
7 Effective Methods to Give Up Smoking
One of the most important reasons to stop smoking is your health. However, it can be quite difficult to just quit suddenly, especially if you have been a regular tobacco user for some time. Below are some effective methods for smoking cessation that you can try.
Opt for a nicotine replacement therapy
Multiple therapies can help with the quitting process. You can check with your doctor about them. He or she can suggest to you if you should opt for prescription nicotine inhaler, over-the-counter nicotine gum and patches, or prescription stop-smoking medicines like varenicline (Chantix) or bupropion (Zyban). When the medicines work as a long-term treatment, you can use the gum or patches to manage the immediate, strong craving for smoking.
Avoid the triggers
Triggers are scenarios where you generally smoke, like when you are at a party, talking on the phone, drinking coffee, or any other such situation. If you want to stop smoking, you need to develop a plan to avoid such situations. One effective way to do that is to replace smoking with something else. For example, if you are under stress and feel like smoking, try out some other ways like meditation or doodling.
Engage your mouth
One of the effective methods for smoking cessation is to engage your mouth with something else when you feel like smoking. You can chew on gums or candy to avoid the urge to smoke. You can also try out fruits and vegetables to chew on instead of putting a cigarette in your mouth.
Delay smoking
Delaying sometimes helps you to manage the craving for a smoke. If you feel like smoking suddenly then wait for about ten minutes before lighting up the cigarette. Keep yourself busy during this time or go to a place where smoking is not allowed. This can be helpful.
Do a physical activity
Physical activity is another very effective method to manage the craving to smoke. It will distract you from the desire. Hence, when you feel like smoking, go for a run or simply just climb up and down the stairs a couple of times. You can also try exercises like push-ups or sit-ups as they have the same benefit.
Seek online support
Online support can be one of the effective methods for smoking cessation, as these quitting-programs are often offered by people who have successfully stopped. Online blogs and groups can be encouraging and offer helpful tips on how to quit the habit.
Keep reminding yourself of the benefits
Quitting smoking has some great benefits like improvement of health, saving money, better mood, and more. You should keep reminding yourself of these all-day-long.
These effective methods for smoking cessation can be really helpful but remember that they only work when you are willing to stay strong.