Prepare
FOR YOUR QUIT DAY repost
From ClearColors on 4/14/2007 8:37:27 AM
Prepare FOR YOUR QUIT DAY
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During
the day, you have a lot of triggers that push you to smoke. And these triggers are responsible for most of your really strong
urges to smoke. Ask yourself: “What’s the cigarette that is toughest for me to go without?” Chances are,
your answer will be something like:
• The cigarette with the first cup of coffee in the morning.
• The cigarette
right after a long movie.
• The relaxing cigarette after dinner.
• The cigarette at morning break, after
not having one since you came to work.
• The cigarette with a drink you need to unwind when you get home in the evening.
Each
of these descriptions centers on a trigger – the first cup of coffee, getting out of the movie, relaxing after dinner,
morning break, and a drink in the evening. These triggers that you and your brain have come to associate with smoking –
when they happen, you have to smoke. As a matter of fact, this association is so strong that you actually crave a cigarette
as these triggers come up.
But there is a way to eliminate these tough “trigger” situations. If you can
get rid of the cues for smoking before you quit, situations in which you’ve “just got to have a cigarette”
will lose some of their power. And you can do it before you quit.
So let’s start destroying these triggers. The
first step is to identify your strongest triggers, the situations in which you always smoke. For example:
• Do
you always smoke after dinner? With your morning coffee?
• Do you always light a cigarette when the phone rings?
When your children go off to school or get back home?
• Do you always smoke while driving in rush-hour traffic? While
driving from errand to errand?These “always”
situations are your strongest external triggers for smoking. First you’ll have to eliminate these. Once you feel you
feel less need to smoke at the very times you thought you could “never get through without a cigarette,” then
you’ll feel less need in other, less strongly cued situations. Start eliminating these “always” triggers
a week or two before your Quit Day.
The Key To Destroy Triggers
To destroy a trigger, you have
to make the decision: “I will never smoke” when that trigger kicks in. For example, if you always smoke when you
drink coffee, you must change your pattern so you never ever smoke while drinking coffee. This will definitely be hard at
first, but it will keep to the “I will never” rule – and soon coffee will no longer be a cigarette trigger
for you. This is how you can do it:
1) You will notice that you smoke during certain times and during certain situations.
Make a list of when you light up and during which situation. (For example, after dinner). Smoking at these times has been
so automatic for you that you don’t even notice it.
2) Choose two or three times during which you smoke from your
list. Be specific: “In the morning” is too broad. But “sitting in the car while driving to work,”
or “during afternoon break at work” are good.
3) Next make the commitment: I will never smoke when these specific
triggers kick in. You will still drive to work, but think about doing something else while you drive. If you always listen
to the radio as you drive and smoke. Do not turn on the radio. That too is part of your trigger to smoke. And if you don’t
listen to the radio as you drive and smoke, then you should listen to the radio in order to break out of the mold in which
you always smoke.
4) Once you choose triggers to destroy – DO NOT EVER SMOKE in these specific situations.
If
this seems really hard, try to replace “won’t” with “can’t.” For example, if your doctor
told you that milk is life-threatening for you, you would probably find lots of ways to make sure you avoid milk. Think and
act in the same way with cigarette. FIND WAYS TO AVOID THEM.
The way the powerful triggers have become so strongly
linked to smoking is because they occur over and over when you smoke. If you’ve smoked a pack a day for 20 odd years,
and drunk coffee with thousands of these cigarettes, that’s a lot of time for the association to be firmly embedded
in your mind. Your body and your mind have learned that when coffee arrives, a cigarette isn’t far. So when you drink
coffee and there’s no nicotine, you feel a huge urge to light up.
You can eliminate these triggers by starting
not to smoke when you drink coffee. Just as you learned that coffee and cigarettes go hand-in-hand, you can also learn that
they don’t.
By using the “I will never” rule, you can get yourself used to coffee without cigarettes.
And what’s really fortunate is that you can do this in just the week or so before your Quit Day. Then, when you quit,
the urges will be less strong.
