As an ex-smoker, I can tell you first hand how difficult it is to quit smoking. I can also say that it is difficult only because you make it so.
Forget all those “quit smoking now” scams, patches, gums and all the other goofy stuff companies come up with to target the weakened thinking of a person who’s quit smoking.
Let’s go over the 7 step program I’ve come up with for smokers. Don’t worry, you can do it.
#1 – Don’t set a date to quit. That will set you up for disappointment. Think of a general time frame you’d like to quit smoking and work towards it by weaning yourself down to a few cigarettes a day. You will be pushed to try harder by how awesome you will begin to feel. You will know when the day comes. When it does present itself, don’t think about the next day or week or month, just think about getting through that day.
#2 – Don’t wean yourself slowly off cigarettes only to slap a nicotine patch on that’s actually more nicotine than you would get if you smoked like you normally do. That is defeating the purpose and really won’t make you feel so good. Nicotine is a water soluble poison and begins leaving your system after only 2 hours of not smoking. It may take a regular smoker approximately 4 days to rid their system of nicotine. This can be sped up by drinking plenty of water and juices.
#3 – Don’t start chewing nicotine gum to reduce your cravings. This is also terrible for you and your mouth. You can get throat and mouth cancer from chewing nicotine. Plus, it’s quite expensive. It is best to quit smoking without adding another nasty habit to the pile.
#4 – Add a healthy habit to your routine as soon as you quit smoking. It will help give you something new to strive towards and think about. When you first quit smoking, you will most likely feel jittery. Combat the jitteriness with a night jog or a brisk walk around the neighborhood whenever you’re feeling the withdrawal the most. Also, drink plenty of water. It will not only help to cleanse your system, it will improve your senses faster.
#5 – Eat healthy. Once your sense of smell and taste return from the years of
contamination and playing second fiddle to your smoking, you will find you enjoy food much more. You will also realize you absolutely do not like some foods that you used to treasure. Your taste buds are hugely muted by smoking. Once this muting comes to an end, salt might be unbearable or sweets might taste better than ever. Be careful in this stage to eat as healthy as you can. Train your brain to crave healthy foods in moderation and make sure to get plenty of exercise.
#6 – Get back into a schedule. Maybe you used to smoke once before work, once during work, and once on the way home. Find something else you can do at those times that will benefit your body and keep your mind active. Try drinking a glass of water every time you would normally smoke and read your book at lunch. Do something that wouldn’t normally trigger your need to smoke. If talking on the phone makes you want to smoke, try talking while walking through a smoke free mall or restaurant. Put yourself in places that do not allow smoking. It will take some of the pressure off.
#7 – Enjoy going to smoke free establishments with your smoke free friends. Once you get away from the constant stale smoke smell of your car, clothes and places that you smoke, you will notice how truly terrible it smells. You will no longer want to be around smokers or places that reek of stale smoke. Find restaurants and bars that are smoke free and go there. Enjoy not smelling the ashtray.
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