If you're a heavy smoker, cutting back on cigarettes may not be drastic enough to boost your health.
Instead, you may be better off quitting smoking completely.
That's the key finding of a study in the December edition of Tobacco Control.
Cutting back on cigarettes "does not seem to bring about harm reduction" in heavy smokers, write the researchers.
The study comes from Norway's Aage Tverdal, PhD, and Kjell Bjartveit, MD, PhD, MPH.
Tverdal works at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Bjartveit works at Norway's National Health Screening Service.
About the Study
The study included more than 51,000 adults in Norway.
When the study started in the mid-1970s, participants were 20-49 years old (average age: mid-40s) and reported no history of heart disease.
The group included 6,570 people who were heavy smokers; they said they smoked 15 or more cigarettes daily.
All participants got a checkup at the study's start and another checkup three to 13 years later. The participants were followed until 2003.
A total of 475 heavy smokers said they had cut back on their cigarette consumption by more than half.
Those participants showed no drop in death, heart disease, or smoking-related cancer, compared with heavy smokers who didn't cut back on cigarettes or those who cut back to a lesser extent.
Researchers' Views
The researchers say cutting back on smoking "may have a place" as a temporary health measure for heavy smokers.
But they urge heavy smokers to go for a completely smoke-free life.
It may give people "false expectations" to suggest that cutting back -- but not quitting -- cigarettes has long-term health advantages, the researchers note.
They add that their study might have been stronger if they had had information on participants' smoking habits toward the end of the study.
Ready to Quit?
Here are 14 tips from the CDC for people who want to quit smoking.
Set a date to quit smoking.
Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays at home, work, and in your car.
Don't let people smoke around you.
Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked and what didn't.Onit, don't smoke - not even a puff.
Get support and encouragement from friends and family.
Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking.
Consider getting individual or group counseling to help quit smoking.
Consider getting counseling by telephone at (800) QUIT-NOW ((800) 238-1413).
Try to distract yourself from urges to smoke.
Do something to reduce your stress - try exercise or reading.
Plan something enjoyable to do every day.
Drink a lot of water and other fluids.
Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.
If you start smoking again, don't give up. It often takes several attempts to quit smoking for good.
Source: http://www.webmd.com
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Quit Smoking Cold Turkey
One of the most popular and well-known ways smokers choose to quit smoking is what is known as "cold turkey." The phrase cold turkey is universally understood to mean to quit smoking abruptly, often without forethought or preparation, nor a gradual reduction in amount smoked. Most people also assume cold turkey means to quit smoking without using any smoking cessation aids such as nicotine gum or patches.
The origins of the phrase cold turkey are not completely clear but some quick searches online reveal several explanations.
One site states, "The state addicts are in when withdrawing from drug addition, especially heroin. Origin: In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.idiomsite.com/coldturkey.htm)
Another site explains, "This phrase meaning "without preparation" dates to 1910. The use in relation to withdrawal from an addictive substance (originally heroin) dates to around 1922. The derivation is from the idea that cold turkey is a food that requires little preparation in the kitchen. So to quit like cold turkey is to do so suddenly and without preparation. It is also boosted by the image of the pallid flesh of a cold, dead, plucked turkey. In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.allexperts.com/previousqv.asp?QuestionID=2633904)
Yet another site says, "'Cold turkey' is actually based on another colloquial phrase, "to talk turkey" (sometimes "to talk cold turkey"), meaning to face unpleasant truths squarely. It's not entirely clear how turkeys came to be associated with honesty and straightforward confrontation of difficulties, but it may simply be that turkey farmers were renowned at one time for their lack of pretense and blunt speech." (http://www.word-detective.com/back-p.html)
Whatever the actual origin, quitting smoking cold turkey is probably the most popular, while not necessarily the most successful, method for quitting. It may also be the most challenging due to the severity of withdrawal symptoms the new ex-smoker faces.
You can improve your chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if you follow a few guidelines:
Understand that withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, tiredness and more, may be fairly intense, but they will lessen after just a few days.
Drink lots of water to help your body flush itself out quickly.
Keep a straw or other cigarette substitute handy to keep your hands and mouth busy.
