One reason people smoke is that nicotine helps them relax. Once you quit smoking, you need new ways to relax. You can exercise to vent your heart, tune in to your favorite music, connect with friends, enjoy a massage, or make time for a hobby.
And while experts say it can take several attempts to quit smoking for good, there are ways to increase your chances of success. Whether you’re trying to quit smoking for the first time or have tried it many times before, here are expert tips to help you kick the habit. This treatment is preferable to starting with nicotine patches, e-cigarettes and other medications. However, a doctor may suggest the use of nicotine patches along with this medication. Varenicline works by blocking nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Doctors often recommend or prescribe nicotine patches or antidepressants containing varenicline to prevent a deterioration in mood.
And then plan what you’re going to do instead of smoking. If you smoke with your morning coffee, drink tea or go for a walk. If you need a cigarette to keep your mouth busy, try chewing sugar-free gum or nibbling on a rhizome. Stay at non-smoking areas, such as smoke-free restaurants.
If you drink, it’s harder to reach your goal of not smoking. So try to limit alcohol when you first stop smoking. Similarly, if you smoke often when you drink coffee, switch to tea for a few weeks. If you usually smoke after meals, look instead for something else to do, such as brushing your teeth, going for a walk, texting a friend, or chewing gum.
After all, the nicotine in cigarettes is a powerfully addictive drug. But with the right approach, you can overcome cravings. Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of chewing gum, patches, sprays and lozenges gives you nicotine without the other harmful chemicals in tobacco, says Dr. Goldberg. Using these products can help relieve some of your physical withdrawal symptoms while focusing on the mental and psychological aspects of quitting smoking. Using a long-acting form of nicotine replacement therapy along with a short-acting form can be especially helpful in controlling nicotine withdrawal.
It’s no secret that smoking cigarettes has many negative health effects. Spotted skin, heart disease and lung cancer are just a few of the many dangers associated with smoking. For example, if you’ve smoked in the past while drinking a cup of coffee, drink tea instead. Tea should not trigger the desire for a cigarette. Or, if you feel stressed, take a walk instead of smoking a cigarette.
Not only will it improve your lung function, but you’ll also notice a decrease in the number of times you cough and have trouble breathing. While avoiding smoke triggers will help reduce your need to smoke, you probably can’t quite avoid craving cigarettes altogether. Fortunately, cravings don’t last long, Stoppen met roken usually around 5 or 10 minutes. If you’re tempted to turn on, remember that the craving will pass quickly and try to wait. It helps to be prepared in advance by having strategies to deal with cravings. People with mental health and substance use issues smoke much more often than the general population.
Wash your clothes and clean your furniture so you don’t have that smell of smoke hanging out of your house. Ask about smoking cessation programs in your area. Also, learn about tools that can help you quit smoking, such as medications that reduce the need to smoke and nicotine replacement chewing gum, lozenges, patches, and sprays.
Look for non-smokers at your workplace to take your breaks or find other things to do, such as going for a walk. For many people, an important aspect of quitting smoking is finding alternative ways to manage these difficult feelings without resorting to cigarettes. Even when cigarettes are no longer part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that led you to smoke in the past will still persist.
Most smokers have tried to quit several times and have failed. Even if you’ve failed before, you can still manage to quit smoking. You just need to find the technique that works for you. Write it down in your calendar and tell a few friends so you feel too embarrassed to take a step back. Before your quit date, throw all cigarettes away from your home, car, and office. Also, throw away every ashtray, lighter, and anything else you need to smoke.