6 Important Things to Remember When Quitting Smoking
They say, if you’ve been smoking for more than a half of your life, it`s impossible to give up smoking. That`s a myth. I’d been smoking for about fifteen years until I felt like it`s really time to change the situation for better. If you strive to live a healthy life but that morning coffee-cigarette ritual seems to be an irreplaceable part of comfortable living, it`s actually not an unsolvable problem. First of all, you need to have a strong motivation. Either way, if you`re interested in this information, it means that you already want to quit smoking and these little tips will hopefully help you do that with less problems and more pleasure.
1. Why?
I tried to quit smoking for several times before I finally did it and now I realize why I couldn`t do that. I just thought that wishing to stop smoking is enough. However, after a hard day of abstention I couldn`t avoid smoking my usual morning cigarette. It happened so because I hadn`t enough motivation. I didn`t know why I couldn’t smoke that cigarette. The first thing you have to do is to find a needed phrase that you`ll say to yourself every time you want to smoke. For me it was something like, “I have no time to smoke in this life!” Of course, you`ll choose your own motivational phrase. You know what you do that for and you know how to persuade yourself better than anyone else, right? For example, another strong motivation is your future children`s health.
2. What’s next?
The other highly important thing to remember when quitting smoking is to have a goal. Realize that quitting smoking for the sake of quitting smoking isn`t enough. You should see some bigger victory. My goal was to become healthier and more energetic and it actually happened so. When I gave up smoking I started feeling much better. I`m energetic, I wake up with a wonderful expectation of fresh, positive impressions the new day will bring me and I have more time to do what I really want.
When I just wanted to stop breathing harmful smoke, I felt like I threw out something valuable from my life, something that makes me happy. Now I know that it was an illusion and I realize that I finally did it because I said myself that if I want to give it up – I don`t like it and after that I`ll feel better and I`ll be healthier. You should also see what will happen after you finally manage to quit smoking.
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3. It’s hard
Even though I say that quitting smoking is possible, you should realize that it`s really difficult. It may be the hardest challenge in your life but, believe me, it`s worth that! If you’ve been smoking for quite a long time, like I used to, your body requires a regular dosage of nicotine and this very thing drives you crazy when all the stores are closed and there are no cigarettes left for tomorrow. This very thing makes you buy a few packs in advance and this very thing is something you should struggle against hardly. I knew that it`s hard but every time I wanted to put a cigarette into my mouth once again I said, “Do you really think that this terrible “nicotine beast” is stronger than you?” Than I smiled and felt an untamable inspiration that gave me power to fight with that strong desire to smoke.
4. Do something instead
We smoke because there`s nothing to do and we have nothing to do because we smoke. It`s a vicious circle in your head that you need to destroy as soon as possible. Otherwise, when you want to smoke, you will smoke because there will be nothing else to do. Every time you want it again, you should think what else to do now instead of smoking. I thought about the fact that when I smoke, I satisfy my own desire and that`s all but I can do something pleasant and useful for others instead like cleaning the house, cooking or whatever. It`s easier to quit smoking when you can distract yourself with a positive deed.
5. There’s no last one
This trick never ever works for you! You just want to renew the dosage of nicotine and that`s it. You can`t give up smoking if you smoke the “last cigarette.” It`s never the last one in reality because then you`ll need to renew nicotine and you`ll smoke again. If you seriously want to break this habit you need to remember that there`s no concept like the “last cigarette.” Just stop it. Some people think that if they haven’t smoked for two weeks and then smoke that “last cigarette,” they still haven’t smoked for two weeks but it`s far from truth. It means that they start smoking again. Nicotine stops troubling you after about a month from the moment of your last cigarette. If you smoke at least one more after three weeks, you start that way from the beginning because your nicotine is renewed.
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6. There are no benefits
What do you smoke for? You may think that it helps you reduce stress. Actually, cigarettes cause you even more stress. You can`t live without them because smoking is an addiction. How can an addiction reduce stress? You may say that it`s such a pleasure to smoke. If it`s a pleasure, why didn`t you like it when you tried to smoke for the first time? If you can remember, the first cigarette in your life was a really disgusting thing. Breathing smoke isn`t natural and it brings nothing good to you. It damages your health and prevents you from being active. What are the benefits of smoking? There are no benefits at all and you should remember that!
Well, now you know how to cope with that habit easier but anyway it`s extremely hard for every smoker. However, you`ll be amazingly surprised at the feeling of freedom you get once you stop smoking for good. Remember that nothing is as strong as a smoker`s desire to smoke again and again so when you finally give up doing it, your life will turn to be an easy case in comparison with that challenge. Wish you find a needed motivation and feel the freedom that I enjoy from that very happy day I smoked my last cigarette! What does make you smoke again when you try to give it up?
