5 ways to quit smoking

According to researchers, those who decide to quit smoking make up to 30 attempts Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers before achieving success. This is due to the difficulties of giving up bad habits in general, as well as to the individual characteristics of the body.

The method that worked for five of your friends may fail for you. And on the contrary: you can come up with your own way to quit smoking, which will absolutely not suit your friends, but will be incredibly effective in your particular case.

These 11 ways to quit smoking have been proven to be both statistically and scientifically effective. Try to find yours among them.

Set a date to get ready

This is where experts recommend 10 Useful Tips to Help You Quit Smoking to begin your personal fight against smoking. And there are reasons for this.

Most smokers have decided at least once in their lives: “That’s it, from tomorrow – not a single puff!” Of course they kept their word. Until the first nervous shock or moment of forgetfulness. “Oh, I’m with a cigarette, I don’t even know how this happened...”

The problem is that smoking is not only a physiological, but also a psychological addiction. You may not realize it, but a cigarette is closely connected with meaningful, vital things. For example, an opportunity to breathe out in the midst of a nervous working day. Discuss in the smoking room what cannot be discussed in the office. Talk on the phone with your loved one. Drink a cup of coffee without thinking about anything - just “stuck” into the landscape around you.

If you quit smoking one day, there will be a gaping hole where these meaningful pleasures should be. Everything seems to be OK, a cup of coffee in your hand, but something is missing. And this deficiency spoils all the fun.

Or a little differently: before, a smoking break was an opportunity to take a break relatively legally, but now you don’t smoke, which means there seems to be no reason for a break. And so you continue to work without interruption, exhausting your nervous system and driving yourself into a state of permanent fatigue. It is not surprising that your subconscious will try to return the life-saving cigarette with which relaxation and pleasure are associated. And it will return, believe me.

Therefore, quitting smoking starting tomorrow is a controversial option. It is better to set an exact date.

Not too close to have time to prepare, and not too far away so as not to change your mind.

The preparation is as follows. You need to untie smoking from everyday relaxation and pleasure. If you are used to combining a cup of coffee with a cigarette, drink it, but without the cigarette. Promise yourself: “I’ll drink coffee now and have a smoke in 15 minutes” - and keep your promise. If you need informal communication with colleagues, go to it without a cigarette, again promising yourself a smoke break some time later.

When day X eventually arrives, your withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting cigarettes will no longer be so strong, because at least psychologically you will be prepared for it.

What to do with weak willpower... and is it needed to quit smoking?

It was only in June 2006 that I finally defeated my addiction. I am often asked about how to quit smoking on your own if you have no willpower. And I always answer that it is not needed. It is enough to realize the true motives for smoking. If a smoker relies only on the strength of his character, but does not understand the nature of his desire, then, as a rule, he fails, and he regards this as his own weakness and lack of motivation, although this is not the case.

Lack of willpower is not what prevents you from quitting smoking. First of all, the problem lies in the conflict. Naturally, a person understands that cigarettes are bad, expensive and dangerous. However, a cigarette helps him concentrate or relax at the right time.

It is this contradiction in the consciousness of the smoker that is the root cause of failures in attempts to quit smoking. Physical dependence has nothing to do with it, despite the opinions of doctors and pharmacists (if this were the problem, then NRT would give at least a satisfactory result).

How to quit smoking yourself?

Write down triggers and eliminate them from your life

This recommendation is partly related to the point above. The point is that often we could not smoke. But there are situations that actually make us reach for the pack. These are the so-called Know Your Smoking Triggers.

Calculate them: for several days, scrupulously describe all the moments when you lit a cigarette. "I'm drinking my morning coffee." “I lit a cigarette to talk to a girl.” “I went out into the yard with my colleagues and smoked for company.” Then try to modify at least those situations that are repeated day after day.

For example, if you are used to smoking a cigarette with your morning coffee, start drinking tea. Or switch to healthy breakfasts altogether: you’re unlikely to want to smoke with your oatmeal.

Try to develop a replacement strategy for each trigger you discover. You won't get rid of your addiction right away, but you can significantly reduce the amount of nicotine you consume. And this is a serious step on the path to success.

Awareness can do anything

One of the highly effective ways that has helped many smokers quit smoking is to read the book by author Allen Carr - An Easy Way to Quit Smoking.

In it, he motivates and explains to the reader that smoking creates problems and does not solve them. The moment you not only understand or take note of this, but deeply realize it for yourself, you will get rid of psychological dependence. This book has helped many people quit smoking forever.

Whatever method or combination of methods you use is up to you. And don’t put off your dream of quitting smoking until tomorrow, realize it here and now, because now you know where your cigarette is shooting - at you and at those who are dear to you.

