Beginners Guide to Stop Smoking

Not going to discuss about the negative effects of smoking in this entry. There's too many of them and you can look it up for yourself in the internet. Therefore, I will assume you already know that smoking is gravely injurious to your health. The number of deaths caused by smoking still exceeds the number of deaths caused by auto accidents, suicide, homicide, cocaine, and AIDS combined.

To learn how to stop smoking effectively, you need to know why is it so hard to stop. People get addicted because cigarettes contain nicotine which is a type of stimulant. People claim that it relaxes the nerves, keeps them awake and clear-headed, but clearly the negative effects outweighs these subjective properties.

You need to realize and admit that you have a problem. If you think you can just quit within a day or two, going down from several packs a day to zero in 24 hours, you're wrong. Nobody does that. It takes courage and strong will to even begin to have the commitment to quit. If you feel you can't do it yourself, don't hesitate to look for help either from friends and family or from healthcare professional.

The first step: establish a reason why you should quit.

It can be because you want to live a longer, healthier life. Or you want to do it for the sake of your newborn baby. In any case, list these reasons down and keep it in your quit smoking diary.

Second step: set up a reasonable dateline.

Reasonable meaning you need to realize how high is your degree of addiction. Generally, people who have smoked longer and in higher quantity takes longer to stop. I have to stop smoking within 6 months, for example. Do not set up a cut-down date. Aim to stop completely.

Third step: prepare yourselves for withdrawal.

Like any addiction, expect to experience symptoms like nausea, headaches, anxiety, craving, and even depression within the first two days from your last cigarette. These symptoms gradually ease over several weeks to one month. Nicotine replacement in forms of gum or patches will help you in fighting the withdrawal symptoms.

Fourth step: celebrate success daily.

Mark down your calendar for each day you stay smoke free. This gives you a sense of accomplishment and encourage you to go further.

Fifth step: find other ways to manage your stress.

Listen to music, spend time with friends and family, try yoga or meditation. Find an alternative other than smoking to manage your stress.

Have you had enough yet? You're halfway done.

Sixth step: eat enough and eat healthily.

Don't worry about the weight gain. It's normal to gain a few pounds when you're trying to quit smoking. It's a sign that your body is trying to recover itself to its former state. You will experience better taste and improved appetite.

Seventh step: do not seek other forms of addiction.

Stay away from alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants. It's self explanatory. You don't want to move on from one form of addiction to another.

Eight step: don't give up, try again if you fail.

Relapse is very common and most people takes more than one try to quit entirely. If you slipped off somehow, set up a new dateline within the next month. In the mean time, look back and find the reason why you failed in the first place.

Ninth step: talk it out.

Tell your friends and family that you're quitting. If you're experiencing problems, let them know.

Final step: reward yourself.

Use up the money that you have saved from not buying cigarettes and reward yourself with something fun. Get a vacation trip, buy a new phone, watch your favorite sport live. Whatever floats your boat.