As you know, giving up smoking is not as easy as it is. But you CAN give up smoking if you set your heart to. Most people are unable to quit the bad habit because they are not 100% willing to! Here are some quick fixes that will help you stop smoking altogether.
1. Start exercising. Exercising takes your mind off smoking and helps to keep you healthy and alert. When you exercise, your body will perspire and flush out those toxins that have accumulated in your body over the years. some people smoke because they feel that they have nothing to do. Exercising will be a good alternative. Some of us will also experience an increase in appetite once we stop smoking, so we tend to eat more. Exercise helps to keep your weight in control.
2. Brushing your teeth before you sleep. If you have the habit of smoking before you go to bed, try brushing your teeth before you retire for the night. It works for me. You will not feel the urge to smoke after that because you feel that there is a ‘need’ to keep your mouth clean and fresh. Or it could be partly due to the mint toothpaste that has the same cooling effect as the menthol in cigarettes.
3. Avoid situations that will trigger your smoking mind. If you have friends who smoke, avoid them until you feel that you can resist the temptation when they offer you a stick. Or if you lunch together with your colleagues who smoke, avoid hanging out with them after lunch. If possible, persuade your buddies to quit together. If you have a habit of smoking at certain places, avoid visiting them for now especially pubs.
4. Reminding yourself first thing when you wake up & last thing before you sleep. You can say things like ‘Today is a brand new day & I am not going to spoil it with a smoke’ or ‘Tomorrow shall be the best day ever because I will not touch a stick’. By repeatedly reminding yourself everyday, you are putting new beliefs into your subconscious mind, which will become a reality over a period of time.
5. Reward yourself. Buy yourself a new gadget. Treat your friends to a nice dinner. Splurge on new clothes. Remember, you are spending money that would otherwise be spent on burning useless cigarettes. And when you see more & more luxury items entering your life, you know that you have made a wise decision to quit smoking then. By rewarding yourself, you tend to feel more positive and giving up smoking will not seem as painful as before.
I hope you have found these few tips useful. It’s the beginning of 2009 and I hope you have listed ‘quit smoking’ as one of your new year’s resolution. Giving up smoking can be an intimidating process. But if you decide to quit smoking, you have to be serious and disciplined enough. Only then will you see results. All the best!