For this destruction of triggers to work, you must totally separate the trigger from
the cigarette. If coffee is a trigger, it won’t work to drink a cup of coffee, and then have a cigarette, and then drink
a second cup. You must wait about 10-15 minutes after finishing your coffee before you light cigarette. And then, don’t
follow up with another cup of coffee.
If talking on the telephone is your trigger – you must never light up while
talking on the phone. If you’re already smoking when the phone rings, you must either put out the cigarette –
or just not answer the phone. Remember, the goal is to keep the trigger totally separate from smoking. Here are some quick
tips to help you along: 1) Be consistent. It’s better to
choose two or three important triggers that you will never smoke with, instead of trying not to smoke with many different
cues.
2) Don’t try to quit smoking or even cut down yet. Gradually cutting down leads to stronger urges than quitting
cold turkey. So keep smoking for now, but just decide NEVER to smoke in connection with the triggers you have chosen. You
can still smoke at other times.Some triggers
for smoking are external (a cup of coffee, a ringing telephone, a waiting room). But some triggers are internal – the
thoughts and feelings inside you that trigger your smoking. For example, you may reach for a cigarette when you feel angry,
when you’re feeling unsure of yourself.
Sometimes external triggers for smoking are a lot easier to recognize
than internal triggers. As you stop smoking in response to external triggers, you’ll probably become more aware of your
internal triggers – the feelings and frustrations linked to your smoking. For example, if you stop smoking during a
business lunch where you usually would smoke, you’ll probably notice feelings such as frustration or boredom that previously
had been counteracted by your cigarette smoking. This can help you understand why you always smoked during business lunches.
Keep
track of the feelings and frustrations that are triggers for your smoking habit. Knowing which feelings really hit your cigarette
button will help you spot the ones to work on.
For example, if sadness is a big trigger for you, make a point of saying,
“I will never smoke when I am feeling sad.” Then, by the time you get to your Quit Date, feeling sad will not
be such a strong cue for smoking. You may still feel sad, but at least it will no longer be a trigger to smoke.
Eliminating
your strong triggers before you quit will mean fewer strong urges to smoke when your Quit Day comes around. This is the real
plus of destroying triggers. Also, it boosts your confidence. Seeing that you can control your strongest triggers will help
you get the confidence you need to actually quit smoking.
Gaining Self-Control
Even though
you eliminate your strong triggers for smoking, you are still going to have temptations to slip up and smoke. As we all know,
temptations are hard to resist. It is relatively easy not to smoke cigarettes that you haven’t bought. But, it’s
hard not to smoke the cigarette your friend offers you at coffee break, after a hectic morning. You may forget your goal to
have a long life when you’re in a situation that tempts you to smoke. Often you just can’t resist the short-term
pleasure, the desire to just have one.
It’s not as hopeless as it sounds. The important things to self-control
are:
1) To anticipate temptations.
2) To use creative problem solving to keep the temptation from getting too close
and to keep yourself from being able to yield to its temporary allure.
3) To do things – follow through with the
strategies you created. Use them.
Remember, creativity ahead of time can be your weapon against temptation. And any strategy
that blocks momentary temptations, or that keeps you from giving in to the temporary urge will increase your self-confidence
and help you get to the long-term goal of enjoying life without cigarettes.
Anticipating Temptations
Think
about the situations you are likely to be tempted in. There are a number of ways to approach them. Look at the moods you indicated:
anxiety, sadness, or happiness. Times when you are especially anxious or feeling blue are likely to be especially tempting.
There
may also be situations which don’t occur too often, but when they do, it’s hard to fight. Make a list of possible
temptations that you are prone to.
After specifying your temptations, you need to think of specific things you will do
to keep each from getting to you. Here are some questions to ask to help you come up with good strategies:
•
How can I avoid the temptation altogether?
• If I can’t avoid it, how can I weaken the temptation when I feel
tempted?
• What can I do ahead of time to reduce my urge when tempted?
