quit just by saying to themselves they are going to quit and then put the cigarettes away. This is a good start. What normally happens though is that when someone else offers them a cigarette they readily accept and forgot all about quitting, with something similar to. I will quit later. If you are going to quit smoking tell everyone. So they do not offer you any.

Do something else instead of smoking, chew gum or drink a glass of water each time you want a cigarette! Do not eat sweets or food. That is a dangerous road to go down and this is how many people end up putting on weight when they quit smoking.

Not because quitting smoking causes you to gain weight but because they eat food as a substitute for cigarettes.

Exercise. Exercising can give you the same highs you feel as you get from cigarettes. By exercising regularly you can give your brain something else to get a high from and enable you to quit smoking.

Do something different. As you start to smoke the brain rewires itself. Eventually your brain will associate certain activities and times with smoking and this is why you feel cravings at certain times. Whenever you usually smoke make sure the cigarettes are not in reach and do something different like drinking water.