Article by surbhi jalan
In Australia, smoking is the leading cause of death and disease. It was estimated in 2003 that cigarettes was responsible for over 4.9 million deaths every year because of presence of nicotine in it. Nicotine is one of the most addictive, damaging and extensively available legal drugs in the world. Smoking is a very bad habit and is injurious to not only the smoker’s health but also people around him. Quitting smoking is annoying for those who develop it as a habit but it is not impossible. Every research shows the benefits of quitting smoking and not the drawbacks of getting rid of it. Be it a teenager or a chain smoker- quitting is tough for everyone. But the more you learn about the goods and bads of quitting, the easier the course will be. With the right planning, you can get rid of the addiction, handle your cravings, and join the Lakhs of people who have got rid of the habit for good. So if you smoke, think again and quit as soon as possible. Approach in the best possible way and there you go. The following 10 tips will help you to go ahead and succeed:
10. Exercise
According to experts daily exercise of ten minutes helps people quit smoking. It reduces the need to smoke. Exercise can include anything, even walking or cycling is sufficient to reduce the urge to smoke. Physical exercises trigger changes in brain activity which reduces craving for cigarette. Researchers also believe that exercise leads to a shift in blood flow to the brain areas which are less involved in pleasure generated by smoking. Apart from this exercise has many other benefits also including better fitness and weight loss. So, a ten to fifteen minutes exercise everyday can really help you to stay fir and be away from smoking.
9. Tell people
Go public about your plan of quitting. Tell your friends and family that you have decided to you to quit smoking. They’ will encourage you and will also have a positive impact. They will also keep a check on you and make sure that you do not smoke in front of them. Even recent researches proved that talking to others about quitting was helpful and our well wishers could help in keeping us away from the temptation to smoke. Being public about the attempt to quit with the close ones help in addressing the issue easily and comfortably.
8. Set a date
Don’t wait for someone to come and tell you or for a perfect day- just decide a date and go ahead with it. Make up your mind completely to quit and avoid companies of such people or such situations where you are tempted to smoke. If you usually smoke in a particular chair or place, don’t sit in that chair or avoid going to that place. Change your normal routine, so that your new routine doesn’t include smoking.
7. Try drugs
Visit a doctor and with his assistance can take the help of medication or drugs also. Now a days, a lot many drugs and medications have come up which are prescribed and are available in the market that helps to quit smoking. Nicotine patches can be used to double the success rate of quitting. The labeling must be checked whether it’s current or not and excessive use of patch could lead to nicotine overdose. Some literatures have shown that concurrent use of patch and cigarette smoking are safe to health. There are also other Ayurvedic treatments to quit smoking. Your doctor can prescribe medication that can help you to withdraw and advise other alternatives. You can also visit a doctor, who can suggest you ways to get rid of smoking including the nicotine patch, lozenges and gum.
6. Pamper yourself
Each time you are not smoking give yourself a treat. And then after success-full completion of a week or a month of not smoking – reward yourself. Buy a gift for yourself. It can be anything a dress, a piece of jewellery or even a treat at your famous food joint. Purchase your reward from the money you have saved from quitting. Even better a better solution to it is collect whatever you would have spent on cigarettes each day, and put it in a box. This Rewards box belongs to you. Celebrate your each and every success because you deserve it or we can say you have earned it.
5. Join a Forum
Once you have decided to quit smoking, join a form or an online group. It is of great help, when you are feeling miserable you are not alone. You have plenty of other friends in your forum who are going through the same pain. After all, misery loves company. Take help from ex-smokers and current ones who are trying to quit. They are a great source of encouragement and support. Join the discussion and talk to them, discuss various issues and ways to deal with the overcoming miseries. Not only that get to know others also, post your crappy experience, and read about others.
4. Keep a money box
You do not even realize the amount of money you spend on cigarettes. If you start saving or donating that money, it can actually make a difference in someone’s life. The best way to save is to keep a money box. You can keep all the money you spend on smoking in that box. Each time you take out money from your wallet to buy a pack of cigarette; don’t buy, rather save that money in a box. Later, you can either use that money or give it for charity purposes.
3. Read success stories
Every success story you read, it inspires you more to quit smoking. Everyday there are few people who give up smoking and write their success mantras. Make sure to read them as they will help to motivate you. There are millions of people who have quit smoking and over half of the adults have learnt to live without cigarette, and you can do it too. Quitting smoking is the one of the most important and vital step you can take to protect your future, health and the health of your family.
2. Keep in mind the benefits of quitting
Quitting smoking has a number of positive effects than you can possibly imagine. Keep those benefits in mind every time you smoke and it will encourage you not to smoke. And always remember that quitting is not a big deal. You can always find a replacement for cigarette like an apple or a chewing gum or anything which you can pop in your mouth when feel like smoking. You can also make a list of all the bad effects of smoking like it increases risk of cancer, reduces fertility, affects mental capacity and memory, increases risk of heart attack and depression and results in low birth weight babies. So, whenever you’re lured to light up, have a look at the different ways smoking can damage your health.
1. Make a list of all things you like about smoking
Making a list of all things you like about smoking and finding an alternative to them can be really helpful. Divide a sheet of paper into two sides, write all the things you like about smoking on one side like it helps in killing time, reduce tension, helps to deal with pressure etc and on the other side, try to write an alternative to smoking for those things like spending time with friends can help to reduce tension, watching a movie to kill time etc. Think about the list over a period of time and make changes. Taking assistance and feedback from your family and friends can also be helpful. You can also write down some new hobbies that you can take up instead of smoking like exercise, chatting, reading, knitting – something that can keep your hands and mind occupied.
No comments:
Post a Comment