Quitting Smoking is, just like with any other addiction, a process that can discourage even the most determined of us either because withdrawal symptoms are more than we can handle, or due to other factors, such as the influence the entourage has on us. However, kicking the habit is not impossible, doctors say, especially if we also make use of a few healthy tricks to aid us in our endeavor.
The first thing we should start doing if we want to quit smoking, health specialists maintain, is to start exercising more. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re to hit the gym and work ourselves off to the point of exhaustion, but it does imply we start paying more attention to our daily routine. For instance, even a 15-minute brisk walk is said to fight off the urge to light up, while also painfully reminding us (at least in the first week or so) why we shouldn’t smoke. Moreover, exercise is one of the best ways to relax, so we would no longer be in a position to use this excuse to smoke.
Doctors also advise us, in case we really want to quit smoking and we’re not just doing it to “show that we can,” to not go cold turkey from the very start. Anti-smoking aids, although with a somewhat tainted reputation, can come quite in handy. We should always have patches and chewing gum at hand, they say, even if we don’t plan on using them, so that, if the urge appears, we have something to use and make it go away. These assistants also reduce the irritability and agitation that come with nicotine withdrawal.
Since one of the worst things about quitting smoking is said to be the tendency to always be chewing on something, health experts are telling us to indulge in this craving if we feel it can fight off temptation. Regular chewing gum or mint drops, but also healthy snacks (celery, fruit or pistachio) should keep our hands and mouth occupied, while also not making our weight balloon overnight. Of course, other low-calorie snacks are also a viable option, as long as we make sure we don’t overdo it, specialists explain.
Identifying the triggers of smoking is also an important step in the process of kicking the habit, doctors point out. If we know what makes us want to smoke or the things we associate with puffing away on a cigarette (a stressful situation, a cup of coffee in the morning, and so on), it’s much easier to eliminate temptation. Learn the facts on what smoking does to your body, doctors also underline. The anti-smoking campaigns now in place all over the world may not be enough – so we should read up on the effects of smoking and only then decide if it’s a habit we still want to indulge in.
Last on the list of useful anti-smoking tips is finding other ways to relax. For instance, doctors emphasize, we could pick up meditation or yoga (even Pilates would do) to unwind after a stressful day. Then, there are the simple options that also work wonders, like taking more walks in some quiet part of the town, reading a good book or watching a nice movie, or doing something to boost our mood. For instance, health experts suggest, we could get our teeth whitened professionally because, other than doing something just for ourselves, it will also show us how we could look if we did not ruin our beautiful smile by smoking.
These said, all that’s left for us to do now is to think if smoking is really worth, or whether we’re willing to give quitting a try.
The first thing we should start doing if we want to quit smoking, health specialists maintain, is to start exercising more. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re to hit the gym and work ourselves off to the point of exhaustion, but it does imply we start paying more attention to our daily routine. For instance, even a 15-minute brisk walk is said to fight off the urge to light up, while also painfully reminding us (at least in the first week or so) why we shouldn’t smoke. Moreover, exercise is one of the best ways to relax, so we would no longer be in a position to use this excuse to smoke.
Doctors also advise us, in case we really want to quit smoking and we’re not just doing it to “show that we can,” to not go cold turkey from the very start. Anti-smoking aids, although with a somewhat tainted reputation, can come quite in handy. We should always have patches and chewing gum at hand, they say, even if we don’t plan on using them, so that, if the urge appears, we have something to use and make it go away. These assistants also reduce the irritability and agitation that come with nicotine withdrawal.
Since one of the worst things about quitting smoking is said to be the tendency to always be chewing on something, health experts are telling us to indulge in this craving if we feel it can fight off temptation. Regular chewing gum or mint drops, but also healthy snacks (celery, fruit or pistachio) should keep our hands and mouth occupied, while also not making our weight balloon overnight. Of course, other low-calorie snacks are also a viable option, as long as we make sure we don’t overdo it, specialists explain.
Identifying the triggers of smoking is also an important step in the process of kicking the habit, doctors point out. If we know what makes us want to smoke or the things we associate with puffing away on a cigarette (a stressful situation, a cup of coffee in the morning, and so on), it’s much easier to eliminate temptation. Learn the facts on what smoking does to your body, doctors also underline. The anti-smoking campaigns now in place all over the world may not be enough – so we should read up on the effects of smoking and only then decide if it’s a habit we still want to indulge in.
Last on the list of useful anti-smoking tips is finding other ways to relax. For instance, doctors emphasize, we could pick up meditation or yoga (even Pilates would do) to unwind after a stressful day. Then, there are the simple options that also work wonders, like taking more walks in some quiet part of the town, reading a good book or watching a nice movie, or doing something to boost our mood. For instance, health experts suggest, we could get our teeth whitened professionally because, other than doing something just for ourselves, it will also show us how we could look if we did not ruin our beautiful smile by smoking.
These said, all that’s left for us to do now is to think if smoking is really worth, or whether we’re willing to give quitting a try.
