How Can I Quit Smoking?

A Guide on How to Quit Smoking

Smokers decide to quit smoking when they already had enough of the bad benefits of cigarettes. At whatever angle people look at it, smoking will simply be non-beneficial to smokers. The only ones benefitting from it are the rich and huge companies that sell them. Even with the presence of different quitting methods, a guide will be very helpful in increasing the chances of success. Unsuccessful quitters return to their bad habits due to the fact that most methods are simply not enough to stop them from smoking. Additional guidance and support will mean a lot to desperate smokers who really want this to work.

Designing a quitting program or plan will help smokers stay on the correct path. The program should consist of the person’s goals, plans, track records and reasons why they plan to quit smoking. These reasons can be due to health problems, emotional problems and even due to a simple promise. Keep these reasons as inspirations especially during hard times. Having short and long term goals in the program will keep the smoker motivated in this journey. The smoker can also track his/her success by checking if these goals are actually achieved. Also, it is wise to keep track when cravings are experienced. Write the things that triggered these cravings and avoid them in the future. Finally, following the plan is the most important part of this process. It will be the body of the whole program. Without it, nothing will be achieved. This program must be with the person at all times. It will serve as a reference especially when cravings occur.

When planning to stop smoking, it is important to announce it to friends and family. They can give the support every smoker will need in this journey. And maybe along the way, other smokers might quit as well. Having a friend or family quit at the same time can make this task easier. They can treat it as a competition where the person who lasts the longest will win. In this case though, both competitors will win since every person will have a competitive instinct. No one would like to lose that’s why it can serve as a great motivator.

Smokers choose to quit smoking to help themselves and the people surrounding them. Every smoker knows that quitting smoking is no walk in the park but it is the right thing to do. Quitting may not be good for other situations but smoking is an exception for this. Remember that the best thing a smoker can do to his/her life is to stop and never return to smoking ever again.

5 Simple Tips on How You Can Quit Smoking Forever

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.

3 Tips on How to Quit Smoking

There are a number of smokers who want to stop smoking cigarettes, but they do not know how. Fortunately, there are five ways on how to quit smoking, so you can try these out.

First, smokers have to be educated that even if the manufacturer says that cigarettes are “light,” “filtered”or“low tar” these kinds of cigarettes are still dangerous and very addicting. It does not matter how these products are advertised because the fact is that smoking will cause damaged blood vessels, lungs and cells throughout the body. The important thing is that smokers should not be misled by cigarette products and their supposed “benefits.”

Secondly, a person should write a journal on why he or she would like to quit puffing cigarettes. This is important because this will enable a person to regain control of his life, be healthier, be an example to his sons or daughters and protect his loved ones from other people’s cigarette smoke. By keeping that journal, a person will be able to kick his habit sooner than expected. Thirdly, a smoker is aware that he has gotten used to the effects of cigarette smoke due to nicotine. This drug makes it hard for a person to quit smoking because of its addicting properties. However, a person can win his or her personal battle if he or she realizes the need to quit. By preparing for withdrawal symptoms, a smoker will be able to deal with his bad moods and control the urge to puff a cigarette.

Also, an ex-smoker may use a number of nicotine replacement products that are approved by the FDA and use them if they have the urge to look for a cigarette. Still, it is not easy because of the withdrawal symptoms that may bother them. However, the worst symptom will only last for a few days at the least or a couple of weeks at the most. Perhaps the best way to approach this dilemma is to quit a day at a time, so this approach will eventually bore fruit in the long run. Fourth, the good news is that millions of people have willed themselves on how to quit smoking. They have decided that there are more things to life than just wasting their time puffing packs of cigarettes.

Lastly, there are some smokers who need help so they can call any non-government organization or other groups that will help them curb their need to smoke cigarettes.

Why Do You Want to Quit Smoking?

There are endless good reasons to quit smoking, including reducing your risk of cancer, heart disease and early death. Despite these well-known risk factors, however, many smokers find themselves needing a more personal reason to want to kick the habit; possibly because the threat of "maybe" contracting a deadly disease just doesn't seem likely (the old, "it will never happen to me" syndrome).

This article is going to share some easy steps to help you come up with your own powerful, compelling reason(s) to quit smoking once and for all.

1) First, take a few moments to jot down on a sheet of paper the negative aspects of how smoking makes you feel. You can include actual physical problems like shortness of breath and fatigue; as well as feelings like embarrassment that your clothing and hair may stink; feeling like an outcast stepping outside to smoke while everyone else stays inside socializing and having a good time; or even your fears, like dying young and leaving your children before your time.

