Below is a list of tips and useful bits of information to help you stay focused as you decide to quit smoking and as you progress towards being nicotine-free. As well as using these suggestions you will also benefit from joining quit smoking program. It will assist you to put these suggestions into practice and will guide you through the quitting process so that you can be smoke free. 1. Within two hours of your last cigarette there is no more nicotine in your blood. 2. 40% of 'slip ups', in trying to quit smoking, happen in the first three days. 3. Within six hours of quitting, your heartbeat slows down and your blood pressure drops a little. 4. It's important to want to quit and to be confidant that you can. 5. Set a quit date (choose a day when you won't be under too much pressure) and start preparing. 6. Think about when and why you smoke and plan ahead for difficult situations. 7. Deal with your cravings with the four Ds - Delay, Deep breathe, Drink water and Do something else. 8. Without nicotine your body absorbs more caffeine - so try to also cut back on tea and coffee if you drink these. 9. Ring a supportive friend if you are experiencing troubles associated with quitting and need encouragement - plan the possibility of these phone calls with your friend ahead of time. 10. Each craving lasts only a few minutes. Don't let this be the day that you blow it. 11. You'll be less short of breath and your staying power will improve. 12. You will be feeling and smelling fresher, your tastebuds will come alive and you'll enjoy your sense of smell as it returns. 13. Reward yourself with the money you've saved. 14. If you've slipped up and had a cigarette, that's ok - most people take three or four goes to finally quit. Start the process over again. 15. Quitting reduces the risk of heart disease, bronchitis, emphysema, stroke and asthma attacks, as well as many other health problems. 16. Change your routine so that you don't automatically reach for a cigarette out of habit. 17. At first, try to spend more time with your non-smoking friends. 18. Put your cigarette money in a jar and save it as a reward. 19. If you are feeling tense, take a walk, jog, visit the gym or listen to a relaxation tape. 20. Practice saying "No thanks, I don't smoke." 21. For snacks stick to healthy foods such as fresh fruit and bite-sized vegetable pieces. 22. Ask your family and friends to support you while you quit. 23. Find new activities and ways to use your increased energy. 24. Avoid stressful occasions where cigarettes will be available, particularly around alcohol. 25. When drinking, especially if you smoke when drinking alcohol, try to hold your drink in the other hand, to remind you that things are different and your cigarette hand is occupied. 26. If you are beginning to think that "just one wouldn't hurt", try a diversion like a walk or call a friend. 27. The most dangerous thought is "I'll just have one." 28. You may feel as though you have lost a friend, but really you have lost an enemy. 29. It is important to be clear about your reasons for quitting, as these will motivate you to persevere. 30. Remember that the sooner you quit, the sooner you'll feel the health and financial benefits. It would be a good idea to read through that list a few times. Perhaps you could print it off and read it a couple of times a day when you need to boost your quitting-power. You can also join a quit program. They are able to provide information, support and assistance as you go through the quitting process. Assisting the body's natural cleansing as it begins to recover from smoking is an excellent idea and failing to do this probably accounts for a large number of relapses in smokers who try to quit a number of times before being successful. Some herbal protection from Echinacea or Garlic and extra vitamin C would be wise. Specific cleansing support is also an excellent idea. You can discover how to support you body as it changes to become smoke free and how to assist in the removal of toxins from your body safe colon cleansing. Dr Jenny Tylee is an experienced health professional who is passionate about health and wellbeing. She believes that health is not just absence of disease and seeks to actively promote vitality and wellness through empowering others. She encourages people to improve their health by quit smoking, cleansing their body, taking essential, non contaminated vitamin and mineral supplements (from healthproductssite.com) and many other methods, including herbal remedies. She also owns Healthy Living blog. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Jenny_Tylee |
Friday, November 16, 2007
Quit Smoking - 30 Tips To Help Smokers Quit
Friday, November 9, 2007
Quit Smoking - Quitting Smoking Through Willpower
Why is it that some people can just put down cigarettes and others struggle with it? Do these people have more willpower? Are they super human? No, it has to do with the level of addiction. For most smokers, willpower, alone, is not enough to keep them from lighting up again. Before you go out and buy a smoking cessation product, placing all your faith in that patch or piece of gum, beware, because, alone, they're not enough either. A good smoking cessation program is a combination of many different factors and willpower does play a huge role. Even the most comprehensive smoking cessation program will fail without willpower. Conversely, willpower will often fail without a good program. Is this a catch 22 situation? Sort of. For most smokers, the need for a cigarette and negative thoughts about never smoking again override even the strongest will, patch or inhaler. There are several key things that go into making a good smoking cessation plan and you won't find most of them in a package. The first step to quitting is a true desire to quit smoking. Without this desire, everything will fail. You'll think, wistfully, of the taste of a cigarette, the feel of the smoke, the sensation of that first cigarette of the day. A desire to