Overcoming smoking is one of the hardest habits to break, thanks to the highly addictive nature of nicotine, a stimulant drug found in all traditional cigarettes and most vaping products. Like many other smokers trying to stop, you have likely tried to quit before, but it is rare to stop completely on your first attempt, and even more difficult if you try to do it without a support plan.
Once you have made the important and proactive decision to quit smoking, it is crucial to speak with your healthcare provider to ensure you are equipped with the necessary information regarding how to get a vape prescription and the withdrawal symptoms you should be aware of, support skills and resources to support your journey, and provide yourself with the best opportunity for long-term success.
Find Your Reason
One of the most effective ways to build motivation in your quitting journey is to have a powerful, personal reason to stop. Every person has their own unique reason for quitting, whether it be financially motivated, to protect their family from the dangers of secondhand smoke, or to significantly lower the risk of developing potentially deadly diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, or other serious conditions.
The most important thing is to choose a reason that is strong enough to outweigh the urge to smoke when cravings become intense and challenging to navigate. The longer you remain smoke-free, the easier it will become to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Utilize Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRTs)
When you decide to quit smoking, nicotine withdrawal can lead to intense symptoms like painful headaches, mood swings, depression, poor sleep, and loss of energy. Nicotine replacement therapies, or NRTs, can be used to curb the urges to smoke and manage these symptoms while you wean yourself off of nicotine.
There are many different types of NRTs available on the market. Some are used for short-term success, like nicotine gums, nose sprays, and lozenges, while others are designed to be used over long periods of time, like nicotine patches or medication. Some can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription, while others can be bought at your local pharmacy or drug store. To ensure you choose the right method and nicotine strength to support your quitting journey, it is important to speak to your healthcare professional about which combination works best for you.
Get Moving
As you quit, you may find yourself quicker to anger or feel stronger feelings of frustration, depression, or anxiety. A fantastic way to take the edge off these feelings is through physical activity. It doesn’t have to be strenuous or complicated.
Just a simple 10-minute walk around your neighborhood, a leisurely bike ride through your local park, or simply getting outside to play with your dogs or children can be enough to lessen cravings and help redirect your focus and attention to something else.
Find Healthy Coping Methods
One of the biggest reasons people turn to smoking is to help them relax and manage feelings of stress and anxiety. Once you decide to quit, you will need to find new, healthy ways to cope with these emotions and unwind after a stressful period.
Thankfully, there are many options to choose from. You can start a new hobby to keep your mind and hands busy, listen to calming music, get outdoors, connect with friends, or treat yourself to a massage or a facial. To make your journey more manageable, try to avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks of quitting, so you have time to build a new routine.
Avoid Triggers
The way you feel and the activities you do as you consume nicotine become linked to your brain over time. If you typically take a smoke break at work every day or light up during your morning cup of coffee, these situations will start to trigger cravings automatically.
To overcome a nicotine addiction, it is crucial to identify these triggers and build a solid plan to manage them. If possible, you can choose to avoid them until you become more confident in resisting a cigarette, or you can work with your psychologist or support counselor to brainstorm strategies to manage them as they arise.
Additionally, many people tend to find themselves turning to smoking while drinking, either alone or with friends. To stay on track with your no-smoking goal, limit alcohol consumption as much as possible when you first quit to avoid unnecessary and tempting triggers.
Create a Support System
When you decide to quit smoking, it is crucially important to tell trusted friends and family that you are trying to kick your habit for good. They can offer you valuable support throughout your journey, especially on days when your cravings and temptations feel harder to resist, and hold you accountable when you cave in.
You can also join a support group to connect with others who are going through similar struggles and understand your feelings and frustrations, or speak one-on-one with a counselor or therapist. The exact method of support you choose will be a highly personal decision, and you may need to experiment with a few different options before you find the right match for your unique needs.
Long-Term Game Plan
Like any addiction, kicking your smoking habit is something you will be actively managing for the rest of your life. Therefore, it is essential to speak to your healthcare professional about effective tobacco cessation products that will help you curb cravings in the long term.
Together, you can discuss the various options available and explore products that may be right for you and your specific needs. It is vital to understand exactly how each method works and any possible side effects that could impact your health and motivation.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
