Trying to Quit Smoking? Some Easy Tips for Quitting

Are you trying to Quit Smoking? It’s never too late to stop using tobacco. By giving up smoking today, you can improve your health and lower your risk of developing lung, heart, and other smoking-related diseases.

Aware of trying to quit smoking? You can stop smoking for good with the help of these suggestions.

Smoking is decreasing. However, if you’re one of the 38 million Americans who smoke every day, you undoubtedly already know how difficult it is to stop.

Seventy percent of smokers say they wish to give up the habit. Of those, 50% report having attempted to quit during the last 12 months. Only 7% succeed.

There are several reasons to go for help with your nicotine addiction: About one-third of all malignancies and 90% of lung cancer cases are caused by tobacco smoking. Additionally, it raises the risk of lung, heart, and stroke illness.

So what is the most effective strategy to stop smoking?

You’re trying to quit smoking, You can find advice in this section if you need assistance managing urges and cravings. With or without medications, these have all been demonstrated to be helpful.

You might be able to use more NRT if your desires are difficult to control. You can increase to a larger dose, for example, if you are using a lower-dose patch. Or you could include a nicotine chew or mini-lozenge. Find out more about mixing medications.

You can use these other suggestions in addition to talking to your doctor or another healthcare provider about your urges if you are taking varenicline or bupropion.

Here are five fresh strategies for trying to quit smoking that have been shown to help grownups. They may be able to make trying to quit smoking more successful, less painful, and easier.

Utilizing many medications can be very beneficial

The most typical combination is a nicotine patch plus a lozenge or gum. The daily nicotine patch helps you control cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Using two NRTs together can help you quit more successfully than using a single medicine.

One non-nicotine medication is particularly successful

Varenicline works to assist people in trying to quit smoking. Varenicline works by attaching to the same parts of your brain that are stimulated by nicotine.

This makes it harder to get a nicotine buzz. It makes it harder trying to quit smoking, and gives you the strongest chance for success of any single medicine.

When you use quit smoking medication, you can boost your chances of success

Looking for a quit-smoking medication or dose? Problems with a medicine?

Talking to a quit coach, doctor, or pharmacist will help you get the most out of your medications. Other smoking-cessation tips are available.

Get discounted or free nicotine replacement therapy medications

If you have health insurance:
Most health insurance policies cover FDA-approved over-the-counter ‘trying to quit smoking’ medications. Your insurance may need a prescription for over-the-counter medications.

If you don’t have health insurance:
Browse or use coupons. Nicotine patches may be cheaper than cigarettes! Ask your pharmacist or search online for discounts.
Quitting saves money on smokes!

Before you completely give up smoking, you may choose to begin a medication regimen

Nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges are OK a week or two before trying to quit smoking. This may reduce smoking and prepare you. Starting medication, especially the nicotine patch, may help you stop.

NRT should be used to quit smoking within a week or two. Start varenicline or bupropion a week or more before stopping smoking. Your doctor will recommend a start date when you acquire your prescription.

You can make some changes to your house, vehicle, and place of employment that will make it simpler for you to quit and stay away from them.

1	Before you quit smoking, get rid of all the cigarettes from your house, car, and place of employment.
2	Get rid of the lighters, matches, and ashtrays that you use when smoking.
3	Clean everything that has a cigarette smoke smell, including your clothes.

Inform people of your decision so they can be supportive

1	In social settings, smoking might be tempting.
2	Try to stay away from places where you will be tempted to smoke and where cigarettes are available during the first few weeks of trying to quit smoking.
3	Inform your friends who smoke that you are giving up smoking.
4	Ask them not to offer you cigarettes and to refrain from smoking in your presence.
5	Get assistance from the people you trust.
6	Making a call to a friend can help you overcome cravings and temptations.
7	Going on a walk, seeing a movie, or just talking to someone might also be beneficial.

Beware of additional temptations

1	Going shopping can be alluring, especially at a gas station where buying smokes is simple. For the first month, exercise caution when shopping, and make a decision beforehand not to purchase any cigarettes if you are going somewhere that sells them.
2	Avoid those locations if you reside in a neighborhood where smoking is still permitted in some public spaces, especially in the first few months. Cravings can be sparked by exposure to secondhand smoke and smoking by others.
3	Any cigarette firms that send you offers or other mailings should be contacted and asked to remove you from their mailing lists. Opt out of receiving any texts or emails from them.

The temptation may be ignored if one focuses on something more intriguing, significant, or just different. When you have so many other things to accomplish, giving in to a want for a cigarette is pointless.