When cravings hit, close your eyes and count down from 10 to 0, very slowly. Breathe deeply with each count.
Call a friend when you feel like reaching for a smoke. Divert your attention.
Take a quick walk, even if it is just to the bathroom or mailbox.
Superhuman willpower is often associated with using cold turkey to quit smoking. While having strong willpower is important, ultimately your success depends on how badly you want to quit and whether or not you believe you can do it. If you want to quit more than you want to smoke, and you believe that you can quit, you'll likely be successful.
The cold turkey method is free, and you can do it at any time. Why not today?
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
The origins of the phrase cold turkey are not completely clear but some quick searches online reveal several explanations.
One site states, "The state addicts are in when withdrawing from drug addition, especially heroin. Origin: In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.idiomsite.com/coldturkey.htm)
Another site explains, "This phrase meaning "without preparation" dates to 1910. The use in relation to withdrawal from an addictive substance (originally heroin) dates to around 1922. The derivation is from the idea that cold turkey is a food that requires little preparation in the kitchen. So to quit like cold turkey is to do so suddenly and without preparation. It is also boosted by the image of the pallid flesh of a cold, dead, plucked turkey. In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.allexperts.com/previousqv.asp?QuestionID=2633904)
Yet another site says, "'Cold turkey' is actually based on another colloquial phrase, "to talk turkey" (sometimes "to talk cold turkey"), meaning to face unpleasant truths squarely. It's not entirely clear how turkeys came to be associated with honesty and straightforward confrontation of difficulties, but it may simply be that turkey farmers were renowned at one time for their lack of pretense and blunt speech." (http://www.word-detective.com/back-p.html)
Whatever the actual origin, quitting smoking cold turkey is probably the most popular, while not necessarily the most successful, method for quitting. It may also be the most challenging due to the severity of withdrawal symptoms the new ex-smoker faces.
You can improve your chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if you follow a few guidelines:
Understand that withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, tiredness and more, may be fairly intense, but they will lessen after just a few days.
Drink lots of water to help your body flush itself out quickly.
Keep a straw or other cigarette substitute handy to keep your hands and mouth busy.
When cravings hit, close your eyes and count down from 10 to 0, very slowly. Breathe deeply with each count.
Call a friend when you feel like reaching for a smoke. Divert your attention.
Take a quick walk, even if it is just to the bathroom or mailbox.
Superhuman willpower is often associated with using cold turkey to quit smoking. While having strong willpower is important, ultimately your success depends on how badly you want to quit and whether or not you believe you can do it. If you want to quit more than you want to smoke, and you believe that you can quit, you'll likely be successful.
The cold turkey method is free, and you can do it at any time. Why not today?
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Saturday, January 27, 2007
The Great American Smokeout
Could This Be the First Day of a Life Without Tobacco?
Are you thinking about quitting smoking but not sure you're ready to take the plunge? Maybe the Great American Smokeout is for you. It's an opportunity to join with literally millions of other smokers in saying "no thanks" to cigarettes for 24 hours.
A Day to "Butt Out"
The Great American Smokeout traditionally takes place on the third Thursday in November. The concept dates from the early '70s when Lynn Smith, publisher of the Monticello Times of Minnesota, announced the first observance and called it "D Day." The idea caught on in state after state until in 1977, it went nationwide under the sponsorship of the American Cancer Society. If past Smokeouts are any indication, as many as one-third of the nation's 46 million smokers could be taking the day off from smoking.
Joining the Fun
Each year during the Great American Smokeout, the American Cancer Society promotes local and nationwide activities that focus in a light-hearted way on the benefits of not smoking. Here are some previous years' activities:
- A national sandwich shop company gave out free "cold turkey" sandwiches and cookies to smokers who turned in at least a half pack of cigarettes.
- Newborn babies at Washington's Columbia Hospital received T-shirts that said "I'm a Born Nonsmoker."
- "Don't Let Smoking Be an Obstacle" was the slogan for a Houston activity in which smokers ran an obstacle course consisting of oversized cigarette packs, matches and ashtrays.
- Preschoolers in Texas played "Gonesmoke, a Tale of the New West," wearing red bandannas and Smokeout deputy badges.