quit, to lay the things down for good, is required to get past these feelings. Don't quit for others, don't quit because you know it's bad for you; quit because you want to be free of that dependence, that ball and chain that a cigarette represents. Positive and negative reinforcement play large roles in quitting, as well. Those words have been bandied about until they've lost most of their original meaning. They've become catch phrases that most people don't really think about, but the importance of these techniques remains valid. Everyday, run down a mental list containing the positive aspects of not smoking. Focus on the smell of flowers, the ease you draw air into your lungs, the extra time gained with friends and family. Draw up a list of negative ideas about smoking. Focus on the smell of stale cigarette butt, the stench left on your hands and clothes after smoking, the money thrown down the drain on each pack of smokes. A good smoking cessation program combines mental exercises like those above with willpower and nicotine replacement therapy found in patches, gum and inhalers. Using all of the available tools will greatly increase your chances of quitting for good. Don't feel bad because you've failed to quit through willpower alone, but don't fool yourself into thinking willpower and mental exercises have nothing to do with quitting. Heather is a regular contributor to How I Quit Smoking and Family and Health Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_D_Brown |
Quit Smoking - Quit Smoking This Year
In case you are a smoker and have tried at least once to quit, you know what a nightmare quitting is, at least the first few months without cigarettes. so, how can you quit smoking and still get a normal life, without feeling the permanent need to smoke and without feeling that something is missing from your daily routine. To quit smoking is not an easy thing to do. First of all, nicotine creates addiction, and even if you are convinced that smoking is bad and want to stop buying cigarettes, you will feel the physical need to smoke. However, you need to know that nicotine creates the least addiction out of all the addictive substances, so you can quit smoking. Some people try to quit smoking by using nicotine patches. These might work, but in some cases, these patches only create a nervous state and give no results, the craving for a smoke growing bigger. If you have negative experiences linked to nicotine patches, you can try something else. The most important thing is to be convinced that you really want to quit smoking. If you are not 100% convinced, you might not be able to succeed and become a more ardent smoker. No matter how you put it, smoking is bad. It does not calm you down, as many smokers tend to think. As a matter of fact, the cigarettes induce even more stress hormones. Smokes are bad for health, for skin, for the people around you. However, these reasons might not be sufficient for heavy smokers to be determined to quit. So, if these reasons are not good enough for you, you need to think about all the bad things smoking may cause in your life. For instance, if you do not care about your own heath, think about your children's health. You also have to think about smoking as a negative habit. Last but not least, you will have to replace this bad habit with a good one. Be careful not to turn to food and try to replace the smokes with food. Many ex-smokers tend to do that. And the result is extra weight. Try to take up a new hobby. You could start a sport or painting or anything that can relax you. If you keep yourself busy and do something you like, you will not feel the need to smoke, and you will improve your health. More resources from the author: |
Quit Smoking - How To Quit Smoking
Do you smoke? Would you like to quit smoking? Are you looking into the best ways to quit smoking? Now is the time to stop smoking, it is no longer cool to smoke, the cost of a packet of cigarettes is just incredible and smoking is banned in almost every public place. In this article I will attempt to help people to stop smoking by giving advice on how to quit. Lets start by being nice, if the first few pieces of advice are not enough to get you to stop smoking then I will start to get tough towards the end of this article. Lets face it, the cost of a packet of cigarettes is just plain stupid, they are far too expensive. If you were able to quit, it could be the equivalent of having a five percent pay rise at work, now wouldn't that be nice? What you need to ask yourself is what is the maximum amount you would be willing to pay for a packet of twenty cigarettes. Eight pounds, ten pounds, twenty pounds? In a couple of years time they are likely to cost this amount. Who gains from these huge increases? The government mainly but also the tobacco companies themselves of course. We all moan about how much tax we pay from time to time but here you are seemingly happy to pay way over the odds for your dirty little habit. After smoking a fag, the clothes of the smoker really smell, and a really vile smell at that. After smoking for a few years, the teeth of the smoker turn slightly yellow, hardly sexy is it? Has this worked so far, are you now going to stop smoking? No, I did not think so, it is therefore time to get tough. Despite of all of the things that I have said about people who smoke cigarettes you may be surprised to learn that I also used to smoke. My father, who is quite a rough, tough man, was disgusted by my habit. One day in a fit of rage he drove me to our local hospital. He took me through to the cancer the wards. I was left numb by the whole experience. Young men and women, barely into their fifties, lying their with lung cancer, cancer no doubt caused by smoking. I would like to thank my father as I have now not smoked a cigarette for the last five years. Stephen Hill runs The How To Stop Stammering Centre, he has a number of websites including: Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Hill |