Replace smoking with other pleasures or activities

The ideal time to How to Curb Stress While You Quit Smoking to quit smoking is on vacation. There is no stress that causes you to reach for a cigarette. There are plenty of interesting activities.

All you have to do is not take cigarettes with you on a rafting trip down a stormy mountain river or go on a bus tour of Europe, where no one will slow down or ventilate the Louvre to give you the opportunity to smoke, and you will be surprised to find that you can easily do without smoke for several years now. busy and interesting days.

The main thing here is to take away from such an experience the realization: “I smoke not because I want to, but because I’m just bored and have nothing to do with myself.”

Sounds so-so, right? Try to get rid of boredom. Look for activities that can replace cigarettes. And you will quit smoking.

Figure out how to overcome the urge

The desire to smoke most often arises spontaneously. First, we emotionally grab a cigarette, take a drag, and only then the brain screams: “What are you doing, we promised!” It's too late.

Therefore, it is extremely important to take a short pause between “Oh, how I want to smoke” and the click of the lighter. This pause is really short.

Experts assure 8 Tips to Quit Smoking for Good in 2020 that the strong desire to grab a cigarette lasts no more than 3–5 minutes.

Think about how you can fill this time - and try to bring this action to an automatic level.

For example, if you have a craving for nicotine, you do push-ups several times. Or we stand in the plank for a minute. Or we chew a hard apple. Or we chew on a toothpick. Or just open the window and take a few deep breaths.

Any option will do, as long as the pause filler is consistently at hand at the right time.

What happens in the body when you quit smoking

Know that the first positive changes in the body occur within 20 minutes after you quit smoking - blood pressure gradually normalizes. This information helps to prepare for further struggle.

Subsequent changes after certain periods of time:

8 hours - the level of carbon monoxide in the blood will drop to a minimum;
12 hours - bad breath will disappear;
day - blood pressure normalizes;
two days - taste sensations will become brighter;
third day - physiological dependence disappears;
a week - your sense of smell will be completely restored: you will sense a smoker tens of meters away;
month - health will return to normal, night cough will disappear, erection in men will increase;
three months - blood flow will increase, tissue oxygen saturation will increase by 35%;
9 months - the immune system will be fully restored, resistance to colds will increase.

After a year, the risk of developing cancer of the lungs, larynx and esophagus will be halved. Anyone who quit 5 years ago has the same risk of dying from myocardial infarction as non-smokers

Connect social networks

It sounds funny, but those smokers who talk about the progress of their struggle with the bad habit on social networks achieve success Using Facebook, Twitter To Quit Smoking: How Social Media Helps You Overcome Addiction much more often than those who try to fight the craving for cigarettes offline .

Facebook or Twitter makes you feel like other people are supporting you. In addition, social networks are full of motivational stories of those who have already given up smoking. And the more we get acquainted with other people’s successful cases, the more we believe in our own victory.

The dangers of smoking: how many times have they told the world...

Everyone, young and old, knows about the dangers of smoking: cigarette packs are full of threatening pictures and inscriptions, sad statistics are cited by the media, doctors at appointments describe the terrible consequences of this addiction. According to WHO, about 5 million people die annually in the world from pathologies caused by smoking, or 8 people per second.

Here is just a short list of diseases caused by inhalation of tobacco smoke:

Lungs' cancer. Research shows that up to 90% of all cases of this pathology are associated with tobacco smoking.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. According to doctors, about 80% of patients with this disease are smokers.
Malignant tumors of the larynx. More than 90% of cancer patients are experienced smokers.
Impotence. The risk of this disease is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked daily: a pack a day will increase the likelihood of impotence by 24%, and two - by 40%.
Infertility. In women who smoke, the risk of this pathology increases by 60%.
Decreased vision. Smoking provokes damage to the retina of the eye - macular degeneration.

Also, do not forget about the aesthetic problems that nicotine addiction causes: bad breath, permanent plaque on the teeth, accelerated aging of the skin, brittle nails and hair. You can get rid of all these consequences by returning to a healthy lifestyle and giving up the bad habit forever.

Is there an easy way to quit smoking?

According to research, addiction to nicotine is much stronger than to alcohol and many types of drugs. Therefore, the process of getting rid of a habit is accompanied by “withdrawal” or, more correctly, withdrawal syndrome. And the more years you have not parted with a cigarette, the more difficult it is to go through the process of quitting smoking.

Almost everyone initially tries to overcome the tendency to smoke on their own, but this is not effective in all cases. For those who consumed no more than ten cigarettes a day, willpower and a set of non-medicinal techniques, which we will consider below, are usually sufficient. Those with many years of “smoking experience” should not count on quick and easy results; it is better to immediately select comprehensive measures to relieve withdrawal symptoms. If necessary, you can contact a specialist - a psychologist or narcologist.