- Other events include public appearances by celebrities who have quit, parades, rallies, athletic events and ceremonial cigarette burials and bonfires.
Making It Work
Behind the festivities of the Great American Smokeout are the serious efforts of thousands of hard-working American Cancer Society volunteers who visit schools, malls and workplaces to publicize the events and distribute information about quitting. They also enlist nonsmokers to "adopt" smokers for the day, supporting them with advice and snacks. The support continues for those who decide not to return to smoking after the Great American Smokeout is over.
The Rules of the Game
The rules are simple: You just quit smoking for the 24 hours of the Smokeout. The wonderful thing is that you won't be alone; you can swap advice, jokes and groans with the other "quitters," nonsmokers and the American Cancer Society volunteers who will be cheering you on. Even if you don't go on to quit permanently, you will have learned that you can quit for a day and that many others around you are taking the step, too. Contact the American Cancer Society for information on how you can participate, either as a "quitter" or as a volunteer.
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Facts About Cigar Smoking
Since 1993, the use of cigars in the United States has increased by 34 percent. Previous Surgeon General's Reports on the health consequences of smoking presented clear evidence that cigar smoking represents a significant health risk and is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. The following are estimates of cigar smoking reported in the United States and the health risks attributed to cigar use.
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
- Nearly 4.6 billion cigars were used in 1996; the second consecutive year in which the cigar industry exceeded a billion dollars in sales.
- Production of cigars is at its highest level since the mid-1980s. An estimated 1.5 billion small cigars were manufactured in 1996, an increase of 4 percent from 1995.
- An estimated 6 million U.S. teenagers (26.7 percent) 1419 years of age -- 4.3 million males (37 percent) and 1.7 million females (16 percent) -- smoked at least one cigar within the past year. Rates of cigar use did not vary by region within the United States.
- U.S. students in grades 912 who smoked cigarettes or used smokeless tobacco products also were more likely to report smoking cigars. Nearly three-fourths of male and one-third of female cigarette and smokeless tobacco users reported smoking at least one cigar in the past year.
- The 1982 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking: Cancer concluded that cigar smoking causes laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer. Cigar smokers have a 410 times risk of dying from laryngeal, oral, and esophageal cancers as compared with nonsmokers.
- Smoking five or more cigars per day elevates the risk of dying from lung cancer 23 times when compared with a nonsmoker. An increased risk for developing lung cancer also has been correlated with increased use of cigars and pipes as measured by both amount smoked and depth of inhalation.
- The 1984 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) concluded that cigar smokers experience higher mortality from COPD compared with nonsmokers.
- Several prospective epidemiological studies examined the relationship between cigar smoking and mortality from COPD and found that cigar smokers are 1.33.6 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Friday, January 26, 2007
Can You Stop Smoking in 30 Days using Hypnosis?
When you read the title of this article you may have thought, 30 days is a lot; with hypnosis I should be able to stop smoking by the end of next week; shouldn't hypnosis work a little faster?
Unfortunately, old habits are not that easy to change. You have programmed your conscious mind to want a cigarette at certain times. Maybe you always have a cigarette when you are on the phone, or at break time, or when you are in the car, etc. Then, when you decide to stop smoking, you feel like you are giving something up. At a weak moment, maybe in a time of stress or if something bad just happened, you decide that it is not worth giving up this thing that you used to like so much. You had the willpower to quit, but the moment you decide to question your decision, your conscious mind gets out of sync with your subconscious mind, and in all that confusion, you are likely to decide to have a smoke.
There is a simple process you can use to get the two minds back together. You have to make your subconscious stronger by changing the way it feels about smoking. That way, in weak moments your subconscious will immediately take over with the correct suggestions; and because hypnosis uses positive imagery and not just words, there are no longer thoughts of having given something up; your thoughts instead concentrate on how healthy you feel, or how good a glass of water would be right now, or in general, how good things taste these days.
You will naturally have more energy without the chemical addiction and this will help you exercise more, and reinforce the subconscious even more that what you are doing is a good thing and not just something you are being deprived of.
