Quitting smoking may be one of the hardest things you have ever done in your life, but its fruits begin to show even after the first 24 hours. You may begin to notice benefits such as, you breath easier, you cough lesser, feel more energetic, and an overall better feeling. It will get easier and better as you go further down the road, and eventually, you can be smoke-free.
It is particularly difficult to quit smoking because of nicotine, a drug you drag into your body by smoking. Nicotine being addictive in nature, it makes you it’s dependent. Nicotine has a pleasurable feeling, and that is what makes you crave more. It also hampers the proper functioning of your nervous system. As your nervous system adapts to the drug, you tend to smoke more, which in turn, raises the level of nicotine in your bloodstream. By this time you develop a liking of nicotine, which caused you to smoke more. When a certain nicotine level is achieved in your body, you have to keep smoking, enough to maintain it.
The act of smoking can develop into a repetitive bad habit and can be very hard to break. Being one of the most addictive habits, it may be difficult to quit smoking. Many smokers successfully quit smoking every year, and you could do so too. In order to boost your chances of success, there are a few things that you must do to keep you motivated throughout this process.
Do you really want to quit smoking? This may seem a strange question but is very significant in being the foundation of a successful attempt. Remember that each time you make a half-hearted attempt, it may result in a failure, and you’d be back to square one.
Check your motivation level: consider making a list of all possible reasons why you want to quit, like improving your health, getting rid of that urge, being a better example for your kids, saving money, or any others.
Once you have decided to quit smoking, choose a date within the upcoming two to three weeks, allowing you some mental preparation for the tough task.
Use this time trying to study your smoking habits, if you smoke more at night or during the day or if you tend to smoke while on the phone or after a meal, with coffee, or with alcohol. Once you have identified your smoking patterns it would help you quit smoking, because you may be able to evade the patterns that trigger your smoking urge.
When you reach the date to quit, take it one day at a time. Each day you don’t smoke, you are one day closer to having quit for good. Counter each urge to smoke by doing something else, indulge in some healthy activity, try exercising or going for a walk. Do anything you can to help your body lose its urge for nicotine.
Many people associate gaining weight with quitting smoking if you watch what you are eating you won’t gain weight. Evaluate your attempt to quit smoking every three or four days, identifying your weakest moments and your strongest. This may be a help in carrying you through the course of quitting smoking.
Having someone you can talk to about the changes you are experiencing while trying to quit smoking may prove good. At some stage, if you do break down, it does not mean you have failed. It simply means you’ll have to recommit and start afresh.
