Smoking can harm your health, not just the health of those around you. Smoking is one of the most common forms of substance abuse in America and it’s said that more than 17 million Americans smoke cigarettes. But quitting smoking for good doesn’t have to be as hard as everyone makes it out to be – here are 7 self-help tips that will help you quit today!
1. First, Find Your Reason
Why do you want to quit smoking? Is it because everyone around you smokes and you hate having to walk outside every hour for a cigarette break? Or is it something more serious, like wanting to live longer for yourself or your children? Whatever your reasons are, make sure they’re strong enough that quitting will matter. If not, chances are you’ll relapse in the future when things get tough. Thankfully, today there are so many replacement options that make quitting easier and can serve as a first step. You can opt for zero nicotine vape options that give you the feeling of smoking cigarettes without the harmful chemicals. People choose these replacement options because they help them get rid of cravings while they ease off cigarettes gradually, without triggering any withdrawal symptoms.
2. Try Focusing on Breathing Exercises
When cravings hit, try focusing on controlled breathing techniques instead of reaching for a cigarette. This will help relax both mind and body which can help stop the need to smoke before it even begins. A few deep breaths every time I had an urge helped me stay strong throughout many quit smoking attempts. Breathing exercises are also important because smoking often causes shortness of breath, which is how people get started in the first place.
3. Tell Your Loved Ones
Make sure to tell your friends and family that you’re quitting smoking so they can support you along the way. If you make it public, everyone will be watching to see if you succeed or not. Having people expect me to fail gave me even more reason to stay strong every day for my health, as well as theirs. This also helps with the social aspect of quitting smoking since you’ll be reaching out to your friends and family for support. Your loved ones are essentially the ones who will help you succeed.
4. Take It One Day at a Time
Quitting cigarettes is tough – but staying smoke-free is tougher. When things get hard, remember that staying smoke-free for one day should be all you focus on – because anything more than that should be treated as a huge accomplishment in itself! Focusing on one day at a time helped me stay strong through tough days and tough urges. Also, try not to focus on quitting altogether – set small goals like only smoking half as much or cutting down to one cigarette per day, instead of quitting completely.
5. Find a New Hobby or Activity to Take Up Your Time
Take up a new hobby to take your mind off smoking! When I quit, I exercised more because it helped me relax and focus on something other than cigarettes. If you don’t want to exercise, any activity from painting to skateboarding can help get your mind off of smoking every once in a while.
Play an instrument
A piano, guitar, or even drums might be just what you need to keep your hands’ busy while also getting some exercise in with those fingers! The key here is finding something where there’s no risk of being tempted to light up while playing because this habit could lead back down the path of smoking again.
Learn a new skill
You may have always wanted to master the art of baking or painting – or maybe you want to learn a new language? Whatever it is, take up that hobby and spend your time learning instead of smoking. It’s amazing how many hobbies there are in the world and if we’re not careful we’ll live our whole lives without discovering even half of them! Find something you love and stick with it for at least a few weeks before deciding whether or not it’s worth quitting smoking for good to pursue.
Read more books
Many people undervalue the power of reading because they’ve never given books a chance. Reading doesn’t just open your mind to new ideas but also helps relax the mind when cravings hit hard. Try reading anything from mystery novels to self-help books.
Practice meditation
Meditation is another method that can help ease cravings while calming the mind and body, allowing you to avoid smoking again without feeling too anxious or stressed out about it. It also helps because meditation can bring your focus away from nicotine addiction and onto other positive personal changes like releasing negative thoughts, increasing self-esteem, and improving your overall physical health.
6. Remember the Benefits
If you don’t remember why quitting is important to you, write down all of the benefits that come along with being smoke-free – Not only does it help remind why quitting matters in the first place, but looking at your list whenever things get tough will show how much stronger you’re getting every day in your quit smoking journey. You can also write down all the benefits for your loved ones to help you stay strong.
7. Create a “Help Me” Jar
When things get tough, write down on a slip of paper all of the reasons why you want to quit smoking and put it in a jar. Then when you reach for another cigarette, read through your slips one by one to help keep yourself motivated! This helped me during many tough moments in my quit smoking journey and is a simple way for anyone to stay motivated. Also, remember to reward yourself for staying strong and reaching certain milestones in your quit smoking journey.
Remember that everyone’s journey is different, but these self-help tips can make quitting cigarettes much easier – even if you’ve tried before without any luck. But with support from friends and family, as well as focusing on staying healthy, there should be no reason for anyone to ever have to smoke another cigarette again.
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