Write down as many reasons as you can, and try to make them reasons that really matter to YOU - not just what other people have said to you or you've heard others say before.

2) When you're done with your list, look it over carefully. Read each item on the list, and really think about how it feels to experience that situation in your daily life. Now choose the top three reasons that are most repulsive to you and circle them.

Take another sheet of paper and write a longer description of each of those three items. For example, if one of your top reasons was "to not die young and abandon my children", write a paragraph or two about why that is important to you. How would it affect your children if you died before your time? How will your smoking impact them, now and in the future? Will your smoking addiction encourage them to smoke later in life? Continue writing until you feel you have identified your core reason for wanting to quit smoking. This may seem like a morbid exercise, but it can be incredibly powerful. Being a smoker for a long time desensitizes you to the true long-term effects of smoking. This exercise jars you out of the haze of denial.

Now go through this same process for the other two important reasons on your list.

3) When you've got your three descriptions written, read them over again. Now take a final sheet of paper and write a description of the opposite outcome. When you do quit smoking, what will happen instead of those other experiences? For example, you might write that you will be around to love your children and grandchildren for many years to come, your kids will be really proud of you for quitting, they'll be blessed with a healthy, strong parent that has the energy and stamina to play with them, and so on.

Do this for all three reasons you described earlier.

Carry these lists with you and read them slowly each day, really paying attention to how they make you feel. With enough repetition, you will actually begin training your brain to view smoking as an unpleasant, dangerous activity - which will make quitting easier when you decide it's time.

While this may not remove the discomfort that comes along with nicotine withdrawal, it will certainly help you to stop seeing smoking as a harmless activity and instead see it for what it is: a true threat to your health, happiness and longevity.

If that isn't enough reason to quit, what is?

Smoking: A Threefold Addiction

You may have heard that smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome, and the majority of people who have successfully done it would probably agree. In fact, it has been said that quitting smoking is even more difficult than overcoming addictions to illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Why is that?

One of the reasons may be that smoking is for the most part a socially acceptable habit (though this is acceptance level is declining steadily), but there are also other reasons why smoking is such a powerfully addictive habit.

1) Physical addiction.

Nicotine is a powerful drug that acts directly upon receptors in your brain. These receptors are stimulated by nicotine, resulting in several different physiological responses such as elevated heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, and increased mental alertness, among others. The longer you ingest nicotine, the more of these receptors you develop. Over time, these receptors become less sensitive to nicotine and begin to require increased doses to achieve the same level of stimulation. When you try to stop smoking, feelings of intense discomfort (known as withdrawal) will occur.

People have described nicotine withdrawal symptoms as "demons" or "torture" because they are so strong. Most people report feelings of intense restlessness, irritability, fatigue, dizziness, and even flu-like symptoms or chest pain.

Physical withdrawal symptoms can often be eased with the use of nicotine replacement products like gum, patches and lozenges, but many people feel that these products only delay the inevitable by keeping the ex-smoker hooked on nicotine. Still other people claim that using nicotine replacement products helped them conquer one aspect of quitting at a time - for example, the psychological or emotional repercussions, before tackling the physical addiction.

2) Emotional addiction.

The emotional connection to smoking can easily be as strong as physical dependence upon nicotine. There are a variety of reasons why people smoke, but one of the most common reasons that develops over time is an emotional "crutch" or "cover".

Many smokers report using smoking as a coping mechanism for feelings like anger, frustration, boredom, stress and sadness that they don't know how to deal with otherwise. Rather than processing their emotions, they reach for a cigarette (or cigar, pipe, etc.) and distract themselves from it.

Of course, this doesn't really help them deal with unpleasant feelings, but they believe it does. When the smoker tries to quit smoking, they suddenly find themselves overwhelmed with difficult emotions and no way to handle them.

One of the most effective ways to handle these errant emotions is to find alternative ways to process them when they come up. Journaling, venting to a friend, exercise, meditation and affirmations are often helpful. The important thing is not to bottle up your emotions and avoid them, because they just keep coming back until they are fully processed and released.

3) Psychological addiction.

