4 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is a life-changing decision that offers a healthier and brighter future. While trying to quit smoking can be challenging, and many relapse into the habit, statistics show that 6.2% of smokers manage to kick the habit completely every year.
In this article, we delve into effective strategies and practical tips that can help you navigate the path of smoking cessation. Keep reading to learn four tips to help you on your journey to quit smoking:
Try Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Nicotine replacement therapy can be one of the most potent ways to help you quit smoking. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved five NRTs for quitting smoking, and nicotine is the active ingredient in all of them.
NRT provides you with some of the nicotine through alternate sources so you don’t feel as uncomfortable after quitting smoking. These sources include nicotine gum, patches, lozenges you can buy without a prescription, and prescription medicines like nicotine inhalers and nasal sprays.
The most significant benefit of NRT is that you can obtain nicotine to help you manage craving and withdrawal symptoms without inhaling the hundreds of hazardous chemicals in cigarette smoke. To help you quit nicotine altogether, you can gradually decrease your nicotine intake from NRT over several weeks.
Manage Withdrawal Symptoms
If you have become addicted to nicotine, experiencing withdrawal symptoms when quitting is unavoidable. You must familiarize yourself with some common ones, so you’re not alarmed when you face them on your journey to quitting smoking.
These can include headaches, a dry mouth, lack of energy, trouble focusing, insomnia, irritability, and feelings of anxiety and depression.
Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal pass with time, so it’s crucial that you remain patient and don’t give in. Meanwhile, you can try different strategies to help you cope with them. For example, exercising can help with anxiety and depression, and keeping yourself constantly hydrated can help with a dry mouth.
You can also improve focus, as well as the quality of sleep, through the use of supplements like CBD flowers, which you can obtain through Secret Nature CBD.
Avoid Triggers
Identifying and avoiding people, situations, or places that can trigger your urge to smoke is essential. For example, smoking urges can be the strongest where you used to do it before, like at parties or with certain friends, or you might be in the habit of smoking after a meal, while sipping coffee, or for relieving stress. It’s essential to analyze yourself to find the situations where it feels automatic to start smoking and devise a plan to avoid them or get through them without doing so. For example, if you smoke after meals, then develop the habit of doing something else, like going for a stroll.
Get Support
Having the support of people during this challenging time can be incredibly uplifting. If you intend to quit smoking, informing family and friends can not only act as a way to be held accountable and keep your progress in check, but they can also provide you with motivation, encouragement, and support. If you cannot find supportive people around you, you can also join an online or in-person support group.
Endnote
Quitting smoking can be a tough and challenging endeavor; however, with determination and perseverance, it’s not impossible. Plan your goals for the journey, and set a date by which you expect yourself to entirely have quit the habit.
Inform family and friends, as they can help uplift you through motivation and support and keep you accountable. Identify the situations that act as smoking triggers for you, and try to avoid them or deal with them without smoking a cigarette.
Also, educate yourself about the common nicotine withdrawal symptoms and look for strategies to help you cope. You can also try nicotine replacement therapy through over-the-counter nicotine patches, gums, or prescription medications.
