There are numerous reasons to quit tobacco use. For those of you who smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes or use chewing tobacco, I’m sure these reasons are not new: increased risk of throat, mouth and lung cancer, stroke, heart attack, gum disease and other dental problems.
Even if you aren’t a chain smoker and only smoke half a pack or even a few cigarettes a day, you are still doing damage to your body. I came across a great article on WebMD the other day: 13 Best Quit Smoking Tips Ever. If you are ready to give up smoking, try a few of these tips that I thought offered some great advice!
Know Why You Want to Quit
So you want to quit smoking, but do you know why? “Because it’s bad for you” isn’t good enough. To get motivated, you need a powerful, personal reason to quit. Maybe you want to protect your family from secondhand smoke. Maybe the thought of lung cancer frightens you. Or maybe you’d like to look and feel younger. Choose a reason that is strong enough to outweigh the urge to light up.
Don’t Go It Alone
Tell your friends, family, and co-workers that you’re trying to quit. Their encouragement could make the difference. You may also want to join a support group or talk to a counselor. Behavioral therapy is a type of counseling that helps you identify and stick to quit-smoking strategies. Combine behavioral therapy with nicotine-replacement products or medication to boost your odds of success.
Manage Stress
One reason people smoke is that the nicotine helps them relax. Once you quit, you’ll need another way to cope with stress. Try getting regular massages, listening to relaxing music, or learning yoga or tai chi. If possible, avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking
Avoid Alcohol and Other Triggers
Certain activities may boost your urge to smoke. Alcohol is one of the most common triggers, so try to drink less when you first quit. If coffee is a trigger, switch to tea for a few weeks. And if you usually smoke after meals, find something else to do instead, like brushing your teeth or chewing gum.
Additionally, take a look at this calculator from WebMD that shows how much you would save if you quit smoking. What would you do with all of the extra money you saved?
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