Almost all tobacco users have an impulse to smoke one last time or experience tobacco cravings when they try to quit the habit. When resisting the urge to smoke, one might feel discomfort for some time or even experience certain withdrawal symptoms. Listed below are some lifestyle tips for quitting smoking:
- Avoid trigger situations: The craving to smoke will be at its peak when one is at a party or in a bar or when one is feeling stressed and depressed. One must recognize their trigger circumstances and avoid such situations when trying to quit smoking. Some people may have the habit of smoking while in the washroom, and going to the washroom can’t be avoided. So, what then? One can distract attention by using their phone or reading a newspaper during that time.
- Chew on it: Chewing a piece of gum when one gets an urge to smoke is one of the effective lifestyle tips for quitting smoking. One can have candy or even eat celery, carrots, energy bars, or sunflower seeds to calm cravings.
- Indulge in physical activity: Physical activity can help divert attention from a tobacco craving and also decrease the intensity of cravings. One can walk, jog, run, or join any outdoor physical activity to divert their mind from nicotine cravings. If one has long office hours, pushups, knee bends, and squats are great options, or they can go up and down the stairs.
- Use relaxation techniques: Most people tend to smoke when they are stressed, but stopping smoking can lead to stress by itself. One can try yoga, massage, meditation, or listen to soothing music when stressed or to effectively resist the urge to smoke. Employing these physical relaxation techniques is an important lifestyle tip for quitting smoking.
- Go online: One can also enroll in an online quit smoking program and read stories or blogs of people who have quit the habit. Learning lessons from the battle that these people have fought and won can motivate a person to do the same.
- Keep thinking of the reasons to quit: One must pen down and constantly remind themselves of the reasons they want to quit smoking when they get an urge to smoke. The reasons might be one’s own or their loved ones’ health, or even saving money.
- Keep nicotine gum: One can opt for nicotine gums if they cannot resist the temptation to smoke. This gum provides the body with enough nicotine to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The nicotine in this gum is significantly less as compared to cigarettes, and it is important to keep a check on the amount of nicotine gum one chews on.
These are some of the most effective and helpful lifestyle tips for quitting smoking.