Quitting smoking is never an easy step to take. There are lots of challenges that come with the whole process, and some people inevitably fail to make it the first time. There are always going to be challenges that come with breaking an addition, but just because you might have tried and failed before, that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed this time.
So if you’ve failed before but you’re still certain that you want to kick the habit, we’re going to talk today about some of the steps that you can take to make that happen. Being prepared and understanding the challenges ahead of you will make it easier for you to push your way through them. So find out more below.
Select a Date and Stick to It
If you’re going to quit smoking, the first thing you have to do is get started. It might sound obvious, but lots of people don’t stick to a particular time and they keep telling themselves that they’ll do it next week or next month, and then that date keeps getting pushed back further and further. So sit down, pick a date at some point in the near future, and try to stick to it. Even better, you could decide to start right now; there’s never a better time than now for these kinds of changes.
Identify and Plan for Triggers
We all have triggers when it comes to our addictions. Maybe you’re someone who reaches for a cigarette to calm you down when you start to feel stressed. It might seem soothing at that moment, but it’s obviously not good for your health, even if it does calm you down. Understanding those triggers that make you want to smoke and planning for them will put you in a far better position. You can then be aware of the temptation coming your way and respond differently this time.
Consider Therapy Options
Lots of people benefit from therapy when they’re trying to break an addiction, and it’s important to remember that breaking an addiction is precisely what you’re doing here. Although smoking might not destroy your day to day ability to function the way other drugs and alcohol might, that doesn’t make it any less of an addiction. So making use of therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy might be just what you need. It can help to cement the changes you’re trying to make.
Get Support from Friends and Family
Having support from the people around you is definitely something that most people find beneficial when it comes to giving up smoking. It can sometimes feel like a very lonely journey when you’re trying to do it all alone but it doesn’t have to be that way. When you have support from people around you, you’ll have much more confidence to carry on going. And if you’re doing it for your family, that also provides you with a lot of added motivation.
Consider Vaping as a Replacement
Lots of people now find that it’s easier to break the habit of smoking if they have another healthier habit to replace it with, at least in the short term. There are lots of high-quality vaping options out there today, such as CCELL Uno. If you feel that having something to physically replace the act of smoking cigarettes with might help you, you should give it a try and see how it goes. You might then want to stop vaping at some point in the future, but that’s up to you.
Try to Reduce Your Stress Levels
Stress and smoking are often linked for many smokers. They might feel stressed and want to smoke, as we discussed above. This is more than a trigger for many people though; it’s also a coping mechanism. So as well as knowing your triggers and planning for them accordingly, you might also want to think about how you can reduce your overall stress levels so that you don’t feel the need to use cigarettes as a crutch at all. Stress is bad for us and our health anyway, so it makes sense to reduce it in your life.
Keep Busy to Avoid Cravings
It’s also not uncommon for people to feel cravings when they’re too bored and don’t have much to do. So if you want to make sure that your cravings to smoke don’t get the better of you when you’re trying to quit, you should try to stay busy. In the first few days and weeks of quitting, it’s particularly important to keep yourself busy. So planning a task or project that you need to focus on when you’re trying to quit might be something that helps you get through that difficult period.
Be More Active Than Usual
Many people find that they’re able to keep cravings at bay by being active. If you’re someone who enjoys the gym and being active, using that passion and enjoyment for physical activity might be just what you need when you’re trying to focus on anything other than smoking. Of course, it’s good for your health anyway, so even if you’re not someone who usually exercises a lot, now could be the perfect time to start.
Tell Everyone You Know
When everyone knows that you’re giving up, you’ll feel under more pressure not to cave in and let everyone down. So don’t keep this to yourself; tell people and use that as a way of keeping yourself accountable and committed to seeing this whole process of quitting through to the end. It could be the real difference maker.
It might not seem like it right now, but you’ll look back at this whole process one day and realize that it’s one of the best decisions and steps you ever chose to make. So if you want to put yourself in a healthier position and make sure that you’re able to quit for good this time, be sure to make the most of the tips above.