When you want to smoke, it may consume you

Having a cigarette in your hand might seem like the most important thing in the world when you’re experiencing a strong desire to light up.

Impulse by focusing on something more fascinating, significant, or distinctive

1	Play some of the music that you enjoy the most.
2	Take a stroll or engage in another form of physical activity.
3	Contact a friend by phone or text.
4	Play a video game or tackle a puzzle.
5	Watch a video of a cat (or whatever makes you laugh).

Perform several drills before giving up

The good news is that cravings diminish quickly, particularly if you divert yourself. Create a list of productive distractions. Before giving up, give them a shot.

You should probably save the list. Then, when the impulse to resume smoking arises, you can select one item at random from your list.

Find safe substitutes for cigarettes

Replace the tobacco in your lips and hands with something healthier. When you finally give up, you should keep them close by. Here are a few examples of possible solutions:

Try using straws, toothpicks, or even cinnamon sticks.
These can come in handy when you’re in a confined space, such as a car, a bus, or a restaurant, and you feel the need to take a break. They are the size of a cigarette and may be held in the fingers and inhaled in the same way.

Use a squeeze ball, a paper clip, or a doodle pencil.
When you’re on the phone or in front of the TV and feeling a little on edge, these may help calm you down.

Do your best work before giving up.
Make the last few days leading up to your stop as comfortable as possible by experimenting with alternatives to smoking. Try a few out and see which ones help you the most.

Our brains constantly provide us with new ideas to consider. There are times when we believe an overwhelming concept simply because it originated in our own thoughts.

However, not every one of our ideas is correct. During times of intense desire, your mind will actively work to persuade you that smoking is OK. No need to pay attention to me!

1	You need to put on your detective hat and start paying attention to the thoughts that pop into your head whenever you feel an impulse.
2	Sometimes the most interesting thought can come to you just before you become conscious that you are experiencing an urge. This can happen at any time.

What are your pre- or post-urge thoughts?

What are some of the ideas that typically pop into your head immediately prior to or while you are experiencing an urge?

1	“Time for a cigarette”
1	“If I don’t have a cigarette right now, I’m going to go insane,” said the smoker.
1	“I need to come up with an alibi in order to be allowed to go outside and smoke”
1	“I’m under a lot of stress right now, therefore I deserve a cigarette”
1	“If you smoke a cigarette with this coffee, it will enhance the flavor”
1	“If I don’t give in to this need to light a cigarette, it will just grow more intense, thus it would be more sensible for me to give in to it right now.”
1	“Even if I just have one, it won’t make a difference”

Consider the idea thoroughly and try to come up with a solution

If you’re able to identify your thoughts in relation to a desire, you may take a different tack and attempt talking back to them. Investigate the idea thoroughly to discover it’s fallacy or an approach to counter it.

It is also possible to combine “talking backs” with the use of a distraction or substitute in order to assist the person in passing.

Before you start trying to quit smoking, it is beneficial to get some practice paying attention to urges and responding to them. To get started trying to quit smoking, jot down two things that come to mind whenever you get the want to smoke, particularly if it’s been very lately.

Now, give each of these ideas some attention, and then jot down a response in the form of a “talk back.”

Many people believe that they have two options when confronted with a strong want to smoke: give in or fight.

Urge sensations make you feel like you have to take immediate action. However, neither submission nor resistance is required. Simply ignoring the temptation and giving it time to pass will make it disappear.

After just a few minutes, the impulse will start to go away for the vast majority of people. You will, without a doubt, experience further impulses in the future, but over time, those urges will become less intense.

A few times each day, you should practice riding the wave. Then, when you finally give up smoking for good, you’ll have the skills necessary to surf the waves like a pro!

In addition to the tools listed here, discuss trying to quit smoking methods with your doctor to see if they are appropriate for you, when you’re trying to quit smoking.

Authorities’ Resources

A website containing materials specifically designed for women, veterans, youth, Spanish speakers, and persons over 60 years old. US Department of Health and Human Services: SmokeFree

How medications approved by the FDA can aid in trying to quit smoking.
FDA 101: Smoking Cessation Products

A Department of Defense-sponsored website that offers assistance to military troops and their families in trying to quit smoking.
YouCanQuit2

Other Online Resources

Howto stop using tobacco, including smokeless: American Cancer Society

Resources and information about stopping smoking: American Heart Association

Information on trying to quit smoking, including the best advice: American Lung Association

Use the free online program BecomeAnEX to stop smoking: Truth Initiative

Conclusion:

It has been established that persons who smoke can successfully trying to quit smoking using all of these strategies to assist them deal with impulses to smoke. If you practice them before giving up, you will see the most success with them.