Five ways to quit smoking

Deciding that you are now ready to quit smoking is only half the battle. Knowing where to start on your path to becoming smoke-free can help you to take the leap. We have put together some effective ways for you to stop smoking today.

Tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke are responsible for more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to the American Lung Association. Most people are aware of the numerous health risks that arise from cigarette smoking and yet, "tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death and disease" in the U.S. Quitting smoking is not a single event that happens on one day; it is a journey. By quitting, you will improve your health and the quality and duration of your life, as well as the lives of those around you. To quit smoking, you not only need to alter your behavior and cope with the withdrawal symptoms experienced from cutting out nicotine, but you also need to find other ways to manage your moods. With the right game plan, you can break free from nicotine addiction and kick the habit for good. Here are five ways to tackle smoking cessation.

1. Prepare for quit day

Once you have decided to stop smoking, you are ready to set a quit date. Pick a day that is not too far in the future (so that you do not change your mind), but which gives you enough time to prepare.

There are several ways to stop smoking, but ultimately, you need to decide whether you are going to:

• quit abruptly, or continue smoking right up until your quit date and then stop
• quit gradually, or reduce your cigarette intake slowly until your quit date and then stop
Research that compared abrupt quitting with reducing smoking found that neither produced superior quit rates over the other, so choose the method that best suits you.
Here are some tips recommended by the American Cancer Society to help you to prepare for your quit date:

• Tell friends, family, and co-workers about your quit date.
• Throw away all cigarettes and ashtrays.
• Decide whether you are going to go "cold turkey" or use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other medicines.
• If you plan to attend a stop-smoking group, sign up now.
• Stock up on oral substitutes, such as hard candy, sugarless gum, carrot sticks, coffee stirrers, straws, and toothpicks.
• Set up a support system, such as a family member that has successfully quit and is happy to help you.
• Ask friends and family who smoke to not smoke around you.
• If you have tried to quit before, think about what worked and what did not.

Daily activities - such as getting up in the morning, finishing a meal, and taking a coffee break - can often trigger your urge to smoke a cigarette. But breaking the association between the trigger and smoking is a good way to help you to fight the urge to smoke.

   On your quit day:
• Do not smoke at all.
• Stay busy.
• Begin use of your NRT if you have chosen to use one.
• Attend a stop-smoking group or follow a self-help plan.
• Drink more water and juice.
• Drink less or no alcohol.
• Avoid individuals who are smoking.
• Avoid situations wherein you have a strong urge to smoke.

You will almost certainly feel the urge to smoke many times during your quit day, but it will pass. The following actions may help you to battle the urge to smoke: Delay until the craving passes. The urge to smoke often comes and goes within 3 to 5 minutes. Deep breathe. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of three and exhale through your mouth for a count of three. Visualize your lungs filling with fresh air. Drink water sip by sip to beat the craving. Do something else to distract yourself. Perhaps go for a walk. Remembering the four Ds can often help you to move beyond your urge to light up.

How to Quit Smoking Naturally Even if You Love Cigarettes

If quitting smoking was easy, would you do it today? If you just answered YES, then I know a part of you does want to stop smoking. Maybe you want to know how to quit smoking naturally becase smoking has started harming your health… …You have sudden chest pains, climbing up the stairs exhausts you, you don’t breathe effortlessly anymore, your voice is turning hoarse… Perhaps your children or grandchildren told you they are afraid of losing you because of your habit. And that scares you because you want to be there for your loved ones. Maybe you have lost someone to smoking and that made you realize that the danger is very real. Or maybe you’ve started seeing smoking for the poison it really is and you don’t want to be addicted anymore. All smokers have their own reasons for wanting to stop. But they don’t want to suffer. Or feel deprived for the rest of their live s. Instead, they want to quit smoking without missing cigarettes ever again. They want to want to quit. Well, if that’s what you’ve been looking for… You’ve finally found it…

This article is for you if you want to grow to a non-smoker; not force yourself to become one. Because it will show you how to quit smoking naturally and easily so you can get back your health, wealth, and peace of mind. Before we get into that answer, let me make something very clear. I understand that at the moment…The mere thought of quitting might overflow you with hesitation, anxiety, and fear. So I am going to ask you to put that hesitation aside -just for now.

Why You Need a New Way to Quit Smoking Naturally You see -all smokers who are trying to quit, find themselves at various levels of STUCK. I’ve been there too. There’s just so many things to change, so many habits to reverse and so much fear about how we can cope with life without our cigarettes! And with all the methods and products out there, that over promise and under-deliver, quitting gets really frustrating — and extremely hard. Don’t you think? But it is not your fault …Like I say in my TED talk, what you need is a quit smoking method that makes quitting what it’s supposed to be: easy! 
When I was a smoker, I tried to stop many times, and I am not ashamed to admit that I failed miserably every single one of them. No matter what method I used. I felt smoking was my crutch, my stress-aid, and my friend through hard times. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. Or, at least, that’s what I told myself. After I discovered how to quit smoking naturally without feeling stressed and deprived, something great happened: I smoked my last cigarette, and I felt so happy and free, that I only wished I had done it sooner. (But I will leave this story for another time) The important thing is that the over 8,400 ex-smokers who’ve used my method, felt the exact same happiness when they quit. And you can feel it too. As long as you decide to say goodbye to the cigarette friend.

Why Quitting Smoking Seems Hard Reason #1 (and only): You Try to Quit while You still Desire a Cigarette. Let me explain. Most smokers believe they enjoy or even love smoking. At the same time, they want to quit because smoking has taken a toll on their health, pocket, and freedom. So here’s what happens: We want to stop smoking. We have the desire to quit. But we also have another desire: the desire to smoke. So we experience a conflict of desires. We are torn. Our desire to smoke comes from all the benefits we think we get from smoking. Think about it. 

The reason you like smoking is because you believe it helps you cope with stress and boredom, socialize, enjoy life, take a mental break, keep your hands busy, concentrate, enjoy your “me-time” or even manage your weight. Right? So why is it so hard to stop? Well, because on some level you are afraid that if you quit you will lose all those benefits. Understand this. The FEAR of feeling anxiety, deprivation, boredom and the fear of losing a source of enjoyment… and the pure habit of holding a cigarette…are the REASONS why we keep on smoking. And as long as we have reasons to smoke, we will always desire a cigarette.

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