Still another powerful connection to smoking results from the physical act itself: psychological dependence. Since most smokers smoke many times in a day for years at a time, they get very comfortable with the act of smoking, always having a cigarette, cigar or pipe in their hand and mouth. Even if a person is successful in reducing physical cravings and dealing with their emotions, they still may struggle with a sense of loss or aimlessness. The activity that used to occupy so much of their time and attention every day is now gone and they don't quite know what to do with themselves.

One good way to conquer this type of dependence is to change your smoking routine in the weeks leading up to your quit date. For example, if you tend to smoke while driving, talking on the phone or watching television, gradually reduce your smoking habit during those activities. Smoke in locations where you normally wouldn't, like standing outside. When you finally do quit for good, you'll have an easier time engaging in your normal activities without missing the act of smoking so much.

Natural Methods to Quit Smoking

Have you been thinking about quitting smoking but are hesitant to ingest chemicals and nicotine from stop smoking aids? Now more than ever there are plenty of natural methods to help you quit smoking - without harmful chemicals and the side effects that often come along with them.

Below you'll find information on some of the most common natural methods to quit smoking:

- Herbal supplements

Unfortunately, there are no definitive studies that confirm the effectiveness of herbal supplements in reducing the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Personal feedback also varies; some people say it helps, others say not. But if you're interested in exploring the possibilities, start with these herbs commonly used for smoking cessation: St. John's Wort, lobelia, ginseng, valerian, skullcap.

Some of these herbs are actually smoked in a pipe or hand-rolled cigarette, while others are taken orally as supplements. Note also that herbal supplements can be dangerous for some individuals. They are not regulated by like prescription drugs, so knowing the proper dosage and safe usage guidelines can often be hit and miss. Another concern is that some herbal supplements can interfere with prescription medications or aggravate existing medical conditions. If you are unsure whether herbal supplements are right for you, consult your healthcare practitioner.

- Alternative treatments

Many people report success in quitting smoking with the use of alternative treatments like acupuncture, acupressure, hypnotherapy, EFT (emotional freedom techniques), meditation and visualization, massage and reiki. Some of these treatments focus on clearing the thoughts and beliefs that lead you to be a smoker, while others claim to clear the human energy field (aura) and promote healing on an energetic level.

It's interesting to note that these modalities are most often effective when people believe they will be. If you are not open to these types of treatments, it's doubtful that they would be effective in reducing your urge to smoke. Of course, the same could be said for any type of treatment: if you believe it is helping, you will be successful in abstaining from smoking.

- "Cold turkey"

Probably the best known natural method to quit smoking is simply stopping, commonly referred to as "cold turkey." There's no doubt that it's the most final way to become a non-smoker, but it's definitely not easy for some people to do.

It is possible to combine the cold turkey method with less intense natural methods, like cutting back gradually for a few weeks or having one or more hypnotherapy sessions before making the final leap.

Are natural methods better than traditional methods to quit smoking?

It depends who you ask. Manufacturers of nicotine replacement products not surprisingly claim that using gum, patches, lozenges or nicotine inhalers work the best. Drug manufacturers claim that prescription medications work the best. Individuals who have successfully quit smoking report that different methods worked best for them - some natural, and some traditional.

In the end, you are the best person to decide which method will work for you. There's no shame in using any method, provided it's safe and helps you meet your ultimate objective: to be a non-smoker.

Hypnosis To Quit Smoking - Does It Work?

If you've ever wondered whether hypnosis to quit smoking actually works, the answer is yes. And no. Actually, it works for some people, and is completely ineffective for others. Why is that? How does hypnosis really work anyway, and how does it impact a habit like smoking?

Hypnosis works by implanting strong suggestions into the subconscious mind of a person who is in a very relaxed, open state. Contrary to popular belief, you are not "unconscious" while being hypnotized. In fact, most people feel that they are simply relaxed and calm - yet fully aware of everything that is happening around them.

During the session, the hypnotherapist will verbally implant strong suggestions in the subconscious mind of the patient that reinforce their desire to be a non-smoker. These may be statements that support the person's desire to breathe freely, respect their body, be free from addictions, and so on.

When It Doesn't Work

So how come it doesn't work all of the time? Why do some people just keep on smoking after being hypnotized to stop?

Most often, it's because they are making a conscious decision to override the new suggestions implanted in their minds during hypnosis. When it comes right down to it smoking is a conscious decision, even if the desire to smoke may be triggered subconsciously.

