If you’re a smoker, by now you have been bombarded with radio, television and billboard ads and public service announcements touting the fact that to quit smoking may be the best thing you could ever do for yourself. They list innumerable reasons: cancer, disease, illness, second hand smoke and pets and children, and quality of life being a few. The reasons are there… but the impetus may be easily overlooked when there is an addiction at stake.
We’re all addicted to something or another. Chocolate, bad movies, macaroni and cheese – it is human nature to become addicted to small, innocuous things. What makes being addicted to nicotine worse than these, however, is that the substance is addictive in and of itself… it’s also cancerous.
Bottom line? It’s not easy to quit. But it’s also not impossible. It has been estimated that a total 50% of smokers will quit for a sustainable amount of time in their lives. That’s one in two… that one could be you!
There are many strategies for quitting… the top two are quitting based on a snap decision, and those who quit based on extensive planning.
If you suddenly decide to quit for any reason, perhaps you should follow through immediately – that’s the premise of the snap decision quitting. These “quit attempts” are actually more successful than those who have a degree of planning about them. It works because of motivation. Most smokers know that quitting is a good idea… they are inundated with information and ads asking them too. Perhaps a spouse or loved one has spoken to them about it. Slowly, more weight is added to the scale, until it tips, and the smoker reaches a breaking point. This breaking point isn’t a bad thing – it’s the knowledge that they want to quit, and they want to quit right now. This can add a lot of power to the prospect of quitting and make it more manageable.
The second form of quitting is based on planning and research… This is definitely not to be discounted! Those who quit at a moment’s notice might need even more support and medication than those who talk through it with their family members and medical professionals first… but it doesn’t have the built up willpower that the snap decision quitting entails.
If you’re going to plan your quitting, start getting organized and pick a date. This should be a date that is somewhat important to you (I.e., your birthday or an anniversary), but not a date surrounded by hectic holidays (quitting around the holiday season, for example, is the hardest time to quit because of the aggravation and stress associated with it). Get rid of ashtrays and lighters that may be lying around your house, and speak with your doctor before the quit date. Also, get support! It may seem like such a little thing, but when you’re craving a cigarette, talking about it to someone who cares really works wonders.
If you are a chainsmoker, it is not advisable to stop suddenly as you might get some health risk in doing so. You can also turn to vaping instead of smoking cigarettes. This way, you can quick smoking slowly but surely. You can visit https://greyhaze.co.uk
Whichever method of quitting you choose, it’s a major life decision! Be strong in your conviction and know that you’ll do well.
Here are a few interesting old home remedies to help reduce nicotine cravings!
– It is said that if you lick a bit of salt with the tip of your tongue each time you crave a cigarette, you’ll stop craving them within a month!
– The herb lobelia reduces nicotine cravings
– Licorice sticks are a safe substitute for cigarettes. Those who chew on them report that their cravings are lessened!
– Lemon, peppermint and cypress essential oils in a diffuser reduce nicotine cravings.
