According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year. That’s more than 1,300 deaths every day.
If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you want to quit smoking cigarettes. You know it’s bad for your health. You may have even tried to quit before, but found it too difficult. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you can do, but it’s also one of the most important things you can do for your health. The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of success.
Here are 7 tips to help you quit smoking cigarettes for good.
1. Find Your Reason
Why do you want to quit smoking? Is it for your health? To save money? Because you want to set a good example for your kids? Figure out your reason or reasons for wanting to quit and keep them front and center in your mind when the urge to smoke strikes. Write them down if that helps, and refer back to them whenever you need motivation.
2. Find Something To Replace Cigarettes
For some people, quitting cold turkey works just fine. But for many of us, quitting without some sort of replacement is just too difficult. If you find yourself in that camp, try gum, or even a liquid vaporizer instead of smoking when the urge hits, or always keep a tennis ball or stress reliever nearby to squeeze whenever you get the urge to light up.
3. Lean On Your Loved Ones
Quitting smoking is hard enough, but trying to do it without the support of your loved ones makes it that much harder. Talk to your family and friends about your decision to quit and lean on them for support when things get tough – which they will at times, trust me on that one! Let them know how important it is to you and ask them not to smoke around you or leave cigarettes where you can see them.
4 Give Yourself a Break
Don’t beat yourself up if you have a cigarette after vowing to quit – it happens! The important thing is to not let one slip-up turn into a full-blown relapse. Forgive yourself and start again tomorrow with renewed determination.
5 Avoid Alcohol and Other Triggers
For many people who smoke, drinking alcohol goes hand-in-hand with lighting up. So if that’s the case for you, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether while you’re trying to quit – at least at first. Other triggers include certain activities (like watching TV), places (like bars or clubs), or even just certain people (other smokers). Once you’ve identified your triggers, do your best to avoid them as much as possible while you’re trying to quit smoking cigarettes once and for all.
6. Get Moving
Exercise is a great way to help relieve stress – which can be a trigger for smoking – and boost your mood by releasing endorphins. It also helps take your mind off cigarettes. So go ahead and hit the gym, go for a run, take a yoga class – just get moving! You don’t have to become a marathon runner overnight, but even moderate exercise can make a big difference.
7. Choose Your Reward
Rewards can be extremely helpful in your journey. For instance, once you make it through one week without smoking, buy yourself a new book, go see a movie, or treat yourself to a massage. And once you reach that big milestone of being smoke-free for good? Buy yourself something extra special – you deserve it!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of things you can do to quit smoking cigarettes for good. It’s not going to be easy, but it is possible. So find your reason, get support from loved ones, avoid triggers, and reward yourself along the way. And most importantly, don’t give up!