Remember too, that there are many different reasons why people smoke. Physical addiction, emotional pacifier, ingrained habit and more - a person might decide to keep smoking because they don't know what else to do with their hands. They may decide to keep smoking because others around them are smoking, or any other number of reasons. But at the core of every failed attempt to quit smoking is the smoker's conscious decision to return to smoking.

Another possible problem is that the smoker was not able to become sufficiently relaxed during hypnosis, so the suggestions did not penetrate the subconscious mind deeply enough. In order for a hypnotherapist to access a person's subconscious mind completely, the person must be in a very relaxed, open state. They must be willing to accept the subconscious suggestions. If they are resistant to the idea of quitting smoking or unable to fully relax and open their minds to hypnotic suggestion, they simply won't have the will to resist cravings.

The main thing to understand about hypnosis to quit smoking is that it's not a magic cure. It certainly can seem like one for people who successfully succumb to it, but for others it might not be the right method to quit smoking.

How To Quit Smoking Gradually

Quitting smoking "cold turkey" can be a daunting idea for many people. They dread the thought of dealing with physical, mental and emotional cravings while at the same time trying to overcome the mindless habit that smoking has become during so many of their activities.

However, there is an easier way to give up smoking that works well for many people; gradually cutting down the frequency of smoking before quitting altogether.

There are many ways to do this, and all of them can be equally effective:

- Keep track.

Sometimes just being aware of how much you are smoking each day can help you to smoke less. Because smoking is often a "mindless habit," you may not realize that you are smoking more than you think. There are a couple of ways to use this method. If you tend to smoke in only one place, like at home for example, try emptying all of your ashtrays each morning before you smoke your first cigarette. At the end of the day, count how many butts have accumulated in the ashtrays and write the figure in a notebook. Each day as you smoke, keep in mind that you'll have to count every single butt and write it down later; that alone may help you to smoke less.

Another technique is to tape a small piece of paper to your cigarette pack and make a mark every time you smoke a cigarette. If you finish one pack and open another, simply move the paper to the new pack and continue making a mark every time you light up. At the end of each day, tally up your marks and write the total in a notebook.

The goal with this method is to gradually reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke each day until you are down to just a few, then quit completely.

- Start with less, smoke less.

You can also set a firm limit to smoke only the amount of cigarettes you start with each day. If you normally smoke one pack a day, you'll start with that amount. On day one, you smoke the full pack of 20 cigarettes. On day two, you remove one cigarette from the pack and put it away somewhere and only smoke the 19 cigarettes in your pack. On day three, remove two cigarettes and store them away, smoking only 18 cigarettes. Continue like this each day, gradually reducing the amount of cigarettes you smoke each day.

If you feel it's too intimidating to cut down daily, try extending the timeline a bit by reducing the number of cigarettes weekly instead of daily.

- Disassociation from other activities.

Another helpful method is to first disassociate smoking from your other activities. Do you always smoke while you're talking on the phone? What about when you watch TV, drive, or use the computer? Try no longer smoking during these activities. It will probably feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but you will adjust little by little. Do you always smoke after a meal? Try holding off for half an hour or more to get yourself used to not smoking when you finish eating. When you finally do quit smoking completely you'll have a much easier time and not feel so lost.

All of these methods of quitting smoking gradually have one thing in common: the necessity of being determined to stick with it. If you are not motivated to cut down or quit smoking, you simply won't do it. If, however, you are ready to kick the habit for good, you may actually find it enjoyable to reduce your intake of nicotine and look forward to the day when you finally say with conviction, "I quit!"

How To Minimize Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms - Part I

Nicotine withdrawal is one of the most difficult challenges smokers face when they quit. Symptoms may include feelings of irritability, dizziness, mild chest pains, fatigue and difficulty concentrating; as well as nausea and abdominal upset, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and more.

Some of these symptoms are due to the emotional and psychological separation from smoking, but more often than not the body's dependence on nicotine sets the newly reformed smoker up for serious discomfort that can last for weeks.

The good news is that there are several ways to minimize withdrawal symptoms so they become more bearable.

This two-part article is going to share many helpful tips for making your quit easier.

- Deep breathing

Smokers tend to breathe very shallowly, so expanding your lungs each day can help you feel better and reduce stress and anxiety - not to mention the benefits of fully oxygenating your body.

How to do it: Whenever you feel a craving coming on (or you're ready to scream because of the emotional tension), simply close your eyes for a few moments and begin inhaling slowly through your nose. Allow your abdomen to expand first, then as your lungs fill, your chest will expand also. When your lungs are full, pause for a second or two, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat a few times slowly so you don't hyperventilate.

