Top Tips to Quit Smoking

For some people giving up smoking can seem like the biggest challenge they have ever faced in their life. I know how hard it can be - I lost count of the number of times I tried and failed to break the habit before I finally succeeded. Along the way I used various different products and techniques, and read up on all the literature I could get my hands on, and I think got some idea of what workds well and what doesn't work so well. So here are my top 3 tips to help you quit smoking:

1 - Take things one hour and one day at a time. Most people would probably say that is what they are doing anyway, but if you know how to use it properly this can be more that just a general approach, it can be a specific technique for overcoming the worst cravings.

Firstly, you may have noticed that when you think about never smoking again it immediately makes you want a cigarette really badly. So try not to think about it like this. Secondly, if you pay attention to your thoughts and feelings when you are experiencing nicotine withdrawal and cravings you will notice that there is never actually a single moment when the cravings are too strong to resist (although it may seem like it). Rather, it is the thought of these cravings continuing all day and beyond that makes it seem unbearable. The problem is that it just wears you down. You can get a "I'll just hold off until lunchtime", or "I'll just try to do another hour" or whatever it may be. When you succeed in doing this it gives you a sense of achievment which is very motivating, and it's much easier to do that putting up with it when you have no fixed end in sight. Also the cravings are not of constant intensity, but come and go. So if you use this to get through the rough patches then when you reach your short term goal the intense craving should have subsided.

2 - If you relapse and smoke even a single cigarette, then just start smoking again and set another date to quit again, perhaps a few days later. This may seem counter-productive but otherwise it is just to easy to say to yourself "I'll just have one and it won't make a difference", and you never make that final break. One every couple of days soon becomes one a day, then a few per day, and so on.

3 - Use relaxants. This is one I discovered for myself by accident, and have never heard from anyone else, but it worked very well for me. I was haveing trouble sleeping and so bought some herbal sleeping tablets. They didn't help with the insomnia very much, but they did take the edge of my cravings, and I started taking them late afternoon every day to help get through the evening, for about a week or so. These, or herbal anti-stress remedies, can really help with the agitation and frustration of excess nervous energy which many people find exasperates their cravings.

I hope these tips help you to quit smoking and lead a healthier and wealthier life!