Quitting smoking is, as every current and former smoker knows, a hugely difficult step to take in recovering and advancing health. Quitting smoking can take many months – even years – to achieve.
If you’re trying to quit smoking, you’ve probably come across all kinds of different methods designed to help you quit – some more effective than others. But of all the ways to quit smoking available to those who are serious about quitting, a few stand out among the others. Here are five effective ways to quit smoking.
Make a Plan
Like any major endeavor, planning is a big key to success when it comes to quitting smoking. Start with time frames – set a realistic date by which you want to be smoke-free. Week by week, set a goal reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Discuss your plan with your physician or medical practitioner to help set realistic goals, and ask for resources for support as well as drug or talk therapies to help you quit and manage underlying causes, such as anxiety.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Nicotine replacement therapies come in a variety of forms, from gums and candies to chewable tablets and pills. Nicotine replacement therapy helps to control the nicotine levels within the body, keep them at a stable rate, and, over time, gradually reduce them – without the need to smoke. Some nicotine replacement therapy methods can be covered by your health insurance plan if they’re prescribed by a doctor, so have a talk with your physician about which method may be right for you.
Yoga
Yoga helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, increase mindfulness, and ups awareness of the body and emotional states – all helpful to quitting smoking. The mindfulness that practicing yoga can introduce helps the individual to become aware of and control cravings, as well as identify emotional states that may induce them to smoke more. While you should talk to your doctor before starting a regular yoga practice, introducing yoga for a short period each day or a few times a week may help you to quit.
Hard Candy
Part of quitting smoking is overcoming the oral fixation that many smokers become accustomed to, especially when stressed. Keeping a bag of hard candy, gummies, or chewing gum nearby may help to alleviate cravings for a cigarette. They can also substitute during your usual smoke break – instead of going out for a cigarette, step away and spend a little time mulling over a hard candy or some gummies. Go for sugar-free options if you wind up doing this a lot, and if you chew gum, try gum with xylitol – it’s good for your teeth!
Seek Support
Having a good support system in place is key to breaking any addiction. Enlist the support of your family and friends while you’re working towards quitting, and consider addiction counseling or support groups that can assist you with achieving your goal of quitting smoking. Because smoking is so highly addictive, quitting with no outside support can be extraordinarily difficult – and may even sabotage your goal. Ask your doctor – or other people you know who are working to quit smoking – to refer you to some addiction treatment counselors or any support groups they may know of.
These five methods are some of the most successful when it comes to quitting smoking. Whether you use one or all of them, each will help you make strides towards your goal of quitting smoking – and living a healthier, freer life.