- Meditation

Meditation is most often considered to be a spiritual pursuit, but it has amazing benefits for anyone - especially people who are dealing with the stress of quitting smoking!

How to do it: Meditating can be as simple as closing your eyes and quieting your thoughts for a few minutes a day. Sit or lie in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and consciously release all stressful thoughts from your mind. Focus on the darkness behind your eyelids, or call up a mental scene of something calming, like the last time you were at the beach or a fun camping trip with your family.

Try to hold your attention steady for as long as possible. When random thoughts try to intrude into your mind, gently push them aside and take control of your focus again. Meditation does take practice to master, but you'll probably find that the benefits far outweigh the effort you have to put into it.

- Purging angry or tense feelings

If you used to use smoking as a way to avoid dealing with uncomfortable feelings like anger or stress, you may suddenly find yourself feeling overwhelmed when you try to quit smoking. Suddenly you've got all these feelings coming up - and no idea how to handle them! One simple method is to begin working through your feelings as they arise. This may not always be easy to do (especially if you are used to avoiding them), but over time it will prove to be a much more effective coping technique than smoking.

How to do it: There are many ways to purge your feelings, including writing them down in a journal, blogging about them online (you may want to make it a private blog or be sure your name isn't on it!), or even shouting them aloud into a pillow. There really is no magic system with this method; you simply get into the habit of expressing your emotions in a safe and productive way. You'll probably be surprised to find that expressing your emotions immediately makes you feel better - no need to cover them up with smoking anymore!

There are also more active things you can do to help minimize your nicotine withdrawal symptoms; read Part II of this article for more helpful tips.

How To Minimize Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms - Part 2

Beyond meditation, breathing exercises and emotional balancing, there are more physical activities that can help reduce your discomfort when you quit smoking.

Here are a few more ideas:

- Exercise

Since most people don't smoke while they exercise, getting active is a great way to distract yourself from your desire to smoke.

How to do it: First speak to your doctor to be sure physical activity is safe for you. Once you've gotten the green light, consider the types of exercise that would be most appealing to you. For the first few weeks of being a non-smoker, you may want to avoid very intense exercise unless you are already in great shape, because overdoing it will only make you more miserable. Instead, consider lighter forms of exercise that will get you moving but not tax your body too much, like walking, swimming, golfing, or dancing.

Exercise helps in several ways. First, it helps you burn off feelings of irritability and tension through physical movement, plus induces feelings of peacefulness and well-being when those endorphins start to flow. Plus it helps you expand your lung capacity again, which is likely diminished if you have been smoking for a long time.

- Rest

Quitting smoking is draining to say the least, on physical, emotional and mental levels. One of the best ways to help yourself get through it is to allow plenty of time to rest. Avoid quitting smoking during an extremely hectic or stressful time in your life. If you can, set your quit date for a time when you'll be on vacation, or at least have a lighter schedule than normal.

Don't be surprised if during the first several days of your quit, you feel very tired and have trouble concentrating. Nicotine is a stimulant that your body has become dependent upon and when you stop ingesting it, you'll probably feel like someone has "pulled the plug" and most of your energy has drained away. If this happens, simply allow yourself to rest as much as possible. Treat your fatigue just like you would the flu or a bad cold. Drink plenty of fluids and take it easy until it passes.

- Distraction

Another helpful technique is to keep your mind focused on other things while you're in the early stages of quitting. It's best to choose activities that would make it difficult to smoke while you do them, like spending time in public places that do not allow smoking, or cleaning out and organizing your attic. It may also help if you keep something similar in size or shape to a cigarette in your hands during idle moments, like a pen or straw.

More than any other coping method, however, your own attitude and determination will have a lot to do with your success or failure in becoming a non-smoker. If you want it badly enough, you'll be willing to deal with unpleasant side effects as they come up. Just keep reminding yourself that the symptoms are temporary. In as little as a few weeks, you'll be feeling much stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.

How To Make Quitting Smoking Easy

There's no doubt that quitting smoking can be one of the most daunting challenges you'll ever face, but you may be surprised to know that it doesn't exactly have to be torturous, either. There are plenty of aids that can help you quit smoking with less discomfort, like nicotine replacement products, hypnosis and more.

