How to quit Smoking

Why is quitting so hard?

The health hazards of smoking are known to us all, but that doesn't make it easier to kick the habit. Quitting can be very difficult, whether you're an occasional teen smoker or a lifetime pack-a-day smoker.

Smoking cigarettes is both a psychological habit and a physical addiction. A transient and addictive high is produced by the nicotine from cigarettes. Eliminating the daily nicotine fixation causes the body to feel signs and cravings of physical withdrawal. Because of the "feel good" effect of nicotine on the brain, as a fast and reliable way to improve your outlook, alleviate tension, and unwind, you can turn to cigarettes. Smoking can also be a way to cope with anxiety, depression, or even boredom. Quitting implies seeking new, better ways of coping with certain emotions.

As a daily ritual, smoking is still entrenched. Smoking a cigarette with your morning coffee, while taking a break at work or school, or on your way home at the end of a hectic day, might be an automatic response. Or maybe your friends, family, or co-workers are smoking, and it's becoming part of the way you interact with them.

You'll need to fix both the problem and the patterns and routines that go along with it to quit smoking successfully. But it can be accomplished. Any smoker can kick the addiction with the correct help and quit plan, even if you've tried and failed many times before.

Your personal stop smoking plan

While some smokers quit by going cold turkey effectively, most individuals do better with a personalized strategy to keep themselves on track. The short-term challenge of avoiding smoking and the long-term challenge of preventing relapse are both solved by a successful exit strategy. It should also be adapted to your personal smoking habits and needs.

Questions to ask yourself

• Take the time to think about what kind of smoker you're, what cigarette moments in your life call for, and why. This will help you determine the tips, approaches, or treatments that might be most helpful to you.

• Are you a heavy smoker (more than a pack a day)? Or is it because you are more of a casual smoker? Will a simple patch of nicotine do the job?

• Are there any behaviors, locations, or individuals that you equate with smoking? After every meal, or if you pause for coffee, do you feel the need to smoke?

• When you feel stressed or down, do you reach out for cigarettes? Or is cigarette smoking associated with other addictions, such as gambling or alcohol?

Identify your smoking triggers

To help yourself stop, one of the best things you can do is to recognise the things that make you want to smoke, including unique circumstances, habits, emotions, and people.

Keep a craving journal

On your habits and causes, a craving journal will help you zero in. Keep a log of your smoking for a week or two leading up to your termination date. Notice the times when you crave a cigarette each day:

• What time has it been?

• How strong has the craving been (on a 1-10 scale)?

• What've you been doing?

• For whom were you?

• How have you felt?

• Since smoking, how have you felt?

Do you smoke to relieve unpleasant feelings?

To control negative emotions such as tension, depression, isolation, and anxiety, many of us smoke. It can seem like cigarettes are your only buddy when you're having a bad day. However, it's important to note that there are better and more effective ways to keep uncomfortable emotions in place, as much comfort as cigarettes offer. This can involve exercise, meditation, techniques for relaxation, or basic exercises for breathing.

For many people, seeking alternate ways to overcome these uncomfortable emotions without turning to cigarettes is a significant part of giving up smoking. The painful and unpleasant feelings that may have caused you to smoke in the past will still exist, even though cigarettes are no longer part of your life. So it's worth spending some time thinking about the various ways you plan to deal with stressful circumstances and the everyday irritations that would usually make you light up.

Tips for avoiding common triggers

• Alcohol. When they drink, many people smoke. Try moving to non-alcoholic beverages or drinks only in areas where it is forbidden to smoke inside. Alternatively, consider snacking on nuts, chewing or sucking on a straw on a cocktail stick.

• Other Smokers. When friends, family, and co-workers smoke around you, giving up or preventing relapse can be doubly difficult. Speak about the decision to quit so that people know that when you're in the car with them or taking a coffee break together, they will not be able to smoke. Find non-smokers in your office to have your breaks with or to find other things to do, including taking a stroll.

• After a Meal. Ending a meal means lighting up for certain smokers, and the thought of giving up may seem overwhelming. You can, however, try to substitute the moment with something else after a meal, such as a slice of fruit, a healthy cookie, a chocolate square, or a stick of gum.

Coping with nicotine withdrawal symptoms

You will possibly experience a variety of physical effects after you quit smoking as your body withdraws from nicotine. The removal of nicotine starts rapidly, usually beginning within an hour of the last cigarette and peaking two to three days later. Symptoms of withdrawal can last for a few days to several weeks and vary from individual to individual.

Popular symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:

• Cravings for cigarettes

• Irritability, dissatisfaction, or frustration

• Nervousness or anxiety

• Trouble focusing

• Inquietness

• Heightened appetite

• Headache

• Sleeplessness

• Tremors Over

• Heightened coughing

• Tiredness

• Stomach constipation or upset

• Depression

• Heart rate decreased

It is important to note, as painful as these withdrawal symptoms can be, that they are only temporary. As the toxins are filtered out of the body, they will get better in a couple of weeks. Let your friends and family know in the meantime that you are not going to be your normal self and ask for their understanding.

Manage cigarette cravings

You certainly can't stop nicotine cravings entirely when avoiding smoking causes will help minimize the desire to smoke. Fortunately, cravings, usually around 5 to 10 minutes, don't last long. Remind yourself that the craving will soon pass and continue to wait for it if you're tempted to light up. By providing ways to deal with cravings, it helps to be prepared in advance.

• Keep yourself distracted. Do your dishes, turn on your TV, take a shower, or send a friend a call. As long as it takes your mind off smoking, the practice doesn't matter.

• Remind yourself that you are leaving. Reflect on the reasons for leaving, including the health benefits, enhanced appearance, money you save, and increased self-esteem (lowering your risk of heart disease and lung cancer, for example).

• Get out of a situation which is enticing. Where you are or what you do could cause the craving. If so, it can make all the difference with a change of scenery.

• Rewarding yourself. Strengthen the wins. Offer yourself a reward to keep yourself motivated if you win over a craving.