Most countries have been actively combating smoking and promoting a healthy lifestyle for several years.
Smoking bans in public places help motivate people to get rid of this addiction forever. However, for many heavy smokers, this is not a hindrance. Although many of them are already looking for a way to quit smoking effectively and quickly on their own, and that's good news. Unfortunately, scientists to date have not developed a natural method of quitting smoking without psychological suffering, but have come close to making it as easy as possible to part with a cigarette.
The body needs
While smoking, the body experiences a lack of important trace elements and vitamins that need to be replenished, preferably in a complex way, but some food groups should receive special attention.
It has long been known that smokers excrete large amounts of vitamin C from the body, and nicotine helps replace it, therefore, when quitting smoking, care should be taken to take enough ascorbic acid. The diet should contain more foods that contain vitamin C: orange and lemon juice, currants, sea buckthorn, rose hips.
The urge to smoke is gradually decreasing, but it is worth paying attention to the functions of your body, as people with intestinal and stomach problems should not overdo the intake of ascorbic acid.
Don't forget the fact that after you have decided to quit smoking for good, it is advisable to exclude certain foods from your diet. These include products that contain caffeine: coffee, tea, cola. Caffeine alone removes a huge amount of nicotine from the body and the body begins to require replenishment of what is lost.
Bad habits
Alcohol also stimulates desire. Therefore, if you are determined to quit smoking, limit the use of alcoholic beverages and it is better to refuse altogether at first. The higher the grade of the drink, the greater the desire to receive a dose of nicotine.
Another important factor in the fight against addiction is the internal psychological attitude. Engage in self hypnosis, analyze all the positive aspects of quitting smoking and the harmful effects of cigarettes on the body. This will be a good incentive to fight this harmful addiction.
It is worth noting that not everyone is able to quit smoking on the first try - this is completely normal. This is almost always a long process of working on yourself. Don't give up and keep fighting for your health, you're only doing it for yourself and no one else.
13 useful tips to stop smoking effectively
Find the most important reason.
To truly motivate yourself it takes a strong, very personal reason. For example, reluctance to ruin the health of loved ones with secondhand smoke. Or a lower risk of lung cancer and heart disease, even a desire to look and feel young and healthy. The important thing is to really want it more than to smoke.
Prepare yourself before quitting smoking suddenly.
Collecting and throwing away the last pack of cigarettes is not quite the right way. This can lead to the so-called withdrawal syndrome, when an abrupt termination of a particular addiction causes a deterioration in both physical and mental health. It is prudent to first consult with a healthcare professional on how to mitigate the smoking cessation process.
Consider replacement therapy.
Of course, one would like to think that all it takes is willpower, but in reality, the physical dependence of the body can be much more influential. There are special medications in various forms, as well as techniques that will gradually reduce the amount of nicotine entering the bloodstream, thereby reducing the side effects of smoking cessation such as irritability, headache and the like.
Learn about medications in advance.
Cigarettes just seem like an easy joke. Those who smoked a pack a day may need medication to relieve symptoms after an abrupt cessation. This type of medication should only be taken as directed by your doctor.
Don't give up on the support of your loved ones.
Share your intention to quit with your family. Warm words and understanding play a huge role in everyone's life, because it's so much easier to control yourself and ignore the craving for a cigarette if there's such an incentive. Love and support can be even more effective than prescription drugs.
Take a break.
Most smokers say that cigarettes help them relax. Indeed, this is not the case, only for a smoking break time is allocated to rest, which can be spent profitably and without cigarettes. Therefore, by stopping smoking, it is necessary to reserve a period of relaxation. It doesn't matter what it will be filled with: exercise, listening to music or massage. The main thing is to prove to yourself that rest is possible without delay.
Avoid coffee and alcohol at first.
In the minds of many, cigarettes are associated with alcohol and morning coffee. In order not to provoke yourself and not to test your endurance by strength, it is better to take a break from this too. If smoking becomes a habit immediately after eating, find an alternative to this: brush your teeth or go for a short walk, for example.
Eliminates smoking reminders.
When you quit smoking, immediately clear your home ashtray, lighters and anything else that may remind you of cigarettes. Don't even leave these little things in the car. Everything must be clean and ventilated with an obsessive smell, otherwise the temptation will be too great to resist.
Retry if you fail.
Don't stop trying to quit if it doesn't work the first time. Analyze the situation when you took a cigarette again and next time use this experience to avoid another burnout. Set a specific date when you will try to quit smoking again.
Move more and more actively.
Sports activities help distract from the thoughts of cigarettes, and the hormones produced during cigarettes generally improve mood and body tone. And the externally visible result will be an additional motivation against smoking, which has nothing to do with the beauty and health of the body. If you can't play sports, any physical activity will do, for example, garden work or an active walk with the dog.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Never go on a diet when you quit smoking. Psychologically, it will be much harder to cope if you deny yourself too much. To avoid weight gain while quitting smoking, it is enough to replace snacks with baked goods and sweets for fruits and vegetables.
Calculate your benefits.
In addition to the unconditional health benefits, quitting smoking is also convenient. Calculate exactly how much money you will save by stopping buying cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays. Separately, try to estimate how much work efficiency will increase with a clear schedule without constant exits for a smoke break. Spend the money you save, finally saying goodbye to tobacco, on entertainment to reward yourself.
Remember, time is at stake.
Is it hard to see exactly how healthy it will be to quit smoking? Then maybe some numbers will help. It takes the body 20 minutes to return the heart rate to normal after a cigarette. After a day without tobacco, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood will return to acceptable levels. After 2-3 weeks of quitting smoking, the risk of heart attack begins to decrease. And in the long run - get rid of the sword of Damocles lung cancer.
We hope you make the right decision in time and our article will help you decide how to quit smoking effectively and quickly on your own. Be healthy!