HOW YOU
CAN QUIT SMOKING
Quitting is hard. If you have tried to quit smoking,
you know how hard it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a very addictive
drug. Sometimes it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
Many
people have found that including physical activity in their program to quit
smoking has added a tremendous benefit to assist in quitting. There are many
reasons for this:
When people are more active,
they gain confidence and like themselves more.
They feel more energy, and are more capable of dealing with tension in
their lives. With increased activity,
the smell of tobacco actually becomes offensive. Whenever you feel the need to
smoke after you have decided to quit, get up and move around instead. A brief
physical activity can provide you with the lift that you may have received from
nicotine.
QUIT SMOKING IN A WEEK
Look at the following....
Reasons for Quitting: -
·
You will live
longer and live better.
·
Become a
high-energy person without cigarettes.
·
Quitting will
lower your chance of having a heart attack
·
Reduce the chance
of Cancers of the lung, mouth and throat
·
Relax and enjoy
the pleasure of relaxation without cigarettes.
·
Deal with your
tensions without a cigarette.
·
If you are a
pregnant woman, this will improve chances of having a healthy baby.
·
The people you
live with, especially family members will be healthier.
·
Save money.
Consider the following question: -
How and When do you want
to quit smoking?
There are only two ways to
effectively quit smoking, immediately (cold turkey), or gradually. When you
quit gradually, you use various methods to taper off before you have that last
cigarette. Neither way is better than the other for all people. Pick the one
that you feel fits your temperament. Either way, a nicotine patch may prove to
be a real benefit in giving up, especially if you are a heavy smoker.
Try this test to see which
way is better for you.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT METHOD OF QUITING FOR YOU
Answer the questions by
circling “yes”, “no”, or “not
sure”.
1.
Stopping smoking is one of the most important things
in the world for me right now. Yes no
not sure
2.
I can handle a tough problem without a smoke.
Yes no
not sure
3. I have to quit smoking and my reasons are good enough
to do it now.
Yes no
not sure
4. If I quit this minute, I know I can find a way to
resist the craving to smoke, even if it is strong. Yes no
not sure
If your answer to all of the above questions is ‘yes’, you may be a candidate to quit immediately. But
before you do, read on to get the tools necessary to be successful. After
reading the following, set a time to quit. If not right now, then tomorrow, but
do
it.
What about the doubts you
may be feeling now?
Most smokers will get a sense of doubt when they read
the questions above. You probably are not confident in your ability to follow
through with resisting any future craving to smoke, or finding something to
substitute for the feelings that smoking has given to you.
In order to have
the confidence to quit, you:
(1) must find an alternative to handle the urge to smoke,
when it hits, and
(2) create ways to deal with the reasons that you smoked
in the first place.
Together we will accomplish
both these tasks so that when the day comes that you had planned to quit, you
will be confident to do it.
HOW
TO HANDLE THE URGE
There are several weapons that you can use in your
fight to quit.
EACH OF THESE WEAPONS WORK- THEY HAVE BEEN PROVEN
You may use one, all, or a
combination of several to achieve your goal. The urge to smoke is immediate,
and usually lasts for five minutes. If you can resist for that period of time,
you reduce the urge.
1.
Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and
exhale as if you had just taken your first puff on a cigarette. Part of the
feeling you get from smoking is a direct result of taking a deep breath. A deep
breath allows you to take in a maximum amount of oxygen, and exhaling lets out
large quantities of carbon dioxide. This results in a feeling of relaxation.
Try it, you’ll see.
2.
Take a sip of water several times during this five
minute period. It can help to diminish the need to smoke, and gives you
something to do with your hands. The extra water will also help to flush the
nicotine out of your body.
3.
Put something in your mouth that has no calories, such
as a stirrer, toothpick, or another substitute for a cigarette.
4. Get busy with something, anything, to keep you busy
for the next five minutes.
5. As long as it does not lead to a craving, chew a piece
of gum or a piece of hard candy. Life Savers work well.
6. Get up and move around for five minutes. It will help
the urge to smoke to pass.
7.
Use a nicotine patch as replacement therapy.
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