• When tempted, how can I limit my
ability to give in to the temptation?
Be creative, and get really specific in answering these questions. Now is not the
time to be vague. Specific answers will be your best defense against temptation.
Here are some ideas that will
help you get creative:
1) Change your environment. Get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters, and matches.
2)
Prepare yourself. Have creative alternatives available, such as sugar-free gum, low-calorie snacks, etc. Plan an enjoyable
activity and start it before the temptation occurs (for example, take a walk after dinner).
3) Make use of your social
world. Tell a lot of people that you’ve quit smoking. Make clear to your smoking friends that you don’t want them
to give you a cigarette (most relapse cigarettes come from friends). Tell a friend about an upcoming temptation and ask them
to give you some encouragement in the situation (perhaps before a tense meeting).4) Keep your goal in mind. Rehearse your reasons for quitting. Promise yourself something you enjoy (movie, dinner)
for getting through the first week. Get involved in activities that don’t go with smoking (exercise, meditation). Imagine
yourself as you’d like to feel, enjoying favorite activities without smoking.
5) Reduce the appeal of temptations.
Think about the harmful things cigarettes do to you. Think about the diseases you’re concerned about if you go back
to smoking.
As you can see from these examples, your will-power does not depend on some inner strength – but
it rests on how well you anticipate temptations and how creatively you act to change them.
Avoiding temptations is
certainly a lot of work, and it requires effort in advance. But keep in mind the fact that quitting smoking is the most important,
and one of the hardest things you’ll d all year. Give it the attention that it (and you) deserve.
Cooperation
and Encouragement
You’re the one who puts a cigarette in your mouth and smokes it, but others can still
play an important role in your smoking habit – and in your efforts to quit. Quitting goes a lot more smoothly and is
more successful if you have cooperation and encouragement from your family and friends. Can you think of three people you
can use for your quit team? Try to choose:
• One person from your immediate family.
• One person from
work.
• One person from your circle of friends.
A spouse or family member can be a help when you quit. They
will care a lot whether you quit and be willing to cooperate in ways that can really help.
Some people may hesitate
to help you simply because they’re not sure what they can do. It’s up to you to tell them. If you want them to
call you, tell them. If you don’t want calls, let them know that too. Here are some other ways that people can help
you:• Hear you out when you’re tempted
to smoke.
• Suggest methods for getting past the urge.
• Stop by to see you (or call you) on days you know
will be hard for you.
• Help explain your needs to your spouse.
• Be available just to listen to you complain
about how awful it is (or brag about how well you’re doing).
Another way to let people know how you would like
their encouragement or cooperation is to talk with them about it. Ask them to spend a few minutes with you on this. Here are
some pointers to help you along:
For You the Quitter:
1. What does it mean to you for someone
to be there?
2. When will you need people to put up with you – when you’re crabby or cranky the first few days
after you stop smoking? Or in the weeks following, when it is no longer a novelty.
3. How would you like others to cooperate
with your efforts? Are there specific times you’ll need them to give you some help?
4. Do you want to be asked how
things are going, or how you’re doing? About how often or when?
5. Are there some prizes or rewards that you would
like when you’re been successful? Are there some that would be fun for both you and your family member or friend?
For
the Friend or Family Member:
1. Be positive. Tell them how glad you are they’ve stopped smoking.
2.
Reward and praise them. Rewards don’t have to cost much, just use your imagination.
3. Don’t nag. Focus on
how hard they are trying and how much you recognize that.
4. Understand that they may want to talk about wanting a cigarette
or having a relapse. This does not mean that they don’t really want to quit.
5. Don’t tell them how to feel.
Accept and try to understand how they are feeling.
6. Don’t tell them what to do. Ask them what they are thinking
of doing and try to get them to think about the pros and cons.
7. If they slip up, encourage them not to give up.
In
fact, it’s a good idea to discuss these issues with other people too – your spouse, friends, and coworkers. Explain
to them that you’d like them to be willing to listen when you ask for their time. If you’d rather that they let
you bring the subject first, tell them.