It works, but it does take time. A one-time hypnotic suggestion is usually not powerful enough to change your mind instantly. That is why hypnosis tapes come in handy. You pay one small price and you can listen to them as many times as you need to make the urge go away. You will probably want to listen to the tapes three times a week at first, and then when you feel like the suggestions are getting stronger, you can listen once a week, then once a month, etc. Using a trained hypnotist is also an option, and may get the job done sooner, but it's usually beneficial to have the security of a hypnosis tape -- just in case.
Source: http://www.ezilon.com
Unfortunately, old habits are not that easy to change. You have programmed your conscious mind to want a cigarette at certain times. Maybe you always have a cigarette when you are on the phone, or at break time, or when you are in the car, etc. Then, when you decide to stop smoking, you feel like you are giving something up. At a weak moment, maybe in a time of stress or if something bad just happened, you decide that it is not worth giving up this thing that you used to like so much. You had the willpower to quit, but the moment you decide to question your decision, your conscious mind gets out of sync with your subconscious mind, and in all that confusion, you are likely to decide to have a smoke.
There is a simple process you can use to get the two minds back together. You have to make your subconscious stronger by changing the way it feels about smoking. That way, in weak moments your subconscious will immediately take over with the correct suggestions; and because hypnosis uses positive imagery and not just words, there are no longer thoughts of having given something up; your thoughts instead concentrate on how healthy you feel, or how good a glass of water would be right now, or in general, how good things taste these days.
You will naturally have more energy without the chemical addiction and this will help you exercise more, and reinforce the subconscious even more that what you are doing is a good thing and not just something you are being deprived of.
It works, but it does take time. A one-time hypnotic suggestion is usually not powerful enough to change your mind instantly. That is why hypnosis tapes come in handy. You pay one small price and you can listen to them as many times as you need to make the urge go away. You will probably want to listen to the tapes three times a week at first, and then when you feel like the suggestions are getting stronger, you can listen once a week, then once a month, etc. Using a trained hypnotist is also an option, and may get the job done sooner, but it's usually beneficial to have the security of a hypnosis tape -- just in case.
Source: http://www.ezilon.com
Thursday, January 25, 2007
What are You Afraid of?
Fear is a part of everyone's life. Fear is both good and bad
depending on the situation. Fear can help keep you alive if you
must flee from a dangerous situation. Fear can keep you from
doing things that would endanger your safety or wellbeing, such
as driving too fast or robbing a bank.
But fear is mostly a limiting factor in most people's lives. Are
you afraid of trying out for the school play or baseball team?
Are you afraid of going to the job interview? Are you afraid of
meeting new people? I could go on forever listing common fears
that keep people from achieving their dreams and goals. Fear is
so common, so limiting and so devastating that it's important to
determine what your own fears are when it comes to quitting
smoking.
At first glance you may be thinking, "I'm not afraid of anything
related to quitting." Let's examine the many fears smokers have
and what you can do about them.
"Quitting is like losing a friend," many smokers will say. Who's
not afraid to lose a friend? If you've smoked for any period of
time, you probably have an emotional attachment to your
cigarettes. They're a comfort--a constant--that you can always
count on to be there when you need them. As strange as it may
sound, it's true: Cigarettes are your friend (but this friend is
the kind that will stab you in the back!).
Next, you may be afraid of losing the friendship of the "smoking
buddies" you have at the designated smoking areas where you
work. Many smokers spend an extraordinary amount of time (more
than most realize) each day smoking with other smokers in
designated smoking areas. Naturally, friendships develop. The
socializing becomes part of the attraction for smokers. Here are
people with a common bond--people who won't judge or make
negative comments about your smoking. If you're going to quit
smoking you can't expect to "hang out" in smoking areas and not
be tempted. Quitting often means making a clean break from your
smoking buddies and their friendship.
Even more frightening than losing friendships is losing a spouse
or losing the love of family members. If you are married to a
smoker and you are trying to quit, you may be afraid that your
relationship with your spouse may change drastically or even
end. Depending on your situation, you may be afraid that other
members of your family may "abandon" you or ostracize you for
quitting.
Another common fear about quitting is that you will gain weight.
This fear is not without merit. Most smokers do gain some
weight at first, but with proper diet and exercise you can
control your weight (and get healthier in the process).
