10 Easy Ways To Quit Smoking

People say that quitting is easy. But does this apply to smoking as well? If you took a survey you would find that out of every 10 people who have quit smoking, only 3 would say that they found it easy to quit. When a person decides to quit, there are a few factors that influence the ease or difficulty with which the person is able to do so. Top among them would be the number of years that the person has been smoking, the number of cigarettes the person smokes per day, smoking habits such as a cigarette after every meal etc.

Nicotine is what makes it difficult for smokers to quit and stay quit. Nicotine enters your blood stream with ease and affects many parts of the body, not just the lungs. Did you know that nicotine from a cigarette reaches your brain faster than an intravenous drug?

Quitting requires a great deal of mental preparation, and the person should be prepared to battle the withdrawal symptoms as well. The support from people around them will give them additional motivation to fight withdrawal symptoms. These steps will help ease the process of quitting.

1. Nicotine remains in the body for at least 3 to 4 days after one stops smoking. Drinking a lot of water and fluids in this time will help flush out your system quicker.
2. Try to avoid alcohol, coffee and sugar for the first few weeks as these tend to stimulate the desire to smoke. Keep away from junk food too, as your metabolism will be reduced and you stand to gain weight even by eating the same amount as before.
3. Oral substitutes such as cinnamon sticks and chewing gum can act as an initial distraction and after the first few weeks of quitting you will find that you do not require these.
4. Practice yoga and breathing techniques. They help relax your body and relieve tension that could build up due to increased stress. There are chances of building up stress initially and deep breathing is an effective stress combatant.
5. If you are not able to stop all at once, go in for NRT Nicotine Replacement Therapy. It is a therapy that helps people quit smoking slowly. You will have be taking nicotine substitutes such as a nicotine patch, nicotine gum etc, that will provide you steady doses of nicotine so that your body does not crave it suddenly, and over time the doses are reduced till you are completely nicotine free.
6. If you are not sure of quitting completely overnight, then you could consider quitting gradually. Reduce the number of cigarettes per day slowly, by increasing the gaps between each and eventually aim at bringing it down to zero.
7. You can try prescription quit smoking drugs. Seek the help of a doctor to find the drug that will best aid your effort and let them prescribe it for you. Some of these drugs are a form of aversion therapy as they work by making the act of smoking more repulsive to your body.
8. Sometimes the only thing standing between you and quitting may be ‘motivation’. If that is so, you should try counseling as it will give you the support and drive you require to remain mentally steadfast while quitting.
9. You can try to gradually quit through electronic cigarettes. They come in varied doses that are all mild when compared to the real thing, so you can slowly reduce your doses till you reach zero.
10. If you are still finding it hard stay quit then you can consider therapies such as hypnotherapy, meditation, acupressure and acupuncture. They have all helped a lot of people in the process of quitting.