But one of the most powerful techniques is already in your possession, whether you know it or not! This technique is one that you already use every single day of your life. You use it when you're sick, when you're feeling great, and when you're working through challenges. It can make all the difference between success and failure, no matter what you're doing at the time.

What is this technique? Self-talk.

Don't dismiss it - when you really think about it, self-talk is truly powerful.

Have you ever accidentally talked yourself into being sick? Perhaps you woke up with a slight headache, then spent the morning telling everyone that you didn't feel good and by the end of the day you were not only suffering from a much worse headache but also body aches and other symptoms? On the other hand, perhaps you can remember experiences where you talked yourself into being well too.

Using self-talk to help yourself through the stages of quitting smoking is not only simple, it works! Your thoughts have immense power to shape your perception of everything that happens to you.

What do you think would happen if you quit smoking and then complained mentally about it the whole time? "This sucks. I want to smoke, but I can't. It's not fair that other people can smoke but I can't. I'm so sick of these cravings already, how am I going to make it through a few more weeks like this? I can't do this. Maybe I should wait until I'm less stressed..." On and on it goes - and before you know it, you've talked yourself into smoking again!

On the other hand, you can use this same type of self-talk to HELP yourself through your quit.

Here's how to do it:

When you wake up on your first day as a non-smoker, you're likely to experience some feelings of anxiety. You might have thoughts like, "Oh, that's right, I've quit smoking. Man, I really want to smoke. Maybe I should quit tomorrow instead..." As soon as you become aware that you are thinking thoughts like this, immediately turn it around. Say with confidence, "Today is going to be a GREAT day! I have officially quit smoking and I feel better already. (take a deep breath) It's so good to be able to breathe again, and it's going to get even better as I go along!"

Throughout the day, periodically say things like this to yourself: "I'm doing really GOOD at this! Not smoking is actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I've had a few cravings, but nothing that I can't handle. I can handle anything if I really set my mind to it. I'm so proud of myself."

When you do experience cravings, simply talk yourself through them. "Okay, I'm having a craving. It's just a feeling and it will pass. Having a craving doesn't mean I have to do anything about it. If I just ignore it, it will go away on its own. I'm okay. This is manageable, I can handle it."

These are just examples of some positive self-talk that you can use, but feel free to improvise. You could also be a little more aggressive, like this: "I refuse to give in to your call, nicotine! You will not beat me. I'm stronger than you are, and I'm proving it every time I refuse to smoke."

The important thing is to avoid using negative self-talk because it will simply push you back toward the desire to smoke again. If you catch yourself thinking or speaking negatively, turn it right around and affirm how great you feel, how strong you are, and so on. In no time at all, you'll really start to believe it.

As the old saying goes, "You are what you think."

How To Avoid Gaining Weight When You Quit Smoking

One of the most common excuses smokers use to avoid quitting is the fear of gaining weight. This is a valid fear, because it does seem like many people who quit smoking put on a few pounds (and some put on a lot more than a few!). Why is that? And does it have to happen to everyone who quits smoking?

First, understand that nicotine is a stimulant, and as such it does increase your metabolism a wee bit. Naturally, when you quit smoking and no longer ingest nicotine on a regular basis, your metabolism will slow down slightly. However, when I say "slightly," I really mean SLIGHTLY. Not enough to make you balloon up to the size of a blimp.

Even better, the effect is temporary and there are simple steps you can take to help keep your weight in balance.

- Drink plenty of water.

Smokers are often dehydrated as it is, which makes your body hold tighter to the water it does have. One good way to get your body to release excess water is to drink plenty of water! As contradictory as it may sound, your body will easily let go of retained water when you keep yourself well-hydrated. The general recommendation is 64 ounces per day, and more if you are overweight already.

- Clean up your diet.

The temptation to snack on sweet and salty foods when you quit smoking may be strong, but try to avoid doing so. Instead lean more toward plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. Instead of chips, try snacking on small amounts of nuts and seeds (because they are so packed with protein and fat, you don't need more than an ounce or two at a time - way less than the entire bag of chips you would have gobbled). Rather than candy, try some fresh or dried fruit. Also avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary soda pops.

- Start an exercise regimen.

Check with your doctor first to be sure you can safely withstand physical activity, and then get moving! You'll probably want to keep it moderate to begin with, like brisk walking or swimming. Don't be surprised if your lung capacity has greatly diminished if you've been smoking for a long time - but it will usually come back the longer you remain a non-smoker and continue to exercise regularly. As you get stronger, gravitate toward more strenuous forms of exercise, like weight training, dancing, or running. The better you feel physically, the less tempted you'll be to abuse your body with junk food or cigarettes.

