If you've made the decision that you are finally going to quit smoking for good-congratulations. Having the motivation is half the battle. Now you're probably going to take a trip to the drugstore to buy a stop smoking aid such as a Nicotine Replacement Therapy-and you're about to find an overwhelming and rather costly array of products awaiting you. From nicotine gums and patches to cigarette filters to herbal capsules, the stop-smoking industry is a million-dollar business. And yet there are plenty of people who have tried everything and are still smoking a pack a day. How can this be? While its true that nicotine is a very addictive substance, the habit of smoking has a lot to do with factors beyond nicotine. This is the big secret to successfully quitting-smoking is as much an emotional habit as a physical addiction, and you need to manage both aspects of the problem.
Have you ever paid attention to the times you smoke? Most people light a cigarette right after they eat, or when they are stressed or bored. This has little to do with the amount of nicotine in your body at a given time. This is a force of habit, a pattern you have conditioned yourself into following. and you need to focus on breaking this pattern, because if you don't, you're more likely to fail in your mission to quit-and failure is just not something you can afford when it comes to dropping cigarettes.
For many people, the smoking habit is born of a nervous need to be doing something or holding something with their hands. Next time you want to reach for a cigarettes, try knitting, painting, playing the piano, anything you enjoy that will keep your hands occupied. When a craving hits, breathe slowly for two minutes. Typically, even the worst of cravings can't survive unanswered for longer than 2 minutes. If you can withstand the craving for two minutes and fill that stretch of time with some focused breathing, you'll be in the clear.
When you decide you're going to quit, smoke your last cigarette and then throw all the rest of them away. Don't keep any leftover in your house-this will be too painful a temptation. Once you give in and smoke one cigarette, one all too easily becomes two, three, four. Try sips of water or a healthy snack to manage cravings.
That's the secret to success in your journey to a cigarette free life-pay attention to both the nicotine dependence and the force of habit that conspire together to tempt you to smoke. If you can take both of these things under your control, you can beat your addiction much more easily than you might have thought possible. Good Luck!
Have you ever paid attention to the times you smoke? Most people light a cigarette right after they eat, or when they are stressed or bored. This has little to do with the amount of nicotine in your body at a given time. This is a force of habit, a pattern you have conditioned yourself into following. and you need to focus on breaking this pattern, because if you don't, you're more likely to fail in your mission to quit-and failure is just not something you can afford when it comes to dropping cigarettes.
For many people, the smoking habit is born of a nervous need to be doing something or holding something with their hands. Next time you want to reach for a cigarettes, try knitting, painting, playing the piano, anything you enjoy that will keep your hands occupied. When a craving hits, breathe slowly for two minutes. Typically, even the worst of cravings can't survive unanswered for longer than 2 minutes. If you can withstand the craving for two minutes and fill that stretch of time with some focused breathing, you'll be in the clear.
When you decide you're going to quit, smoke your last cigarette and then throw all the rest of them away. Don't keep any leftover in your house-this will be too painful a temptation. Once you give in and smoke one cigarette, one all too easily becomes two, three, four. Try sips of water or a healthy snack to manage cravings.
That's the secret to success in your journey to a cigarette free life-pay attention to both the nicotine dependence and the force of habit that conspire together to tempt you to smoke. If you can take both of these things under your control, you can beat your addiction much more easily than you might have thought possible. Good Luck!
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