Working Together
If you’re quitting with a friend
or just lining up some encouragement for your own efforts, be sure to have phone numbers handy. A telephone call can give
you or your friend just the needed boost to help lift your mood and keep you from smoking. You and your friend may want to
call each other, or get together, at a certain time each day. Remember, quitting smoking is important, so think about scheduling
specific times to meet or talk on the phone, just as you would a business appointment.When people quit smoking they sometimes feel low, sorry for themselves, lonely, and deprived. That’s when the
encouragement of family or friends can be especially helpful. If you think you are going to be feeling sorry for yourself
for a few days, tell others ahead of time and discuss what you can plan to combat it.
Often people will feel they don’t
know what to say. Some well-intentioned things people say may be misinterpreted as “nagging” or “bossy.”
So tell your friends anything you think is important to know about you and what kind of “helpful suggestions”
you can deal with.
Planning Alternatives to Smoking
The key to quitting is to plan ahead. So
far, you’ve made plans for dealing with temptations and you’ve planned to recruit support people. Now you’ve
got to plan specific activities that can take the place of smoking.
You’ll definitely need things to do with
your hands and mouth. Some people suck on stirring sticks, or fiddle with paper clips. Others go for a brisk walk. Many people
find that a few deep breaths work best. Calling up one of your support people can also help. Or sit down and write a letter,
or read a book.
Chewing gum can help. If you’re using nicotine gum, be sure to have several pieces with you at all
times.
These activities may not discourage urges but at least they’ll give you something to do instead of just
sitting there, craving that cigarette.
Here’s something to do before you stop smoking. Pack a survival kit of things
you can use to keep your hands and mouth busy whenever you’re tempted to smoke. Keep your survival kit with you at all
times. You can put the following items in your survival kit:
• Stirring sticks
• Sugarless gum
•
Sugarless candy
• A ball to squeeze
• Cinnamon sticks
• Rubber bands
• Paper clips
•
A pencil to hold
Keeping busy is also important to keep your mind off smoking. Plan ahead to get together often with
friends, schedule outdoor activities, and stock up on magazines and videos. If you don’t have a hobby, this is good
time to start one. You may also need to spend more time with people who don’t smoke. So try going places where smoking
is not allowed.
Diet and Exercise
You can, of course, eat and drink as an alternate to smoking.
Food and drink can indeed be a convenient and tempting substitute. Also, you may find yourself hungry more often after you
give up smoking. Quitting also can cause metabolic changes that lead to an initial weight gain.
So be prepared.
Here are some hints to help you:
• Keep a supply of healthy snacks like fruits or veggie sticks on hand.
•
Drink a large glass of water or a low-calorie beverage whenever you feel the urge to smoke.
• Instead of eating and
drinking, try exercising (even just for a walk around the block) to keep your mind off smoking.
And remember, just
because you’re depriving yourself from cigarettes, it doesn’t mean that you have to deprive yourself from your
favorite food. You are likely concerned about weight gain, but you don’t have to eliminate foods that you enjoy. Eat
a good, balanced diet. The best foods to include are:•
Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Whole grain bread
• Rice
• Pastas
If
you fill up on these foods, you’re less likely to be tempted by calories and pastries.
Exercise helps too. If
you haven’t exercised very much before, talk to your doctor about a sensible exercise program. There’s no need
to become a prime athlete overnight, but there are many good reasons to start a regular regimen of brisk walking, bicycle
riding, swimming, or any other physical activity you enjoy.
Exercise will increase your metabolic rate and help your
body burn extra calories. Exercise also helps reduce tension and stress, which will make you feel more relaxed and alert.
Also these benefits can be a big help to you in quitting smoking and minimizing weight gain.
Focusing on diet and exercise
is a healthy part of your quitting plan. But don’t get so busy with these concerns that you lose sight of your real
goal. Remember, your real goal is quitting smoking.
