Quitting smoking is not as easy as we think it is. It is not so difficult either, if you really want to quit. The real challenge is to make up your mind to quit this habit. The moment you take it up as a challenge it is half done. Normally we do not take it seriously and assume that we can quit it any time,but that time never comes unless we really want to quit.
What are the reasons that we start smoking in the first place. People have different reasons to start smoking. A teenager normally starts smoking to feel grown up. Actually he stops his growth the moment smoking becomes his habit. Nicotine has a peculiar quality. The more you have nicotine the more you crave for it. Its reverse is also true. The less you smoke the lesser you feel like smoking. Now the real question is how to quit it, if we get addicted to it. I have experienced the kind of withdrawal symptoms one has to go through before quitting this habit for good. Here are some simple tips I have found to be very effective.
1. As I said that the more you smoke the more you feel like smoking, we should first make a list of benefits and ill effects of cigarette. The only benefit of smoking is that we get a high temporarily. Within half an hour of the last puff, the high is no longer there. We can make a long list of ill effects of smoking. I need not emphasise, no matter who you are, ill effects of smoking are always on the higher side than the benefits, no matter how you justify you smoking habit. Now ask yourself if it is really worth to spend money to ruin your health and vitality. I am sure your answer will be no.
2. Once the list is complete pin it up somewhere in your house or work place so that you can easily have look at it whenever you wish. Read the ill effects whenever you have time, and convince yourself that you really want to get rid of this habit, as the benefits in terms of saving money and health is one of the greatest motivating factor. Calculate how much you can save if you do not smoke. It is always a good amount.
3. Cigarette reduces oxygen carrying capacity of lungs, but the good news is it can be increased if we start exercising regularly. Breathing exercises are the best to increase our lungs’ oxygen carrying capacity. Try to take deep breath when you feel like smoking. It reduces the urge to smoke as you take more oxygen in place of nicotine.
4. You can also take something else in place of cigarette. Water is the best option, drink a few glasses of water when it is time to smoke. It will kill your urge to smoke for a few hours. Drink as much water as you can because it not only reduces your urge to smoke but also cleanses your digestive and other systems.
5. Try quitting it cold turkey instead of quitting it slowly. Quitting slowly means you have not been able to convince yourself that it will make you more healthy and wealthy. So repeat the point 1 and 2 mentioned above and once you are convinced start with point 3. relx