It can be very hard to quit smoking cold turkey, but it's free and you can start right now! As many ex-smokers can confirm, it can be very tricky to realize how to quit smoking. Have you heard that cigarette smoking is harder to quit than heroin? And one of the toughest ways to quit smoking is "cold turkey."
Many ex-smokers quitted "cold turkey," picking a day to smoke their last cigarette and swearing never take another puff. While some smokers choose a day beforehand, many other conclude to quit on impulse. When the resolution to quit smoking comes speedily, a significant mental problem is throwing out that near-empty pack of cigarettes. It's more effective to some smokers to be able to know that they chose to throw the cigarettes away and never return to smoking routine.
Quitting smoking abruptly, can be very challenging, specifically for individuals who have been smoking countless cigarettes for a long period of time. Nicotine withdrawal is a nasty issue. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include irritability, intense craving for cigarettes, insomnia, tiredness, headaches, tension, problems concentrating, increased appetite, weight gain. Nicotine addiction use smoker brains to fabricate any imaginable reason to get nicotine.
The key idea to keep in mind is that the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal lessen over time. If ex-smoker passed through the initial days of quitting cold turkey, it will get easier to avoid to light up again as time goes by. Remember all of these, there are some points you can do to force the cold turkey method to be easier on yourself, and make it less probable to start smoking again.
Remember to drink plenty of water, this will keep you hydrated and provide you with something to do with your mouth in place of puffing on a cigarette. Anyway, chewing sugarless gum or sucking on hard candy will keep your mouth busy when you start thinking about smoke. When a craving hits, try closing your eyes and counting to ten while taking some deep breaths. If that doesn't work, take a walk to get yourself away from craving.
If all else fails, call a friend, relative, co-worker, or a smoker's help line. Get some external support to remind you zillions of the reasons to quit smoking: your health, your family, your finances, your appearance, etc. Or talk about whatever you want, but smoking to redirect your attention until the craving to smoke passes.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey
Posted by Sarah King at 4:57 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
20 Ways to Quit Smoking Cigarettes
Today one in four men and one in five women in USA smoke. For those who never smoked, this is a confusing fact. Don't smokers realize that cigarettes are the number one killer in USA, that they radically increase risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, and almost every other health concern, small or large? How could smoking be worth this?
Truth is, most smokers do understand. They also realize the huge financial toll of smoking, that extended far beyond the cost of a pack of cigarettes, because smokers pay more for insurance, lose money on the resale value of their cars and homes, spend more on dry cleaning and teeth cleaning.
Then why do millions still smoke cigarettes? The answer is simple, because the nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive. On the other hand, never have there been so many methods, techniques, and systems available for quitting smoking. And with every month that passes, there is more research showing the benefits of quitting, and the disadvantages of not quitting.
If you have any health issues that you think may be caused by smoking cigarettes, be careful and get treatment for problems before they get worse. Consider again whether it is time, finally, to quit. Educate yourself about quit smoking challenge and find suitable approach, perhaps working with your doctor or an expert. The following 20 tips will help you succeed.
1. Set a quit date and write a "quit date contract" that includes your signature and that of a supportive witness.
2. Write all your reasons for quitting smoking on an index card and keep it near you at all times. Here are some to get you started: "My daughter, my granddaughter, my husband, my wife..." You get the idea.
3. As you are getting ready to quit, stop buying cartons of cigarettes. Instead, only buy a pack at a time, and only carry two or three with you at a time. Eventually you will find that when you want a smoke, you will not have any immediately available. That will slowly wean you down to fewer cigarettes.
4. Keep a list of when you smoke, what you are doing at the time, and how bad the craving is for a week before quitting to see if specific times of the day or activities increase your cravings. These will help you to combat cravings later.
5. Prepare a list of things to do when a craving hits. Suggestions include: take a walk, drink a glass of water, kiss your partner or child, throw the ball for the dog, wash the car, clean out a cupboard or closet, have sex, chew a piece of gum, wash your face, brush your teeth, take a nap, get a cup of coffee or tea, practice your deep breathing, light a candle. Make copies of the list and keep one with you at all times so when the craving hits, you can whip out the list and quickly do something from it.
6. When your quit date arrives, throw out anything that reminds you of smoking. That includes all smoking paraphernalia - leftover cigarettes, matches, lighters, ashtrays, cigarette holders, even the lighter in your car.
7. Switch to a cup of herbal tea whenever you usually have a cigarette. That might be at breakfast, midmorning, or after meals. The act of brewing the tea and slowly sipping it as it cools will provide the same stress relief as a hit of nicotine.
8. Switch your cigarette habit for a nut habit - four nuts in their shell for every cigarette you want to smoke. This way, you are using your hands and your mouth, getting the same physical and oral sensations you get from smoking.
9. Think of difficult things you have done in the past. Ask people who know you well to remind you of challenges you have successfully overcome. This will give you the necessary self-confidence to stick with your smoke free decision.
10. Change your routine to minimize cravings. Sit in a different chair at breakfast or take a different route to work. If you usually have a drink and cigarette after work, change that to a walk. If you are used to a smoke with your morning coffee, switch to tea, or stop at Starbucks for a cup of java - the chain is smoke-free.