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http://www.smoking-cessation.org/quit_smoking_guide_9.asp
QUITTING
Your Quit Day is one of the most important days of your life. You have gotten ready
to quit. You have thought about it. You understand your smoking habit and you know why you want to quit. You’ve learned
many things to help you make it over the next few weeks without smoking.
You can do it! You’re well prepared and
ready to be smoke-free for life. Soon you will be the nonsmoker you want to be.
The Day Before.
It
is important to quit with determination, not with a whimper. Stay focused, and get your energy and confidence concentrated
on the big change you’re making in your life.
Quitting is a big step, a major change in your life. It’s
natural to be worried and nervous. Try to think of yourself as being more geared up and excited than worried and nervous.
Think about why you want to do this. Make sure you are clear on your reasons for quitting.
To make you feel more confident,
review your plans now and you’ll realize you really have arranged to make this a success. Ask yourself: How have you
done in eliminating the cigarettes associated with your strongest urges? If you've done well, your quitting will be a lot
easier because those killer cigarettes won’t be half as big an issue as you had feared. Here are important questions to think about:
• What creative alternatives
do you have lined up to take the place of cigarettes?
• What are your will-power strategies for fighting temptation
after you quit?
• What plans do you have for getting cooperation and encouragement from your family and friends?
When
you review these questions, you will gain confidence, because you will feel prepared. It will be hard because you will be
giving up something that you will really miss. But stay determined and be well prepared.
Here are some points to keep in
mind as you begin to get ready for the big day:
1) Quitting smoking is important and difficult. You are taking on a
big task. So remember to be nice to yourself. Cut yourself some slack. If you can become smoke-free in the next few weeks,
you don’t need to do anything else to prove you’re a hero.
2) Plan an easy day for your Quit Day. You may
want it to be a busy one, so you have lots of distractions. Or you may want it to be a relaxing one. Regardless, try to make
it a day with the fewest demands possible.
3) Remind your family and friends that you’re counting on their cooperation
and encouragement in the next week or two. You might want to ask someone you think is really understanding to spend some time
hearing you out about your feelings.
4) Make sure you reward yourself. If you haven’t planned some reward for
the first day or two, you should consider it. Rewards are not the reason you quit, but they can help show to yourself that
what you’re doing is important and that it’s worth a little enjoyment. Of course, the best reward is quitting
itself. But you deserve many more rewards for not smoking. Rewards don’t have to be big and expensive (they can even
be free). But reward yourself with things you care about or like.
Start Spreading the News
Before
you quit it is a good idea to tell your friends, your family, and your coworkers that you are going to be smoke-free as of
tomorrow. Even those whom you are not going to look to for support should still know. The more people around you who know
you are quitting, the less you will want to give in to temptations. Also, many people will want to help you quit and will
be happy to give you some encouragement.
Quitting is an important step for you, but there are sure to be some unhappy
people who won’t understand that you’re going through and may not make it easy for you. But don’t let anyone
put you down. Rehearse in your mind how you’ll reply to negative comments.
Nicotine Replacement
If
you’re planning to use nicotine gum, nicotine patches, or any other form of nicotine replacement, be sure you have these
items on hand, so they’ll be ready for use. Do read the instructions thoroughly, but don’t start using any of
these products until you eventually stop smoking. You must quit smoking completely before you use any nicotine replacement.
If you don’t follow this important caution, you could develop serious side effects caused by an overdose of nicotine.
If your doctor has prescribed Zyban (the non-nicotine pill) or any other medications,
be sure that you are taking this medication as directed, so that it will be an effective level in your body on your Quit Day.
Your
Creative Alternatives
In preparation for your Quit Day, today is also a good day to get out your Survival
Kit that you packed. Be sure you have a good supply of sugarless candy and gum, drink-stirring sticks, and any other items
you can turn to when you feel tempted by cigarettes.
Spend some time thinking about when you will use the Creative
Alternatives you have identified for yourself. You might even pick a couple of situations during the day when you would normally
have a cigarette, such as while talking on the phone or after dinner. Instead, try one of your Creative Alternatives.
