There are a multitude of serious reasons to stop smoking – from the increased risk of lung cancer to the damage to your loved ones health that second hand smoke can cause – but there is never an easy time to quit.
Stopping smoking, breaking a habit that may have been with you for many years, will for most people be incredibly difficult.
When you have got to the stage when you actually want to stop smoking you might find that will power alone is not sufficient, so here are a few tips that will help you quit the habit – which will not only improve your general health, but will also save you the cost of smoking and eventually healthcare that can come with a lifetime habit. Personal healthcare quotes are of course much cheaper if you’re not smoking.
Before quitting it is a good idea to compile a list of your specific reasons for stopping smoking. These can range from saving money for a luxury item that you have always wanted, improving your general health and fitness to helping prolong your life after the birth of a child.
When the inevitable itch for a cigarette does creep up on you, refer to your list and remind yourself of why you are quitting. Cravings are difficult animal to tame and your brain will often play tricks on you in its attempt to get you to top up on the nicotine it craves, so consulting your list of reasons will remind you why you stopped in the first place.
For a lot of people, especially in their place of work, a cigarette represents a break from your day. Once you have quit there is no reason to stop this, so take some time for yourself. Perhaps spend the 5 minutes you would have normally spent smoking going for a quick walk around the block, drinking some fruit juice or doing a crossword.
This will help take your mind off the time when you would normally have been smoking and replaces it with something constructive.
It also pays to remember that failure is not the end. Many smokers who attempt to give up will relapse at some point, so do not be too down heartened if you start up again. Take a look at some anti-smoking adverts – they might put you off!
The first week of quitting smoking will always be the most testing and if you can get through this difficult time it is vital not to lull yourself into a false sense of security. That ‘one puff’ after a couple of drinks will more often than not be the first step on the slippery slope back to a regular habit – so once you have stopped, never ever take ‘one little drag’ again.