- Don't replace one addiction with another.

Sometimes when people quit smoking they pick up another bad habit to replace it, like eating pounds of chocolate or gulping down those mega-double-whipped-chocolate-caramel-1000-calorie lattes. Your primary objective in quitting smoking is to look and feel better while adopting more healthful habits. Replace cigarettes with carrot or celery sticks, salads, fresh water, and deep breathing. You'll feel much better than you would by giving in to the temporary buzz lattes and chocolate provide.

- Don't sweat a few pounds.

If you DO see the scale go up a few notches, don't let it get you down! Remember that it's temporary. The more you focus on getting your body healthy and strong, the more quickly those pounds are going to drop back off again. Better yet, don't even step on the scale while you're working through the withdrawal from quitting smoking. Who needs the pressure? Instead, keep affirming that you are doing something wonderful for yourself, and you'll be in much better health in the long run.

Affirmations To Quit Smoking

This same concept can be used in reverse - to get yourself thinking and feeling that you DON'T want to smoke. However, you don't want to insert references to smoking in your affirmations, simply because you already have a belief that smoking is pleasurable. Once that connection has been made in your subconscious mind, any thought of smoking is going to trigger a strong desire to smoke.

Instead, you can use affirmations to emphasize the benefits of not smoking - without mentioning smoking at all.

Here are some examples:

I love being able to breathe freely.

I love taking good care of my body.

I nourish my body with healthy habits.

I deserve a clean, healthy body.

My teeth are white, my skin is glowing and I feel great!

I can change my habits by changing my mind.

I honor and respect myself always.

I am strong enough to overcome any challenge.

I feel so free.

I take one step at a time to where I want to be.

I trust my inner guidance to lead me to a state of perfect well-being.

I believe in my ability to do anything I desire.

How to Use Affirmations

Affirmations work best when they are recited repeatedly and while giving your full focus to them. Not only should you say the words, but you should also do your best to call up the corresponding FEELING associated with the words. For example, if you say, "I feel so strong and empowered" you should actually make an effort to feel that way. This does take practice if you are not used to controlling your emotional state, but it gets easier the more you do it.

Constant repetition many times a day is important also, because you are attempting to override existing beliefs in your subconscious mind. A belief is nothing more than a thought you have thought many, many times before, until eventually it becomes your "truth".

For example, the belief that smoking calms you down. Physiologically, smoking does not have relaxation benefits but many smokers have convinced themselves that it does. Because they believe this, they seem to feel more relaxed after smoking. To override this belief, you need to replace it with an opposing belief - like affirming that you feel calm and relaxed already, so there is no need to smoke in order to relax.

The example affirmations above will help get you started, but feel free to write your own too! Think about the aspects of smoking you enjoy, and come up with a phrase that affirms you already feel that way (again, not mentioning smoking!). Likewise, think about how you feel as a non-smoker and emphasize those positive qualities too.

Affirmations do take time to fully sink in to your subconscious mind, but just like your old beliefs were formed, consistent repetition and reinforcement will help them become permanent.

Exercise and Foods to Help You Quit Smoking Today

You have made the decision to quit smoking, now here are some tips for exercise and foods to help you quit smoking today.

Regular exercise is important to help you quit smoking, but doesn't have to be too strenuous. Take into account your personal fitness and the amount of exercise you normally do.

Just five minutes of walking or muscle flexing can be as effective in decreasing cravings as a nicotine patch. A light session of exercise will decrease cravings for about 15 minutes, and high levels of exercise will more than double this time. The really intense cravings don't normally last for more than a few minutes at a time, so a brisk walk is usually enough to keep these under control.

Many of the symptoms associated with withdrawal can be decreased by exercise, including anxiety, stress, irritability, tension, restlessness and low concentration levels.

Joining a fitness program or exercise group will not only help you with regular exercise, but will help you keep occupied in your leisure hours and keep your mind off those cigarettes. The styles and levels of exercise should be decided by your normal daily routine; just make sure that you do more than usual when trying to quit smoking.

Not only exercise but a healthy diet will help you through the difficult times of kicking your habit. Foods to help you quit smoking are fresh fruit and vegetables, and particularly alkaline-producing foods like spinach, figs, raisins and almonds. Avoid acid-forming foods like meat and fatty snacks, or soft drinks.

