Smoking is a difficult habit to crack even if you’ve not been a smoker for long, so for those who have been smoking for many years, quitting is even more difficult as the habit has become completely ingrained into their everyday life. Quitting smoking for many long-term, heavy smokers often means a drastic lifestyle change and could even alienate them from their friends, for example fellow smokers who they meet up with on their break at work. But, the longer you smoke, the more health problems it will cause – and these are serious, with COPD, emphysema, coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer all being related to smoking. So, we’ve listed some top tips to help you quit, no matter how long you’ve been smoking for.
Tip #1. Try an E-Cigarette:
There’s a reason that vaping is such a popular method for smokers looking for nicotine replacement therapy – switching to an e-cigarette doesn’t mean that you’ll have to change much at all. Since you can purchase e-liquid that contains nicotine but none of the other harmful chemicals associated with smoking such as tar and carbon monoxide, you can continue to ‘smoke’ but without taking in these toxins on a daily basis. Along with that, e-liquid is much cheaper and can be purchased less often than traditional cigarettes. You can find providers online such as greyhaze.co.uk who offer a selection of tastes that can help tantalize your taste buds as you ease yourself off smoking.
Tip #2. Other Nicotine Replacement Therapies:
Even if vaping isn’t for you or you feel that you need a little bit more support alongside, there are several other awesome nicotine replacement therapies that will help you wean yourself off cigarettes without nasty nicotine withdrawal symptoms. You can even get many of these on prescription from your doctor; don’t forget that medical professionals are always pushing for their patients to lead healthier lifestyles and quitting smoking is a massive part of this. Nicotine patches, gum, sprays, and inhalers can all work well to help you keep cravings at bay whether you’re at home or in work.
Tip #3. Join a Support Group:
If you are worried about the impact that quitting smoking will have on your social life, then it’s a good idea to join a stop smoking support group. Here you will be able to meet many new friends who also have the same goal as yourself to finally crack their smoking habit, so it’s less likely that your social life will suffer. If there are no physical groups near you, you might want to consider looking online for social media groups, or online forums and blogs dedicated to this cause. Don’t forget, if any of your friends are also talking about quitting smoking, inviting them to your support group could be the push in the right direction that they need. Sometimes, quitting as a team with your partner, a friend or a family member can be very helpful as you’re not alone and will have somebody you can relate to during your journey.
Tip #4. Find Your Reason:
If you’re not sure why you want to give up smoking, then the harsh truth is that you’re potentially more likely to find it difficult. Visualising your reasons for quitting and turning them into a reality can be far more rewarding than simply quitting smoking because you know that it is bad for you. After all, nicotine is a hugely addictive substance and every day, hundreds of people light up a cigarette in full knowledge of just how bad they are. Find reasons that are personal to you. Maybe you want to enjoy whiter teeth or have a fitness goal that would be otherwise difficult to achieve without quitting the cigarettes. Perhaps you are working towards a large saving goal and spending less money on this habit would make a huge difference. Or, you are considering starting a family and want the healthiest, happiest start for your children. Whatever your reason, it will certainly be worth putting in all the hard work of quitting for. Additionally, you can get your teeth whitened to rid the stains from smoking to motivate yourself to stay away from returning to the habit. If you need a recommendation, you can seek dental expertise at general dentistry north eastham.
Reward Yourself:
One of the best things about quitting smoking is the huge amount of money that you can save. Even if you switch from cigarettes to vaping, the difference in price is immense. Cigarettes are steadily rising in price due to additional taxes introduced on a regular basis, leaving heavy smokers in particular severely out of pocket. Even if you can afford to spend the money, wouldn’t you prefer to use it for something else? Whether it’s a new wardrobe or a long-awaited holiday abroad, using the money you are able to save for something nice, or even putting it away and watching it all pile up in your savings account can be very satisfying and motivating.
Quitting smoking is no easy task when it’s been one of your main habits for years. But with the right tools and attitude, you can do anything that you put your mind to!