Tips to Help You Quit Smoking

Something about looking ahead at a clean slate inspires most of us to try. We think about making lasting positive changes in our lives, and we do it with hope and enthusiasm. If you're planning to start living without a cigarette in your hand, take advantage of the following resources and support for Smoking Cessation.

Be a Sponge
We all know that smoking is bad for us, but if you're like most smokers, you avoid looking at the destruction smoking causes whenever possible. Take the blinders off and read everything you can get your hands on about smoking. It will help you start to make the mental shift necessary to quit smoking.

Use a Quit Journal
Journaling is a useful tool for anyone trying to quit smoking. Start yours with your list of reasons for quitting. Include everything from big to small, and leave room to add to it. Think about the pros and cons of smoking and make your list as detailed as possible. We have a way of believing what we tell ourselves over and over. Your journal will help you cement your goals. Prompt yourself with present-tense messages like: "I am a nonsmoker" or "I am strong and healthy", and commit them to paper. Daily affirmations will plant the seeds of change in your mind, and it won't be long before your actions are following your thoughts.

Eat Smart
Smoking cessation throws our bodies into shock initially. If you take care to give your body the fuel it needs to run properly, you'll find that you're better able to cope with the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal. Have the right foods within easy reach and you'll minimize weight gain due to quitting.

Get Your Beauty Sleep
When you're tired, cravings to smoke will seem stronger while you feel less able to manage them. Fit a full 8 hours of sleep in every night, and a nap here and there if you need it. If you have trouble sleeping when you first quit smoking, try taking a long walk a couple of hours before bed.

Drink Water
Water will help to flush residual toxins out of your system, and beat back cravings to smoke. When you're well-hydrated, you'll feel better in general, which is a plus when you're going through nicotine withdrawal.

Get Moving
If you already have a daily exercise regimen, good for you! If not, start now. Choose something you enjoy doing, and you'll be more likely to stick with it. Aim for a half hour of exercise every day. Walking is a great way to move and it's a quick fix for the urge to smoke. Get out for a 15 minute walk around the block and you'll come back refreshed and relaxed.

Renew Resolve Daily
Your determination to quit smoking is built one day at a time. Every smoke free day makes you stronger, and when you consciously take time to reflect and rejoice in the value of what you're doing, you're working to fortify your will to make this the quit that lasts you a lifetime.

Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude!
Think about the blessings in your life. We all have them. Be thankful for the freedom you're creating for yourself today. Remember that you've wanted to quit smoking for a long time and you're finally doing something about it. List out the benefits you see in your health and overall being due to quitting tobacco. It has been said that gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, and I believe that! Make gratitude a daily conscious part of your life.

Accept and Let It Go
Relax into your quit and embrace cravings to smoke as they come. Don't fight - lean into urges and ride them out. Most cravings last 3-5 minutes. Think of them as signs that your body is healing - that is just what they are.

Don't Fall for Junkie Thinking
Quitting tobacco is a gift, not a sacrifice. Don't sabatoge yourself by feeling sorry that you can't smoke. You are choosing not to smoke because you want to be free of this killer of an addiction. Keep your perspective!

Be Patient
Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, people don't quit smoking in a day either. Most of us had 20 years or more of smoking under our belts before we quit. Give yourself the gift of time and patience. Work to undo old patterns and replace them with newer, healthier choices. Each day you complete smoke free brings you closer to lasting freedom.

Make it Stick This Time!