Finally Kick the Habit: Tips to Help Quit Smoking

Virtually every smoker at one time or another decides that they want to quit. Reasons for quitting include the high financial cost of smoking, the detrimental health effects of smoking, and an increasing number of smoke-free work and public places. Check out the following tips to help you quit smoking and you will be well on your way to defeating your tobacco addiction.

First, tell as many people as you can about your plans to quit. This keeps you honest. By telling friends and co-workers about your plans in advance, they might give you a break if you become grouchy during the quitting process. You are also less likely to break your commitments if other people know about them. Your friends and family who are themselves former smokers might also help by informing you of their own tips to help you finally quit smoking, discussing with you what worked for them.

Using Smoking Cessation Aids

Second, consider a quit-smoking aid. There are many of these to choose from, and your employer might even have programs to subsidize the costs. Remember, different things work for different people, so you might have to try several different routes before finding the right combination that works for you.

Herbs to help quit smoking are all the rage right now and are a multi-million dollar business. Coltsfoot is an herb that helps rid the body of the remnants of smoking by cleansing the lungs of tobacco and mucus. Other herbs, such as mimosa, reduce withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting, such as anxiety and headaches. Lobelia, also known as Indian tobacco, is a non-addictive nicotine replacement that has similar effects to nicotine. Many resources on the Internet offer tips to help quit smoking using herbal supplements, but you should research the efficacy of these, since herbal supplement manufacturers often sponsor these sites.

Getting Through The Physical Withdrawal of Cigarette Smoking

Remember, the physical withdrawal symptoms will significantly subside by day three and end completely by day 14 or less. Gradually cutting down over a period of time will reduce the physical withdrawals, but the key is not to return to smoking after your final quit day. A good tip to help you quit smoking for good is to focus on getting through the physical withdrawal phase one day at a time. Remind yourself that the next cigarette you smoke with start the withdrawal process all over again, extending your misery. Count each day as its own unique victory. Reward yourself for achieving certain benchmarks. For instance, after the first three days of nonsmoking, treat yourself to a day of indulgences at the spa or a leisurely Sunday on the golf course.

After the physical withdrawal subsides, tell yourself that your cravings are mentally driven. It makes it easier to dismiss them, when you rationally tell yourself that you are no longer physically addicted to nicotine, and so will not suffer physical withdrawals by turning down the opportunity to smoke.

Another proven tip to help you quit smoking is to get a new hobby. Immerse yourself in a completely new activity that will take your mind off your troubles. Since this hobby is new, you will not associate it with smoking, making you think about smoking less while engaged in this recreation.

Another tip to help quit smoking that you might forget is that when you are serious about quitting, stay out of situations where you will be tempted to smoke, whenever possible. For instance, if you always smoke when you drink, stay away from bars for a while and refrain from drinking, since drinking will make you crave nicotine. Finally, be sure to talk to ex-smokers who can give you tips to help you quit smoking that worked for them.