HOW TO STOP SMOKING
So you want to STOP SMOKING?
In order to stop smoking you must have the desire to STOP SMOKING.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SHOULD REMEMBER.
Are you sure you want to STOP SMOKING?
You must be certain that this is what you want.
In order to stop smoking you must have the desire to STOP SMOKING.
Are you confident that you can STOP SMOKING?
You must have the confidence in your ability to stop smoking.
Once you have decided to STOP SMOKING you must recognize why you smoke?
Why do you smoke?
Is your reason for smoking become nothing more than a habit or do you have a specific reason to smoke?
Discover why you smoke, or when or where you are more likely to smoke. If, for example, you smoke more when you are drinking in company, realizing this fact enables you to recognize an instant which causes you a need to smoke.
But there are weapons at your disposal that will make the idea of not smoking favourable; the most obvious and immediate benefits include saving money and personal hygiene.
The money factor speaks for itself; if you spend 50.00 per week you will save 2600.00 each year.
The benefit to personal hygiene includes no awful smell on your breath or clothes and a healthier appearance.
But there are other benefits: you will reduce the risk of lung cancer; lung diseases; cancer of the throat or larynx; heart diseases or a stroke.
So why do you smoke?
NOTE; those suffering with heart complaints or women who are pregnant should consult their doctor before using any ‘stop smoking product.’
Do you smoke to relax?
If you smoke when you are relaxing or in a social environment it may simply be more out of habit than necessity and it will be the easiest situation to handle. The secret is not to alienate your friends but simply be aware of not smoking. To begin with ‘be aware’ of the situation; find something to do with your hands and do not take any cigarettes with you. It becomes more of awareness than will power, although you do need the willpower to answer NO when someone offers you a cigarette.
This is the Green Zone, requiring more awareness than will power.
Do you smoke when you are tense?
If you smoke more when you are angry, anxious or depressed indicates that you use cigarettes to relieve a mental pressure. This indicates that you smoke to alleviate any negativity in your life; this reason for smoking shows some dependency you have on nicotine. (It is clinically proven that smoking does not reduce anger, anxiety or depression; in fact it increases them).
This is the Amber Zone, which requires a great deal of will power, awareness and consumer products; patches etc.
Do you smoke because of dependency?
If you need a cigarette first thing in the morning, even before you have had a drink, shows that you have a high chemical dependency on cigarettes. This dependency results with your ability to never to run out of cigarettes. Failure to have a cigarette results in withdrawal symptoms that range from mild irritation to intense anxiety, and may include a feeling of mental fatigue and tiredness.
This is the Red Zone. This level may require the use of medical aids as well as a great deal of will power.
Consider the degree zone which best describes you; are you Green, Amber or Red Zone?
Once you recognise to what degree you smoke will enable you to handle quitting better because you will be aware of what you have to achieve.
But simply because you may find yourself in the Green Zone does not imply that you will find it easy to quit smoking. You may still feel bad even if you only smoke a few cigarettes a day; so be prepared.
YOUR ENEMY; NICOTINE.
Smoking becomes addictive because of the nicotine contained in the cigarettes you smoke and this nicotine has an immediate effect on your body by creating a biochemical reaction which affects your metabolism. The more you smoke the more your metabolism ‘craves’ the chemical influence from nicotine. The effect sponsored by nicotine affects your psychological and physical abilities and with your first inhalation of the smoke the nicotine begins to affect your central nervous system.
Certain areas of the brain become stimulated and the effect may create a higher awareness that may enable you to think more clearly and allow you to feel more relaxed. But the nicotine affects the natural hormones produced by the body to the degree where once the stimulation of the hormone begins to lessen, the hormone needs re-stimulation; this causes a craving for another cigarette and the introduction of more nicotine.
The continued input of nicotine into the central nervous system creates a chemical dependency on nicotine and once the body is denied its ‘fix’ the cravings begin.
But even light smokers can become dependent on cigarettes because of nicotine’s psychological impact, affecting their moods or feelings in certain situations. Although this dependency is not has high as it is with heavy smokers the body still requires that extra bit of stimulation.
For heavy smokers the dependency on nicotine for the stimulation of hormones takes on addictive qualities, and they find the need to smoke more frequently, failure to do so causes the cravings, which basically affect their psychological behaviour.
HOW TO QUIT.
Many light or Green Zone smokers find relief by being more active or through physical activity. This physical activity creates its own stimulation, giving the feeling of increased energy and more confidence.
Being more active and aware of what you are doing throughout the day will assist you greatly with your intention to stop smoking, but if you find yourself with plenty of free time on your hands it may be a good idea to take up a past time such as writing, painting, a hobby, or even belly dancing; whatever pleases you.
