Most of the time, we start smoking in our teenage years, because it makes it easier for our peers to accept us. However, we are not aware of the consequences that smoking brings. Today, the dangers of smoking are widely known. At least half of those who smoke throughout their lives face a faster death due to the consequences of smoking. Maybe you too are thinking of quitting? We offer you some tips to make things easier for you.
Some people are able to quit smoking on their own, but research shows that quitting smoking is easier and faster when done through a variety of programs. According to research, as many as 70 % smokers try to quit on their own, with 90 % starting smoking again. We've put together some tips to make quitting smoking easier if you do it yourself.
MAKE A PLAN. You have to be ready to quit. Choose the date when you will smoke your last cigarette and start a new life as a non-smoker. Within two to four weeks from today. BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. Be aware of any health restrictions. Be active to the best of your ability. You can start with longer walks or an exercise bike. Physical exercise will also help you cope with negative feelings that may appear in the first days after quitting. KNOW THE REASONS. If you smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day, give yourself two weeks to mentally prepare to quit. If you smoke less, give yourself a week. Adjust your time according to experience and intuition. In the meantime, do the following:
– write down all the reasons you want to quit. The more connected they are to your emotions, the better (for example: “I don't want my children to see me dying of lung cancer”). Write down the reasons on a piece of paper or on your phone and repeat them several times a day.
– change your eating habits. Namely, nicotine reduces appetite, and you don't want to gain weight after quitting smoking (many new non-smokers gain weight). Start eating three healthy meals a day, with healthy snacks in between.
– during preparation, change the way you smoke. For example, if you hold a cigarette with your right hand, hold it in your left. If you smoke on the terrace, put yourself in an unpleasant place in the future, for example next to the garbage cans. Don't buy whole packages together anymore, but each box separately. Start by breaking the cigarettes in half.
– Find substitutes. This is a very important factor for quitting. There are many reasons why we smoke. Some do it out of sheer boredom, others for stress reduction, relaxation, reward or simply out of habit. Find activities to replace smoking and have them ready for the day you plan to quit.
The day you quit smoking
Tell everyone what you're doing to get support and commitment from other people as well. Carefully choose the first day to focus on your new goal. When you quit smoking, avoid other drugs like alcohol and marijuana, as they will only decrease your motivation. It will be best if you avoid them for at least the first month if they are the main triggers for smoking. If you like to light up with coffee, avoid this vice for a while. Get plenty of sleep, because you need more energy to get rid of bad habits. Clean your car thoroughly if you have smoked in it. Avoid situations that will lead you to smoke. Avoid places where people smoke. Reward yourself after the first 30 days of not lighting up a cigarette. Treat yourself to a massage, go on vacation or buy yourself a gift.
Don't joke about addiction. Don't think for a second that you can only light one cigarette after you quit. There's a good chance you're not capable of that. Just one cigarette can blow away all your past hard work in a minute. Accept cigarettes for what they are, a poison to your body that should be avoided at all costs.
Smoking cessation programs
If you've tried to quit on your own and still haven't succeeded, you may need a little help. Hypnotherapy has been proven to be a more effective method for quitting smoking than others. It is twice as effective as the cold shower method and three times as effective as nicotine patches (American Pulmonary Association Research, 2007). But first you have to decide and really want to quit smoking. Once you've done that, there's a good chance you'll succeed.
Janez Jereb, hypnotherapist