Learn
to Relax and Relieve Stress
Simply reviewing all your preparations and thinking about the challenge ahead
will make most people a bit tense and nervous. This is the time to exercise and relieve stress, or do a bit of relaxation
exercise. Here’s what you can do:
• Sit down anywhere and close your eyes.
• Think about something
that makes you feel good.
• Relax your shoulders. Close your mouth. Inhale slowly and as deeply as you can. Keep
your shoulders relaxed.
• Hold your breath while you count to four.
• Exhale slowly, letting out all of
the air from your lungs.
• Slowly repeat these steps five times.
Do this relaxing exercise at least once every
day at least until you feel secure that you are done with cigarettes. You may want to do it more often in the next couple
of weeks. It is a great Creative Alternative to smoking.
The Night Before Your Quit Day
•
Be good to yourself. Eat food you like. Watch a video. Take a long bath.
• Get a good night’s sleep and be
well rested for the big day ahead. (Tonight you’ll have your last cigarette).
• Get rid of all the cigarettes
in the house.
• Look for any cigarettes that may be in the pockets of your clothes in the cupboards, in your office,
in your car. Get rid of all of them now. Run water on them or crumble them up, if that helps.
• Get rid of ashtrays,
lighters, and matches.
• Go through your reasons for not smoking. Reflect on what they mean to you. Try to add another
reason to your list.
• Try to go to sleep feeling good about yourself. You are about to do something that will be
hard, but will give you lots of satisfaction for many years to come.
Your Quit Day
This is
the big day! You’re well prepared and ready to be smoke-free. You’ve waited for it, dreaded it at times, maybe
even looked forward to it. Feel confident as you take the big step in this very important accomplishment.
To get your
day started right, get up right away and head straight for the shower. If you’ve been accustomed to smoking immediately
on waking up, this quick shower will help you start right on your first day as a nonsmoker. If you’re going to use nicotine
gum or the nicotine patch, now is the time to start. Follow the directions on the package or in the guidelines given to you
by your doctor.
Get dressed and eat breakfast pretty quickly this morning. If your usual routine is to linger over
breakfast coffee with a cigarette, skip coffee today. Or buy it on your way to work – in a shop where no smoking is allowed.
When eating lunch, taking a work break, or going
out to shop, choose places where smoking is not allowed. And for your first few days as a nonsmoker try to make an effort
to spend more time with people who don’t smoke. On the other hand, if you are going to be with smokers, tell people
ahead of time that you have quit and that they should not offer you a cigarette. If you’re with people whom you don’t
know well, you may feel somewhat uncomfortable with this announcement. But many people will congratulate you. If someone does
slip and offers you a cigarette, remember to say a firm “No!” to temptation.
Today also may be a good time
to keep your schedule pretty full, so you won’t have time on your hands. Line up some easy chores, favorite magazines,
or jobs that must get done right away, that way, if you have even a few minutes with nothing to do, you can immediately keep
yourself busy.
Think about all the difficult things you try to do in life: eating well, staying organized, keeping
the pile of bills on your desk to a minimum. In a lot of way, quitting smoking is harder than each of these. But here’s
a good way of looking at it: Once you put out that last cigarette, you became an ex-smoker. You don’t have to do anything
more.
In contrast, think about someone who needs to lose twenty pounds. They can work hard for a week, lose three pounds,
feel great for a moment, and then they realize they still have to lose about 15 more! Or think about yourself and exercising,
doing the laundry, or paying the bills. You feel great that you got a good workout today, got fresh sheets on all the beds,
or got the desk clear. But tomorrow and next week and next month, you’ll need to exercise, do the laundry, or pay the
bills all over again.
Of course, staying off cigarettes is going to be hard, especially over the next week or so. But
if you can stay off, you’ve reached your goal. You don’t have to do anything more, and you don’t have to
quit again tomorrow or next week or next month.
