If you can address the stress in your life, it can help remove the reasons, or excuses, of why you feel the need to smoke. Perhaps you work at a job you really don’t like. Start making plans to change careers if that’s what it will take - investigate new employment options or educational opportunities that will have the ultimate goal of getting you into a position or job that appeals to you.
Added to the bad news is that nicotine is as addictive for some people as heroin or cocaine. Hence the reasons it can be so difficult to quit smoking - you’re actually kicking a drug habit - you can expect relapses and withdrawal symptoms just as when trying to kick a heroin addiction.
The bottom line? Smoking is bad for you. Is that a surprise to anyone? I don’t think so.
Withdrawal symptoms from quitting smoking last a relatively short period of time during the quitting process, but can cause unpleasant levels of discomfort during that time. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can include mood swings (anxiety, irritableness, short-tempered or cranky), inability to sleep, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, coughing, headaches, stomach upset and the like. The craving to smoke is perhaps one of the most difficult symptoms to deal with - because if you give into that craving, you’ve eliminated all the effort you’ve put into having a smoke-free day.
Once you’ve overcome the initial withdrawal symptoms from quitting smoking, realize that you’re over the first hurdle - now it’s simply a daily battle to stay away from the source of your addiction. Using these tips and techniques will help ensure that you’re successful at your ultimate goal. Congratulations! You’re truly a non-smoker now.
Medications are also now available to help you quit smoking - such as the nicotine patch, which - depending on which brand you use - gradually reduces the amount of nicotine in your bloodstream over several weeks to help reduce the cravings you’ll feel to light up another cigarette. These medications are also available as gum, inhalers and nasal sprays - some require prescriptions, some can be purchased over the counter. Many people have found that this type of medication can alleviate much of the discomfort caused by nicotine withdrawal.
Another key point in quitting smoking is to get a support system around you. Although the bulk of the effort at quitting smoking must come from you - no one else can do it for you - you can surround yourself with people that can help you achieve your goal. Studies have shown that those people who have a strong support system are far more likely to succeed at quitting than those who try to go it alone.
Part of getting ready to quit smoking also includes things like setting a specific quit date - whether you go “cold turkey” or engage in a gradual cessation, set a firm date that tells you exactly when you’ll become a non-smoker. Get a calendar and circle the date in red marking pen - or use some other method of setting that goal in your mind. Don’t say “I’m going to quit in 30 days.” Say “I’m going to quit smoking on June 15th.” Make it a specific, measurable goal.
But smoking doesn’t just affect the heart and lungs - it affects the entire body system from head to toe. If you’re a smoker, smoking will have a destructive effect on your health - there’s simply no way around it.
The next part of preparing yourself mentally to quit smoking is to be aware that you’re facing a battle - perhaps the most important battle of your life. As with any battle, you’ll need tools and weapons to assist you. From support systems to medications, there are a variety of avenues open to you that will help you succeed.
The reasons for all this “nicotine backlash” are obvious - smoking represents such a health hazard, for smokers as well as those around them, that outlawing this habit is an obvious ultimate goal. Tobacco companies that once posed such a powerful threat at the federal government level have been hit by fines totaling billions of dollars over the past 20 years, and are resorting to expanding their overseas markets as the U.S. markets shrink.
Depending on your personality, you may want to consider quitting “cold turkey” - meaning you throw out all the cigarettes in your house, purse, car and anywhere else, and just stop smoking. The other method is to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day until you reach your goal of not smoking. The differing methods work according to your personal strengths and weaknesses.
Eight hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal, and your oxygen level in your bloodstream increases to normal. At 24 hours your chances of suffering a heart attack decrease. At 48 hours nerve endings start to re-grow, and taste and smell sensations return to almost normal levels.