One of the bad habits that many people have is smoking tobacco or cigarettes, some do it considering that it is not so harmful to health, but the consequences are really serious. Therefore, eliminate the urge to smoke by doing the 3 things that will be described below in this post.
1. Set the date to quit smoking.
There are many things and resources that can significantly help you quit smoking, such as friends, family, and other colleagues. But in order to be truly successful in fighting this bad habit, the most important thing is to have the desire and the willpower to do so.
In view of the above, it is essential to set the date as the first step. Once the date has been set, you can start reducing your cigarette use. Next, you should make a list of the top reasons you want to quit, including the health benefits.
It would also be very useful to identify those times when you tend to smoke more frequently. It is important to evaluate the following factors and observe if the desire to smoke increases in order to avoid or minimize these moments.
- Being depressed, stressed, or bored.
- Night fall.
- Share with friends
- Drink alcohol or coffee.
- Rest from work.
- Any other time when you are more likely to fall into the bad habit.
You can also tell family, friends and co-workers about the plan to quit smoking that has been programmed and from what date the change process will begin.
By doing it this way, these family friends will understand why you may find yourself in a negative mood at certain times. From the date you set to quit smoking, it is very important to get rid of all cigarettes and clean anything that might smell like smoke, such as clothing, furniture, and other things.
2. Make a plan.
Another thing that turns out to be very helpful is planning what to do at times when you are often tempted to smoke a cigarette. For example, if you previously used to smoke while drinking a cup of coffee, now substitute coffee for a cup of tea as this will not stimulate the urge to smoke. On the other hand, if you are stressed, you can go for a walk in the park instead of giving in to the temptation to light a cigarette.
Doing activities that keep your mind and hands busy, but are not strenuous or unhealthy, will help you meet your goal. A good suggestion would be to install some games to keep busy on your computer or mobile device, such as solitaire, crossword puzzles, learning to sew, knitting, or other activities that clear your mind.
Making changes to your lifestyle also eliminates the urge to smoke. Some changes that can be made is to modify the daily habits and the schedule in which it used to be done; eat at different times, consume small amounts of food at repeated times, instead of three large batches. Eat celery or any other snack that is low in calories, chew gum that does not contain sugar, taste a cinnamon stick, or simply pretend to be smoking by using a straw in your mouth.
3. Set realistic goals.
Setting goals that are realistic in the short term and rewarding yourself when you achieve them provides an incentive to avoid smoking altogether. For example, you can store all the money that you would normally spend buying cigarettes in a glass jar and later spend it on something that is really nice to those who have reached the goal.
It should be tried as much as possible not to think every day that it is necessary to smoke, rather, you should go little by little. If you only smoke a single cigarette, the desire to smoke another will be much stronger and this is a mistake that is sometimes made.
For sure, following these tips eliminates the urge to smoke completely and it is something that does not cost a lot of money, it only requires willpower. It is necessary that we reinforce our idea of abandoning this bad habit, therefore, the most effective thing can be to look for information about the different conditions that smoking can cause, with this we ensure extra motivation to reinforce our willpower.