The
first day of quitting is tough. You may feel you have little energy to do much else than hold on. It’s normal to have
a hard time today. It doesn’t really mean there’s anything wrong with you. And it certainly doesn’t mean
that your case is too hard, that you can’t quit. So don’t be scared. Be easy on yourself.
Symptoms
of Recovery
Quitting smoking brings on a variety of physical and psychological symptoms. Of course, there
is no way to avoid all the physical effects, but what can help is knowing what to expect, and how to deal with it.
For
some people, coping with recovery symptoms is like riding a roller coaster. Most symptoms decrease after the first few days.
Some stop totally after about three days. But some may get worse after a day or two. This may be partly psychological –
the first day or two, your enthusiasm may keep you from recognizing some of your reactions to quitting. But most symptoms
pass within two to four weeks.
Here are some of the most common symptoms, and the best ways to relieve them.
Irritability.
Exercise. Use the method described above to relieve stress. Take walks, hot baths, and use nicotine replacement.
Fatigue.
Take naps, try to take it easy, and be gentle on yourself. Try nicotine replacement.
Insomnia. Use the stress relief
method. Avoid caffeine, including chocolate after 6PM.
Cough. Dry throat. Nasal drip. Drink plenty of fluids, and use
cough drops.
Dizziness. Use extra caution driving, operating machinery, climbing stairs. Change positions slowly.
Poor
concentration. Plan workload accordingly. Avoid unnecessarily demanding assignments during the first week.
Constipation,
Gas. Drink plenty of fluids, and add roughage to your diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals).
Hunger. Drink
water or low-calorie liquids. Be prepared with low-calorie snacks.
Craving for a cigarette. Try one of your Creative
Alternatives, and wait out the urge (urges only last a few minutes). Distract yourself, exercise, go for a walk.
No
matter how hard you plan, you’re sure to hit a few situations where you’re really dying for a cigarette. Don’t
start to panic.
Craving a cigarette is often the most difficult side effect of quitting. If you have trouble remembering
all your Creative Alternatives, or if you’re caught without a plan and have a really strong craving, here some quick
tips to help you.
1. Delay. The urge to smoke will pass whether you smoke or not.
2. Deep breathing will help you
relax and release stress.
3. Drink lots of water. This will help ease many of the symptoms of quitting.
4. Do something
to take your mind off smoking.
Also, don’t
forget your alternative activities. Chew on a stirring stick. If you’re using nicotine gum, remember to chew it frequently
during the day. Make a telephone call. Take a walk. Even if you’re inside at home or in an office, you can walk into
another room, pick up something to read for a few minutes, or go to the bathroom and brush your teeth.
If you’re
still finding it hard to control your urge, call one of your key friends or family members. Follow through on your plan to
contact them for encouragement. If you need their help, or even just to hear them lecture you, do it. It will help.
Of
course, plans are easier to make than to keep. Most often people stop doing the things that will help them stay off cigarettes.
They may get distracted by their own discomfort or by other activities in their lives or they may just “forget.”
But
stick to your plan. Make it a priority. Remember:
1) Quitting smoking is one of the most important things
you’ll do all year. It deserves your time and attention even if that means putting some other important things “on
hold” for a little while.
2) Practice healthy selfishness. If you slip, you will be responsible. But it’s
your right today and for the next few weeks and months to do the things you need to do to stay off cigarettes.
Immediate
Benefits
Right now, while you’re concentrating on getting through the day without smoking, it’s
probably difficult to focus on the benefits of quitting. But this can be a great tool for success. For many people, recognizing
benefits is an excellent source of motivation to keep on resisting the urge.
Did you know that your body is already
starting to show the benefits of quitting? In fact, the moment you quit smoking, your body began to repair the damage. Within
a half hour of your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate began to move back to normal. Within merely eight hours,
the carbon monoxide level in your blood dropped to normal and your oxygen level increased.
By quitting just for one
day, you have already decreased your chance of having a sudden heart attack!
You’re well on the road to a longer,
healthier, happier life. Congratulations! You’re a non-smoker now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nancy
to life!
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