Perhaps the biggest fear among smokers when it comes to quitting
is the fear of failure. No one likes to fail. If you try to quit
and don't, you may feel like a failure and that you can't quit.
If you have tried several times to quit and haven't been able
to, you may find your self-esteem suffering. You may think
thoughts like "I can't do anything" or "I'm a failure" or "I'll
never be able to quit."
Strangely enough, some smokers may even fear successfully
quitting. If you quit, you quit for life. Does that lifetime
commitment scare you? The hidden fear is "what if I start
smoking again? I'm not sure I can handle it."
So what do you do about all your fears? How do you overcome
them?
First, recognize that everyone has fears and that it's ok to be
afraid. Then recognize that you CAN HANDLE IT! That's perhaps
the overall fear: "I'm just afraid I can't handle it." You CAN
handle it!
Next, begin to examine each fear for what it really is. Is it an
excuse or delay tactic by your own mind? Does it really have
merit? Will your feared outcome really come to pass? What if it
does come to pass? Ask yourself what's the worst thing that can
happen? So what? You'll survive!
Next, take some action on behalf of your fear. In other words,
investigate what will happen if you quit. Talk to family and
friends and smoking buddies about your desire to quit. Let them
know you have concerns about what THEY will do if YOU quit. Get
commitment from the people in question to support YOUR decision
to quit.
If you are afraid of gaining weight, get busy on your exercise
and healthy diet campaign! Take action!
If you are afraid of failure, you must understand that you HAVE
NOT FAILED until you quit quitting! If you resume smoking after
quitting, you still have the opportunity to quit again! No one
said life was perfect. You don't have to be perfect. Just work
toward that goal on a daily basis, and don't beat yourself up
when you discover that you aren't perfect (pssst! here's a
secret: NO ONE IS PERFECT!)
If you are afraid of success, just refer to the previous
paragraph. If you quit, you quit for life. If you falter, and
begin smoking again--well, just quit again! You did it before.
Besides, you quit smoking everyday, every time you put out your
cigarette. The only question is "how long is it before you light
up again?"
Finally, let fear be a motivator. Fear is good if you use it
properly. Never forget the downside of smoking:
* your health suffers
* you may experience pain associated with diseases caused by
smoking
* you waste lots of money on "death sticks"
* your life will be shortened
* second-hand smoke will harm those around you
* your risk of having a house fire is much higher
* your breath, clothes, car, hair and house stink
Yes, these are the brutally honest truths, but they can help
motivate you in the right direction to quit.
Acknowledge your fears, examine your fears, then go about your
business, and get busy quitting! Don't be afraid anymore!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
depending on the situation. Fear can help keep you alive if you
must flee from a dangerous situation. Fear can keep you from
doing things that would endanger your safety or wellbeing, such
as driving too fast or robbing a bank.
But fear is mostly a limiting factor in most people's lives. Are
you afraid of trying out for the school play or baseball team?
Are you afraid of going to the job interview? Are you afraid of
meeting new people? I could go on forever listing common fears
that keep people from achieving their dreams and goals. Fear is
so common, so limiting and so devastating that it's important to
determine what your own fears are when it comes to quitting
smoking.
At first glance you may be thinking, "I'm not afraid of anything
related to quitting." Let's examine the many fears smokers have
and what you can do about them.
"Quitting is like losing a friend," many smokers will say. Who's
not afraid to lose a friend? If you've smoked for any period of
time, you probably have an emotional attachment to your
cigarettes. They're a comfort--a constant--that you can always
count on to be there when you need them. As strange as it may
sound, it's true: Cigarettes are your friend (but this friend is
the kind that will stab you in the back!).
Next, you may be afraid of losing the friendship of the "smoking
buddies" you have at the designated smoking areas where you
work. Many smokers spend an extraordinary amount of time (more
than most realize) each day smoking with other smokers in
designated smoking areas. Naturally, friendships develop. The
socializing becomes part of the attraction for smokers. Here are
people with a common bond--people who won't judge or make
negative comments about your smoking. If you're going to quit
smoking you can't expect to "hang out" in smoking areas and not
be tempted. Quitting often means making a clean break from your
smoking buddies and their friendship.
