Trying to quit smoking is a very lengthy
process. This can take a very long
period of time such as several years, or it could be something much shorter
like only a few weeks or months. The
exact time frame that it takes to quit can vary greatly but what is important
is ensuring that you are coming up with a plan to combat your urges to
smoke. At some point in your experience
trying to quit you will encounter a situation where the urge to smoke is very
strong. How you handle this situation
will go a long way towards your ultimate success. Being prepared for the urge to smoke will
ensure that you have a plan to keep your willpower strong and continue on your
path to quit smoking successfully.
Tip 1.
Take the time to decide exactly when you typically smoke. For example, after meals, after a jog around
the block, or even after your shower each morning. Knowing when you typically smoke will put you
in a good position to create a plan to combat the urge.
Tip 2.
Create a plan of attack. This
could be something as simple as a stress ball for your hands, or even just a
piece of hard candy to keep your mouth busy.
If you really enjoy the taste and feeling of a clean mouth you could try
brushing your teeth each time you want to smoke, or suck on a mint flavored candy,
which will freshen your breath.
Tip 3.
Avoid the temptations that lurk.
If you go out to eat, make sure you are sitting in the no smoking
area. Avoid going into tobacco stores,
and also try to limit the amount of time you are around other smokers. If you are continuously around cigarettes, it
will be much harder to resist temptation.
Tip 4.
Clean your house of all smoking instruments. This means all ashtrays, lighters, matches
and get rid of the smell of cigarettes.
Products like Febreeze are great for helping to get rid of cigarette smell,
which can also trigger an urge to smoke.
Tip 5.
If you have a place where you typically smoke when you are at home,
think about rearranging the area. If you
are able to break the routine of the situation, you will be able to resist
temptation much better. This works best
if you always are in the habit of smoking in the exact same place, such as a
living room looking out a window. If you
move the chair to a different area of the room, or refocus the center of the
room then you can help to avoid the temptation to smoke whenever you are
sitting in the chair looking out the window.
Tip 6.
Write down your goal to quit smoking.
This may seem like a minor detail but in reality, it can go a very long
way towards ensuring that you keep your priority to quit smoking at the top of
your agenda. If you just tell yourself
that you want to quit smoking, you are more likely to cheat and ultimately give
into the urge to light up again. If you
have written your goal down, you are going to be more likely to actually follow
it. This goes for quitting smoking,
losing weight, changing your exercise routine or anything else. Written down goals can improve accountability
significantly.
Tip 7.
Do not discount yourself. If you
are absolutely certain that you can succeed you will be much more capable of
the success that you need. It is
important to believe that you can succeed.
This will help you to stay strong anytime a serious urge kicks in. If you decide to slip up consciously, you are
going to find it is much harder to gain back any slack that you have cut for
yourself. However, if you hold fast to
your dedication to quit smoking you will find that each time you have an urge
it is easier to handle.