For those in this section quitting smoking should be much easier to handle.
For the Amber Zone smokers quitting smoking will not be as easy as it is for those of the Green Zone smokers and apart from the information already mentioned a great deal of will power will also be required.
But quitting is not that simple; you may find that the use of medical aids, such has patches or synthetic nicotine cigarettes may be required.
The use of patches requires you not to start a dosage which is too low or your will power will be under constant pressure; start with the highest dose available and step it down as the week’s progress. Synthetic cigarettes help not only in the area of providing nicotine but also give you something to do with your hands.
For the Red Zone smoker a visit to your doctor may be advisable and ask for their help in quitting. Because of the dependency you have on nicotine you may require more than is offered in the consumer market. Your doctor will advise you on the best way to quit, and will probably advise you of ‘No Smoking’ groups in your area that will offer added help and encouragement.
Yet if you believe you can do it alone then why not try; at least if you fail you know that there are other alternate avenues that you can follow, but my only argument is that if you are to succeed then you need to begin with the best alternative on offer.
There is no shame in asking others for help or encouragement, and even if you feel a little apprehensive just think, ‘it is for your benefit,’ and those you ask will want to help you; without thought or judgement.
Smoking is an addiction but it can be handled!
SECOND NOTE; those suffering with heart complaints or women who are pregnant should consult their doctor before using any ‘stop smoking product.’
WHEN TO STOP SMOKING.
After deciding on what Zone smoker you are and having decided on how you are going to stop smoking the next step is to decide when you will stop smoking.
Let us say that you intend to stop smoking one week from today, then use the next seven days to prepare yourself for the moment of application. During this time you will need to gather the tools and weapons required to assist you in winning the battle.
Once you have decided when you intend to give up smoking you must go ahead with it; if you do not, then the longer you leave it the harder it will become. You need to be brave, because what you are about to do is to change your life forever; change it in a way that is better than it has been for a long time, and just imagine the reactions of those people around you, the people who love and care for you, when you tell them, ‘I have STOPPED SMOKING.’
During the following week try to reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke and continue to tell yourself that you are going to STOP SMOKING. Try to think of things that you can do the week you begin to stop smoking; this could be anything from mowing the lawn, painting the house or going somewhere you have wanted to go, or doing something you have wanted to do; anything that will occupy your time and remove the thought of cigarettes from your mind. Tell yourself why you smoke and what you will do instead of smoking, and prepare yourself to meet the challenge of quitting.
You must continually tell yourself; how much money I am saving; how much healthier I will be; how proud my family and friends will be; how proud I will be; you must psychologically prepare yourself for the BIG DAY, because it will be a BIG DAY for you, and may become the biggest day of your life.
THE BIG DAY.
When this day comes you will probably start it enthusiastically, meaning to go on, but as the day grows longer you may feel the urge to smoke and the craving will surface. Make certain that ash trays, lighters or anything connected to smoking has been disposed of or removed from your surroundings. When the cravings arise there are several things you can do that will help you; take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds, then exhale as if you had just taken your first drag on a cigarette, continuing to do this several times. Try to occupy yourself, especially your hands and drink a little water or put something in your mouth (not a cigarette) and continue until the craving subsides. If necessary use a substitute cigarette, either synthetic or even herbal, but not a real one. (My son offered my partner an herbal cigarette, which she refused, but he put it in her packet without her knowledge. Later when the packet was empty he told her what he had done, she replied that she had not noticed).
If you are using the higher forms of nicotine replacement products, like patches, or gum, they should help you a great deal, but these are not as strong as your will power; so remember that you are stronger than any other remedy for not smoking.
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS.
During the first day you may experience dizziness, drowsiness and anxiety. These symptoms are normal and should pass after a brief rest. You may also have a headache and a cough, this too is normal.
As the week progresses, you will experience tiredness, lack of concentration and sleeplessness. The most frightening symptom will be a tightening of the chest, causing you to think there may be something wrong, but it is a normal symptom and will pass if you take a break and breathe deeply.
It is very important to realise that you MUST NOT SMOKE while using the medical aids such as patches or gum etc, because you may suffer from nicotine overdose and will only prolong the time you continue to smoke.
If you have any doubt about giving up smoking you should not attempt to do it; YOU MUST BE CERTAIN, otherwise you will fail because will power is your strongest weapon.
Even after you have given up smoking for a while, even years, the craving may come back and you will need to pass it off. If you give in ‘it’s only one’ then you will find the craving will return stronger than ever before and before you know it you will be smoking once again.
You are your own best friend but you can also be your own worse enemy.