Everyone knows, smoking is bad for health, because it can lead to development of various diseases and health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, etc.
Smoking doesn’t only harm the active smoker itself, but also to those who breathe the smoker’s cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke or passive smoker. Both active and passive smokers will have the same negative effects of cigarette smoke.
Because of the variety of health problems that are linked to smoking, most people would like to be able to quit smoking. But due to nicotine addiction, it’s often easier said than done. People who want quit smoking often experience severe withdrawal symptoms (mental and physical), making it difficult to stick with their goal of quitting smoking completely.
Why Is Tobacco Smoke So Addictive?
Blame nicotine, the main drug in tobacco. Nicotine cause your brain quickly adapt and develop tolerance to it, it means you need to smoke more to get the same rush that you used to get with just one cigarette. And when you develop a tolerance to a drug, you are addicted.
How Do I Quit Smoking?
Quitting is hard but it is far from impossible. In fact, many people have succeeded in breaking the habit, and you really have no reason to not be one of them. Here are 9 tips to help you kick the bad habits:
- Think Positively
Believe that you will achieve this. Imagine yourself as a healthy and happy non-smoker - Make a list of reason to quit
Live healthy, feel happy, save money, for family sake, etc. Keep this list in various places to remind yourself the value of quit smoking. - Plan Ahead
Plan ahead for situations where you might be tempted to smoke, such as bar, cafe, or restaurant that smoking. Try to avoid this situation at an early stage to stop your program, or try sitting in a non-smoking sections in restaurants, put something in your mouth such as sugar free gum, toothpick, cinnamon, etc, or keep your hand busy (knitting, doodling, etc). - Keep your environment clean
Remove all cigarettes, matches, lighters, ashtrays from your environment. Get your teeth cleaned soon after you quit. - Find someone who wants to quit smoking
Find another smoker trying to quit, and help each other with positive words and lending an ears when quitting becomes difficult. - Get Support
Ask your family, friends, and partners to help you during this time. This is especially important if any of these people are smokers. Ask them don’t smoke around you. - Drink a lot of water
Water is good for health, and anyone can not live without it. Drink water can help cleanse the nicotine and other chemical substances from your body, it also can help reduce craving by fulfilling the oral anxiety that you may have. - Start an exercise program
Exercise is a good way to quiet a nicotine urge and prevent weight gain. Start a short walk 3 or 4 times per week for 30 to 40 minutes. This can help reduce stress and help your body recover from damage cause by cigarettes. - Reward Yourself
Set up a reward for your plan. Reward yourself after the first day, second, and the third. Makes them a good reward that you would hope for: books, phone, karaoke, travel, dinner at your favorite restaurant, whatever you can afford.
If you fail, get up and try again. Fail doesn’t mean failures or you can never succeed. People usually make 2, 3 or more tries before finally being able to quit. Learn from your mistakes and start again. Someday you will definitely able to breaking the habit.