11. Tell your friends, coworkers, boss, partner, kids, etc., how you feel about situations instead of bottling up your emotions. If something makes you angry, express it instead of smothering it with cigarette smoke. If you are bored, admit to yourself that you are bored and find something energetic to do instead of lighting up.
12. Remember that there is no such thing as quitting smoking forever. Every ex-smoker is able to celebrate freedom from the smoking like one year milestone, but you can't celebrate "quitting smoking forever", so it's good idea to celebrate every smoke free day. If you relapse, just start again. You haven't failed. Some people have to quit as many as eight times before they are successful.
13. Put all the money you are saving on cigarettes in a large glass jar. You want to physically see how much you've been spending. Earmark that money for something you've always dreamed of doing, but never thought you could afford, be it a cruise to Alaska or a first-class ticket to visit an old college friend.
14. Switch to decaf until you have been cigarette-free for two months. Too much caffeine while quitting can cause the jitters.
15. When a craving hits, try closing your eyes and counting to ten while taking some deep breathes. If that does not work, take a walk to get yourself away from temptation.
16. Create a smoke-free zone. Do not allow anyone to use tobacco in your home, car, or even while sitting next to you in a restaurant. Make actual "No Smoking" signs and hang them around your house and in your car.
17. Find a healthy snack food you can keep with you and use in place of cigarettes to quench that urge for oral gratification. For instance, try pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, sugarless lollipops or gum, carrot or celery sticks. The last ones are best if you are concerned about weight gain.
18. Do some deep breathing each day for ten minutes. Breathe in through your nose very slowly, hold the breath for a few seconds, and breathe out very slowly through your mouth. It is possible to do your breathing with your eyes closed also.
19. Picture yourself playing tennis. Or go play tennis. British researchers found volunteers trying to quit smoking were better able to ignore their urges to smoke when they were told to visualize a tennis match.
20. Quit when you're in a good mood. Studies find that you are less likely to be a successful quitter if you quit smoking when you are depressed or under a great deal of stress.
Posted by Sarah King at 3:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: Quit Smoking Tips
Monday, December 21, 2009
Powerful Video Documentary: Nicotine Addiction Result
It seems that health aspects of smoking and nicotine addiction rarely can help smoker to feel real desire to quit this video can help you if you are in need to feel a shock and some understanding of what the nicotine addiction is in reality.
Posted by Sarah King at 4:29 AM 0 comments
Monday, December 7, 2009
2 Things to Quit Smoking Cold Turkey Successfully
To quit smoking successfully smoker are in need of only two things to succeed. The first one is understanding that smoking can't give any positive effect to smoker. Educate yourself to understand that smoking will never relax you or help you to concentrate. If you miss this first point there are tons of chances that you will go back to smoking routine sooner or later after your quit smoking attempt. It is very hard for human being to refrain from something useful, so if you think that smoking helps you in any way, it is the direct way to relapse, even if your desire to quit smoking is strong enough. Remember that if you think that if you think that smoking is somewhat enjoyable process, you have zero chances to quit smoking for good.
The second thing you need to successfully quit smoking cold turkey is some little tricks that help to battle with nicotine cravings. There are tons of them online and here are some helpful tricks that will help. Begin your quitting smoking process on the weekend or whatever days you free from your common practice. Remember to sleep a lot and have a lot of rest. Avoid situations that irritate you, you won't deal with stress well. Also avoid being bored; you need something you like to. Avoid smokers even they are your friends. Keep a lot of water and herbal ice tea on hand, drinking helps to flush the nicotine out of your body faster.
Always remember that while you are on quitting smoking process you (as nicotine addict) are only one cigarette away from relapse. 3 minutes are enough to let craving fade away, so if decide that you are loosing your battle give yourself 3-5 minutes before you will light up another cigarette. Everyone has great opportunity to realize that there is no need for cigarette in these minutes.
Posted by Sarah King at 2:24 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
No buts! Syria bans smoking in public
President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree banning smoking in a wide range of public places such as cafes and restaurants, was reported on 12, October. The decree "forbids smoking and the sale of tobacco in any form in cafes, restaurants and nightclubs as well as in schools, universities, hospitals, cinemas, theatres and museums." The decree also outlaws smoking in educational institutions, health centres, sports halls, and on public transport.
The Syrian government has passed several laws restricting smoking in the last two decades. A decree in 1996 banned tobacco advertising, while a 2006 law outlawed smoking on public places, introducing fines for offenders. Now offenders will be fined 2,000 Syrian pounds — about $45. Also recently was issued a law that banned the sale of tobacco to those under the age of 18.
Health Minister Rida Saeed said authorities were working on campaigns that explain to the public "the health hazards of smoking and the environmental, economic and social vices of smoking."
The World Health Organization is unable to provide details on tobacco consumption in Syria, but levels of smoking in public is high across the Arab world, especially among men. Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates — and most recently Iraq — have imposed similar restrictions on smoking, but the bans vary in scope and enforcement.
Posted by Sarah King at 2:35 AM 0 comments