The Ministry of Health did not warn about this: possible negative consequences of abruptly quitting smoking

Everyone constantly talks about how giving up a bad habit has a beneficial effect on the body: blood pressure and circulation are normalized, lung function is restored, the risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases are reduced, coughing, hoarseness and shortness of breath disappear... However, most sources do not remember what to abruptly quit smoking means subjecting both the psyche and the human body to enormous stress. Most often, withdrawal symptoms have the following symptoms:

A cough that occurs due to the cleansing of accumulated tars and harmful substances from the lungs.
Decreased immunity. A smoker's body gets used to dealing with a lot of harmful substances every day. After the “blows” disappear, the immune system weakens for some time, colds become more frequent, and sores appear in the mouth.
Indigestion. Since nicotine is actively involved in the functioning of the digestive organs, on the first day after you quit smoking, your stomach may hurt, and diarrhea or constipation is often observed.
Hunger. The need to “chew” the stress caused by quitting smoking becomes the cause of excess weight and resulting psychological problems.
Nervousness, depression, mood swings are frequent companions of ex-smokers. Characterized by difficulties in communicating with loved ones and colleagues, irritability, and possible nervous breakdowns.

Increase the content of vegetables and fruits in your diet

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Buffalo (USA) proved Trying to Quit Smoking? Try Eating More Fruits and Vegetables: The more vegetables and fruits a person consumes, the easier it is for him to quit smoking.

The point is that our brain often confuses the craving for tobacco with the craving for fiber.

Having treated ourselves to cabbage salad or a crisp apple, we deceive the body: it begins to think that it has already received what it wants, and therefore the cigarette seems to be irrelevant.

Be prepared for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

This is one of the most popular methods to quit smoking. Especially among those who have already unsuccessfully tried to resolve the issue in one fell swoop.

Nicotine patches, special chewing gum, sprays, and lozenges really help cope with the acute craving for tobacco, which is almost inevitable in the first phase of quitting smoking.

Replacement therapy is only a temporary measure. Its main task is to facilitate the process of quitting cigarettes.

But when it comes to common electronic cigarettes, doctors are somewhat confused. Thus, Glen Morgan from the National Cancer Institute (USA) assures Kick the Habit: 10 Scientific Quit-Smoking Tips that there is not a single clinical study that would prove the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in combating smoking.

Moreover, such devices can even be harmful, because the contents of the cartridges are not regulated, and therefore users are simply not aware of what toxins are entering their body with each “safe” puff.

How to quickly quit smoking on your own

The first way to quit smoking on your own is to simply say no, this method is suitable for people with strong motivation, here you will come to the aid of constantly reminding yourself why you are doing this.

Tell all your friends and acquaintances about this. Share why this is important to you. To everyone who is skeptical, offer a bet - if they see you with a cigarette, then you will give the cost of a pack of cigarettes, and if you have not smoked for a year, then he will give it to you, so you will even earn money from those who do not believe in you.

Reward yourself with something nice every week from the money you have accumulated that you did not spend on smoking. Replace a bad habit with a pleasant and useful one - you want to smoke a lot - do exercises, dance, meditate, any activity that inspires you.

Seek help from a specialist

First, see a therapist. There are medications that block receptors associated with nicotine addiction in the brain. As a result, a person gradually and gently weanses the habit of cigarettes. But treatment with medications has a number of side effects, so only a qualified doctor can prescribe and administer it.

An option is to undergo behavioral therapy with the help of a psychotherapist. This specialist will analyze your psychological profile, help you find the reasons that make you crave cigarettes, and tell you how to adjust your lifestyle so that your craving for nicotine decreases. Ideally, to zero.

Benefits of not smoking

The desire to quit smoking arises periodically. For it to turn into a clearly defined aspiration, a little psychological preparation is needed. In your free minute, you need to concentrate and determine:

the reason that supports the craving for smoking;
what is attractive about smoking;
how life will change if this habit is not in it.

You must write down your answers on a blank sheet of paper. You need to be as honest as possible—recorded answers form powerful motivation.

The reasons for smoking may be:

habit of a certain rhythm of the day;
desire to calm down;
the desire to maintain a figure;
the need to fit in with the environment;
imitation (of an idol, one of your relatives or friends).

Smoking allows you to:

create the illusion of busyness;
develop a ritual that calms your nerves;
hide fear and self-doubt.

The benefits of breaking a bad habit will be:

clean, glowing skin and pleasant smelling hair;
elimination of cough and shortness of breath, pleasant breathing, healthy body;
opportunity to make a career - many corporations appoint people who are not addicted to smoking to leading positions;
financial freedom - the habit becomes more and more expensive;
saving time.

The goals written down on the sheet will allow you to force yourself to quit smoking without much effort.