To successfully quit smoking, you need to learn how to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and also how to resist the temptation of falling back into the habit. Here are a couple of tips on how you can be successful in quitting smoking:
1. Prepare a “Quitting” Plan
To make sure that your efforts to kick the habit will not be in vain, you need to create a plan for quitting the habit. For starters, list down all of the bad things connected with smoking and also list the benefits of stopping this nasty habit, this will serve as your motivation for quitting. Then give yourself a deadline on when you should completely stop smoking, like maybe a couple of weeks or months.
2. Wean Yourself from Cigarettes
Start buying less and less cigarettes every day until your deadline for smoking comes. For instance if you smoke one pack of cigarettes a day, gradually lessen the amount of sticks that you light until your cravings cease. You will find that it gets easier to quit once you can get by with just one or two sticks a week.
3. Tell Your Family and Friends about Your Decision to Quit
If you have friends or family members who smoke, kindly ask them not to tempt you by offering you a cigarette or smoking in front of you, if they truly care about you and your decision then they will gladly grant your request.
4. Be Prepared for the Withdrawal Symptoms
Once you start cutting back on your nicotine consumption you will start undergoing withdrawal symptoms, most of the time this will cause you to go back to the habit, but not if you prepare. Before you start experiencing withdrawal symptoms, take away all tobacco-related stuff lurking in your home. If there is nothing to remind you about smoking then the withdrawal symptoms will start to subside.
5. Find Healthy Substitutes for Cigarettes
If you have a habit of lighting up a cigarette or two after a meal try replacing cigarettes with some fresh fruits like an apple or a banana. If you like to smoke while you are out drinking with friends, kill your urges by snacking on some nuts or chips, or maybe chewing on a straw or a toothpick.
By following these surefire tips on how to quit smoking for good, in a month or two, you will start to forget why you ever did smoke in the first place.