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p>Unfortunately - there is no easy way. It is difficult to stop smoking and requires a great deal of will power and determination. It is so difficult to stop smoking because of the following reasons:
1. Physical withdrawal symptoms caused by the withdrawal of the drug nicotine from your body.
4. You can always try aids such as nicotine replacement therapy in the form of nicotine gum or patches; or even in the form of acupressure or acupuncture, if you don't want to keep on being dependent on nicotine.
How to stop smoking then?
2. Changes that you have to make to your lifestyle to prevent you from starting smoking again.
3. Drink a lot of fluids such as water, fruit juice or tea. This will help reduce your craving as well as give you a replacement activity for smoking. Try not to drink alcohol! Drinking alcohol will firstly reduce your will power, as well as cause weight gain. It is probably these changes in lifestyle that makes it so difficult to stop smoking! Not only do you have to give up one pleasurable addiction (smoking - if it can be called pleasurable!), and then you have to stop drinking alcohol too - who says it is easy to give up smoking!
2. Remove all visible reminders of your smoking activities such as ashtrays both from your office as well as your home. This also includes packets of cigarettes! It will be more difficult to stop if your spouse or partner also smokes since it means that the reminders for smoking are always there. It will also constantly put you in a situation where you will be tempted to smoke. It is very advisable to try and make the stop smoking effort part of a team effort, where both yourself and your partner stop at the same time (of course, it is questionable whether the relationship will be able to withstand the irritability of the withdrawal symptoms!)
5. Try and remember the reasons for wanting to stop smoking! Write it down on a piece of paper or a card and read it every time that you want to reach for a cigarette! Keep track of the number of days that you haven't smoked and use the number of mounting days to motivate yourself to keep going!
1. Set a date. You can either decide to go 'cold turkey' - in other words, stop smoking completely from that date onwards, or gradually reduce the number of cigarettes that you smoke per day.
This might involve reducing the number of situations where you might feel the need or be tempted to smoke again. Unfortunately this normally involves socializing with friends.
You will experience mood swings and irritability. Nicotine replacement in the form of patches or nicotine gum is therefore a commonly preferred option for people to deal with the physical withdrawal symptoms. Contact your clinic or doctor to assist you and advise you on these options.
6. Reward yourself with the money that you are saving from not buying cigarettes with a small treat of some sorts!
Previous article: 29 January 2007
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