The transition to a healthy lifestyle is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. The period of abstinence or withdrawal, when the body completely rebuilds its work due to a lack of nicotine, can be very painful. This applies not only to changes in the psychoemotional state: increased anxiety, irritability, but also a deterioration in physical well-being: a cough appears, the work of the digestive system changes, and the headache torments. The listed symptoms are observed in almost all people with many years of smoking experience, so not everyone copes and brings to an end what they started.
How to quit smoking without harm to your health and how to improve your well-being is important for those who have experienced withdrawal symptoms. To smooth out its manifestations, a smoker must follow a number of rules: following them will improve the physical and mental state and allow you to get out of addiction without unnecessary stress.
General rules for quitting smoking
To get the effect, follow these guidelines:
- Competently composed diet. It is known that after a heavy meal: the desire to smoke fat, fried, sharp increases. These products, however, should also be excluded from the menu because they create additional stress on the body. At the same time, you should consume herbal teas, fruit drinks, mineral water - a large amount of liquid will help accelerate the elimination of toxins. It is recommended to consume dairy products: milk changes the taste of cigarettes, smoking stops bringing pleasure. However, you should drink unpasteurized natural milk, otherwise the required effect will not be achieved. It is recommended that you drink a glass of hot drink every morning.
- It is also important to control your diet because people often "grab" the stress associated with smoking and thus gain weight. So that there is no fear of gaining weight, light and low-calorie foods are recommended, which will allow you to maintain your figure. For snacks it is good to use not sweets and biscuits, but vegetables and fruit.
- Elimination of alcohol, strong coffee and tea. All these products, along with cigarettes, are characterized by a stimulating effect on the body. Tea and coffee increase anxiety levels and cause sleep disturbances, and alcohol dulls self-control.
- Taking vitamins. Within 1-1, 5 months after quitting smoking, it is necessary to take vitamin complexes. Especially during this period, it is recommended to take ascorbic acid.
- Use of products containing nicotine. Patches, sprays, chewing gum, which contain nicotine in a small dosage, help to attenuate the manifestations of withdrawal symptoms. Some people switch to e-cigarettes - it is easier to quit, although the product is not harmless, so it is not recommended to use it.
- Breathing techniques. To calm down during an attack of irritability, it is recommended to use "belly breathing". The technique is safe and is used in yoga, meditation, sports training. The relaxation effect is observed almost instantly. In addition, deep breathing improves the functioning of the digestive system and strengthens the lungs. During inhalation, the abdomen protrudes and during exhalation it is strongly attracted by the tension of the abdominal muscles.
- Correct diet and physical activity. During the period of quitting smoking, the body is exposed to great stress, so it is necessary to pay attention to the restoration of vitality. Complete sleep and sports are required. Physical activity stimulates the production of serotonin, which helps stabilize the emotional background.
Give up the habit abruptly or gradually
The opinion of psychologists is uncompromising: it is necessary to quickly eliminate cigarettes from life. With a gradual refusal, the number of cigarettes is gradually reduced or products with a lower content of nicotine and tar are purchased. A person struggles with the urge to smoke, but still lights cigarettes, so the body is in constant stress for a long time. The advantage of immediate withdrawal is the immediate breaking of the psychological and physical connection with the habit.
If you suddenly stop smoking, you have to resist for the first 3-5 days: after this period, the body itself will start producing nicotine and physical well-being will improve. However, psychological discomfort can persist for a long time: in any emotionally unstable situation, there will be a desire to smoke.
It should be understood that after a few days without nicotine inhalation of tobacco smoke will lead to unpleasant sensations: dizziness, severe tachycardia. The body is purified and does not feel the need for a substance, but an old habit can take over. For many, these same feelings help to quit forever - it becomes clear that there is no pleasure, but some smoke more cigarettes in a row, returning to addiction.
In some cases, phasing out is preferable. As a rule, this recommendation applies to people who have been smoking for more than 10 years. If blood pressure rises suddenly, convulsions appear, severe headaches are tormented, it is necessary to consult a doctor: the doctor, having studied the patient's condition, will be able to answer the best way to quit smoking: abruptly or graduallyand prescribe drugs that will help cope with the manifestations of withdrawal syndrome. . .
For pregnant women and mothers of breastfed babies, quitting smoking suddenly is the only right decision.
Nicotine is dangerous in any trimester of pregnancy, you cannot feed your baby with milk, which contains toxins. Some women say that after they quit smoking, their breasts started to get bigger. Having noticed such changes, it is recommended to go to a mammologist just in case. As a rule, these two phenomena are not related, but hormonal changes are possible, and it is better not to abandon your condition, but to check. Smokers need to be careful when using the birth control pill. This combination leads to changes in the characteristics of the blood.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking has faced the misconceptions mentioned in his book by the famous author A. Carr.
These errors sound like this:
- I smoke less.
- Only 1 cigarette.
- I'll drag it up once.
Eliminating all these phrases once and for all is good advice to listen to.
By limiting yourself in this way, you turn smoking into a pleasure, a gift you can't wait to give. Often the opposite effect is observed: who quits smoking even more.
There should be no exceptions under the name "just a cigarette" - this is a trap that you have to get out of for years. When it comes to how long it takes to quit smoking, in most cases it takes the time to crumple and unwrap the package. The potential likelihood of smoking remains for life - it all depends on the person's mood and motivation.
Cigarettes should not be used as an aid in the fight against stress and bad mood. They will not help you concentrate or calm down - for this purpose, breathing techniques can be used that will prove to be more effective and not harmful.
Don't think that something valuable and important is taken away from you, making you a victim. Suffering here is not appropriate, but you can be proud of yourself, because despite the difficulties, you return to a healthy lifestyle.
It is important to surround yourself with non-smokers, or at least to avoid visiting smokers. Forming your environment is extremely important when a person wants to quit smoking marijuana - here it is impossible to get out of addiction without changing the social circle.
Conclusion
If you cannot completely quit smoking on your own at home, you should contact a narcologist. A non-smoker feels the taste of life more fully, breathes deeply in all senses of the word, so you shouldn't continue poisoning your body if you've already tuned in to health.