Are you a smoker? Chances are you’re well aware of all the negative health implications of smoking, such as increased risk of cancer, issues with your lungs, yellow fingers, bad breath, decreased fitness, as well as the negative impact it can make on both your finances and with your loved ones. There are so many reasons to quit smoking, not only will you enjoy so many health benefits, but your bank balance will look all the better for it too. The simple fact is smoking can be really addictive and it can be a hard habit to break, so here are my top 3 tips for quitting smoking. Before making any radical health changes, it’s important you speak to your doctor first. They may have some professional advice of how to gradually stop smoking to ensure there’s no shock to your system or negative health implications. Here are my top 3 tips to get you on the right track:
1. Be Open to Aids
When you first start thinking about how to quit smoking, you might feel completely lost. Many people out there have been smoking longer than they can remember and their trusty smoke break has become a special part of their day. Not only is there the emotional and time-based aspect of smoking, but there’s also the fact it is highly addictive. While there’s nothing wrong with going “cold turkey” when it comes to quitting smoking – as in, just deciding one cigarette is your last and stopping like that, you may struggle a little more with this method than you would expect, due to both the chemical and social addiction aspect. If you want a little more support with your mission to quit smoking, it might be good to see what aids are available to help you. Many people have success using aids such as nicotine gum, or a nicotine patch in order to help curb the withdrawals while you break the habit.
2. Change Your Environment
If there are certain environments that make you more prone to smoking, such as being out in a bar with friends, it may be helpful to avoid those environments for a while until you have broken your smoking habit. Obviously it’s important to still be social and see your friends and loved ones, but it might be a case of doing different things for a while, in order to ensure you have enough time to quit smoking. If you’re in a bar and you get invited outside for a chat and a smoke, don’t test yourself by going out, politely decline and stay inside where the temptation will be less. Likewise if you’re used to going out for a smoking break while at work, simply replace that time with something else like a coffee run or chatting by the water cooler. Breaking the environmental habit can do a lot to help you feel more empowered.
3. Focus on the Why
Why do you want to quit smoking – is it because you don’t like the affect it’s having on your health? Do you want to be a better role model for your children? Is your partner concerned about your habit? Are you wanting to cut back and cut down on unnecessary expenses? Maybe it’s a combination of all of these things. Whatever your why, it’s important to take some time to focus on your motivating factor.
Quitting smoking is a great way to put your health first, I hope these tips help you!