‘Smoking is injurious to health’. ‘It kills’. ‘It is harmful to your body’. All of these warnings are not there to be displayed prior to a movie in the theatre. They are there to act upon them. It requires persistence and strong willpower, but every minute that you spend struggling on quitting smoking is worth it.
Quitting will help you improve the quality of your life and those around you. It will increase your life-span and will give hope to your family that this addiction will soon be long gone. This No Smoking Day, pull up your socks and start the journey to a smoke-free life.
Read: Shocking Facts: Health Effects of Smoking on Women
Before you set-off to this journey of stopping smoking, know about the reasons why you feel it is difficult to quit smoking:
Physical Addiction to Nicotine
Nicotine is a substance present in all tobacco products and is quickly absorbed by your bloodstream. It rapidly travels to your brain when it is inhaled and produces another chemical, Dopamine. This leads to a dopamine rush making you feel good and relaxed. However, it is only temporary and it wears off after a while, making you crave for another cigarette again.
To feel the same again, smokers go back to another cigarette time and again. As soon as you will finish a cigarette, your body will start craving for another one. Consult a healthcare provider to get help and see what all options you have.
Mental Stress
Smoking is not the solution if you are stressed. It does not matter if you have professional, familial or financial stress, smoking is not the solution. Cigarette is not something you should rely on as this will not help you in the long run to fight stress. Stay on track with your plan of quitting smoking.
In the long run, smoking will only add to your anxiety and stress problems. Fight every day to overcome these problems by adopting the best available stress-management options.
Social Obligation
It often happens to the best of us that we succumb to the societal norm of validation. Validation form people we know, on social networking sites or anywhere we go, has become a part of our lives. Non-smokers feel out of place if they are standing in a group of smokers. You may have become friends with another smoker when asking for a light at your workplace or parties.
Like you befriended smokers, you can easily befriend a group of non-smokers to help you quit smoking. You can join a health group dedicated to supporting quitting smoking. According to a recent survey, it was easier for around 80% smokers to quit smoking with the support of their family and friends. Seek help from others if you are not able to quit smoking on your own.
Read: Does quitting smoking cause weight gain?
Some Tips to Help You Quit Smoking:
- Take deep breaths whenever you feel the urge to grab a cigarette. Take 5-10 deep breaths and inhale the clean air instead of filling your lungs with harmful substances
- Take a walk, do exercise, do yoga, or meditate to help your body and muscles feel relaxed. Turning to a healthy alternative will help you overcome the problem of smoking
- Talking to your loved ones is a great way to fight the addiction. If this does not help, then you can join support groups where people who wish to quit smoking gather together and talk about their problems
- Avoid coffee. When you are trying to quit smoking and manage your stress, caffeine could increase your heart rate, trigger anxiety and stress and may even cause you to want to smoke
- To feel energized and stress-free, drink lots of water, get sufficient sleep and eat healthy
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