Quit Smoking Tips

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by John Webster
http://www.quit-smoking-site.com/

Giving something up, or even cutting back on something,
let's say sweets or even coffee is difficult. When
cigarettes come into play it becomes mountain you have to
climb seemly without help.

Choosing to quit is in itself the great achievement because
it implies that you are ready to take on a challenge.

When you set your mind to do something you can overcome
anything, a clich~ but true. You don't have to succeed the
first time; you just need to continue to try to quit and
not to give up.

Quitting smoking is extremely difficult because you are
addicted to nicotine and the habit of smoking~the routine
itself.

Nicotine increases the release of dopamine in your brain
and gives you a good feeling. To overcome this you often
need to resort to a product that gives you a small dose of
nicotine until you can slowly rid nicotine of your system.

There are a number of options to choose from in your
selection of a nicotine replacement product, whether it is
a nicotine patch or gum, you still need to have a strong
mental focus - striving to achieve your goal of quitting.

The smoking routine is the other element that makes
quitting smoking so difficult. By smoking you have created
strong associations in your daily life that have been
surrounded by smoking. For instance, you might have become
accustomed to smoking at work during breaks, with coffee in
the morning, or while having a drink when socializing with
friends.

These events become triggers, whenever you are in one those
situations you usually want to light up. To break these
smoking associations you must begin by not smoking during
those instances.

In the initial stages you don't have to completely quit
cold turkey. Set a quit date and begin by not smoking
during those times when you usually smoke, 'those engrained
daily rituals'. Essentially your favorite situations in
which you smoke, with friends, while drinking, or when
stressed out or bored. These events, the bar and a drink
come to equal a cigarette and a lighter, the location or
setting a green light for smoke. Your goal is to break
these associations and to completely quit smoking in the
end.

One of the greatest things about giving up smoking,
besides, obviously improving your health and saving your
own life - and those around you if you smoke at home, is
the fact that you will learn a great deal about yourself.

You will learn that you have used smoking as a crutch in a
way. You will come to find that you have more spare time
to do things that you have always wanted to do. Also, think
of all the money that you will save by not having to buy
anymore cigarettes.

When quitting smoking you must stay active and positive.
It is a good idea to create a list of things that you would
like to accomplish after you quit.

Many of these things you will find you can begin while you
are going through the quitting smoking process. Taking up
a new hobby or new sport in conjunction with quitting
smoking is a good idea--exercise for example will give you
the same type of high that you get from a cigarette.

Keeping busy includes keeping your hands busy. While
smoking you create a hand to mouth action that is difficult
to break. Chewing gum or sucking on a piece of candy can
alleviate these cravings.

Also, doing small chores around the house or taking on a
project, building something, creating something, and caring
for something else will keep you side tracked and allow you
to relax and not crave that cigarettes so much.

Quitting is not easy. You will have days that are more
difficult than others. The key is to be prepared for those
situations. Map out a plan when you begin to near your
quit date (the day you stop completely, leading up to this
day you should be slowly decreasing the number of
cigarettes you smoke) that is made up of people you can
call or things you can do rather than smoke when you feel
like you are about to break down shouting 'I have to
smoke!' This is when you call a friend or go for a walk.

Again, you are now on your way just by reading this article
and thinking about quitting. You will breath easier, have
fresh breath again, cloths that smell clean rather than
like tobacco, and a basically new set of lungs and heart
that beats easier now that it's not competing with
nicotine.

This article courtesy of http://www.health-dir.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.