The alkaline diet is mostly necessary during the first stages of withdrawal when cravings are strongest. Vegetarian and raw foods help most in calming cravings. Beyond the first two or three weeks, once the craving starts to lessen, you can vary the diet some more, but still continue with a daily intake of fresh fruit and vegetable.

Oatmeal is one of the best foods to help you quit smoking, as it has very calming properties to soothe nerves and help you relax: This is especially helpful at bedtime.

A diet rich in antioxidants is especially helpful, coming from the nutrients like beta-carotene, vitamins A and C and the mineral selenium. Make sure to consume plenty of raw seeds and nuts, legumes and sprouts, and above all fresh fruit. Vitamin C is particularly necessary, as it neutralizes the toxins in cigarette smoke.

Drink plenty of water; keep a glass at hand at all times, which will keep your hands busy while at the same time keeping you hydrated. Water will also help to keep you feeling full, and less likely to feel the need to eat.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine as much as possible, not only because of the effects to your health, but also most smokers agree that an alcoholic drink or a cup of coffee will make them immediately want a cigarette.

Work out for yourself an exercise regime and healthy diet list and follow them carefully; you will soon notice the importance of exercise and foods to help you quit smoking today.

Health Risks in Smoking

Most people are fully aware that smoking can lead to lung cancer, but in fact the health risks in smoking are much further reaching.

Cancer of the lungs is only one of the risks run by smokers. Smoking is a high risk factor for several kinds of cancer including mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, bladder, cervix and stomach as well as some types of leukemia.

As well as cancer, smoking can cause other lung diseases as in pneumonia, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These diseases which come under the term of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD can cause chronic illness and disabilities and can also be fatal. Long-term smokers carry the highest risk of COPDs

Vascular disease: narrowing or clogging of blood vessels can lead to all kinds of problems. Peripheral vascular disease affects blood vessels feeding the leg and arm muscles.

Problems in the blood vessels feeding the heart can lead to heart disease and heart attacks, and blocked vessels to the brain can cause a stroke. Men who smoke can find blood vessel disease will cause erectile dysfunction.

Eyesight can be affected by smoking: health risks in smoking include increased risk of macular degeneration, sometimes leading to blindness. Also premature ageing and wrinkling of the skin, halitosis or bad breath, tooth and gum disease, yellowing and brittle fingernails, not to mention revolting smelling hair and clothes.

Expectant or nursing mothers have some unique health risks in smoking, to themselves as well as the new life they are carrying. Women (particularly over 35) who smoke and also take oral contraceptives have a very high risk of heart attack, stroke and thrombosis. Smoking carries a high risk of miscarriage or babies born underweight; which are more likely to have physical problems, learning difficulties or even risk of death. Nicotine can be passed into breast milk as well as cervical fluids, amniotic fluids and umbilical cord.

One of the main health risks in smoking is a shortening of life expectancy: the CDC estimates an adult male will lose an average of 13.2 years of life and females 14.5 years, due to smoking. Add to that the risk of diseases during their lifetime which can impair the quality of life long before that. Even without contracting a disease, smoker’s activities are limited by difficulties in breathing and moving around, both at work and play.

The health benefits in quitting are more than just decreasing the health risks in smoking:

Just 20 minutes after quitting your blood pressure will drop and your heart rate decrease

2 hours afterwards the carbon monoxide level in the blood returns to normal

Between two weeks and three months after quitting, blood circulation will improve and lung function increase.

Anywhere between one and nine months after quitting you will notice a marked decrease in coughing and shortness of breath. Lungs will start to regain their normal cilia function (these are hair-fine elements in the lungs that dispel mucus) and increase their ability to handle mucus and reduce risk of infection. The lungs will begin to be cleansed from the inside.

After the first year of not smoking, you have reduced the risk of ordinary heart disease by half, compared to a smoker.

Five years on, your risk of stroke is reduced dramatically, and between 5-15 years the risk will be the same as that of a non-smoker.

After 10 years the death rate from lung cancer is reduced by half, compared to a continuing smoker.

Apart from the health risks in smoking, what about the money you spend? Look at the price you spend a day on cigarettes and multiply that by 365. Wow! How much do you spend in a year! Multiply it by 10, and think what you could have done with all that money instead of burning it over 10 years!

All this cost, along with the health risks in smoking must surely give you reason to quit. Find yourself a quit smoking plan and start it right away!

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