Even more frightening than losing friendships is losing a spouse
or losing the love of family members. If you are married to a
smoker and you are trying to quit, you may be afraid that your
relationship with your spouse may change drastically or even
end. Depending on your situation, you may be afraid that other
members of your family may "abandon" you or ostracize you for
quitting.
Another common fear about quitting is that you will gain weight.
This fear is not without merit. Most smokers do gain some
weight at first, but with proper diet and exercise you can
control your weight (and get healthier in the process).
Perhaps the biggest fear among smokers when it comes to quitting
is the fear of failure. No one likes to fail. If you try to quit
and don't, you may feel like a failure and that you can't quit.
If you have tried several times to quit and haven't been able
to, you may find your self-esteem suffering. You may think
thoughts like "I can't do anything" or "I'm a failure" or "I'll
never be able to quit."
Strangely enough, some smokers may even fear successfully
quitting. If you quit, you quit for life. Does that lifetime
commitment scare you? The hidden fear is "what if I start
smoking again? I'm not sure I can handle it."
So what do you do about all your fears? How do you overcome
them?
First, recognize that everyone has fears and that it's ok to be
afraid. Then recognize that you CAN HANDLE IT! That's perhaps
the overall fear: "I'm just afraid I can't handle it." You CAN
handle it!
Next, begin to examine each fear for what it really is. Is it an
excuse or delay tactic by your own mind? Does it really have
merit? Will your feared outcome really come to pass? What if it
does come to pass? Ask yourself what's the worst thing that can
happen? So what? You'll survive!
Next, take some action on behalf of your fear. In other words,
investigate what will happen if you quit. Talk to family and
friends and smoking buddies about your desire to quit. Let them
know you have concerns about what THEY will do if YOU quit. Get
commitment from the people in question to support YOUR decision
to quit.
If you are afraid of gaining weight, get busy on your exercise
and healthy diet campaign! Take action!
If you are afraid of failure, you must understand that you HAVE
NOT FAILED until you quit quitting! If you resume smoking after
quitting, you still have the opportunity to quit again! No one
said life was perfect. You don't have to be perfect. Just work
toward that goal on a daily basis, and don't beat yourself up
when you discover that you aren't perfect (pssst! here's a
secret: NO ONE IS PERFECT!)
If you are afraid of success, just refer to the previous
paragraph. If you quit, you quit for life. If you falter, and
begin smoking again--well, just quit again! You did it before.
Besides, you quit smoking everyday, every time you put out your
cigarette. The only question is "how long is it before you light
up again?"
Finally, let fear be a motivator. Fear is good if you use it
properly. Never forget the downside of smoking:
* your health suffers
* you may experience pain associated with diseases caused by
smoking
* you waste lots of money on "death sticks"
* your life will be shortened
* second-hand smoke will harm those around you
* your risk of having a house fire is much higher
* your breath, clothes, car, hair and house stink
Yes, these are the brutally honest truths, but they can help
motivate you in the right direction to quit.
Acknowledge your fears, examine your fears, then go about your
business, and get busy quitting! Don't be afraid anymore!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
11 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolution to Quit Smoking
Every year about this time, people begin thinking about the new year and the changes it will bring. Some people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, get a better job, get married, or simply to get a life. Millions of Americans will also make the resolution to quit smoking.
Nearly 48 million Americans aged 18 years and older smoke. Of these, fully 70%--nearly 34 million smokers--want to quit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. This year 1.3 million of these smokers will quit successfully. Why do tens of millions want to quit but only a fraction actually succeeds? The answer is that most people just don’t know how to go about quitting.
Follow the 11 simple steps outlined below to assure your quit-smoking success.
1. Decide Right Now to Believe that You CAN Quit Smoking
Studies of smokers who successfully quit smoking show that one of the most important traits of a successful quitter is their belief that they have the ability to quit smoking.
Do you believe that you can quit? If you don’t, you will have a much harder time trying to quit. The best action you can take right now to start the quitting process is to fix in your mind the belief that you have the ability to quit smoking. You might say that you can’t change your belief, but you can.
Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will guide everything you do in your attempt to quit. The way you think, the research you do, the steps you take, the people you talk to, the help you seek--all these will be influenced by the belief you have in your ability to give up cigarettes.
If you don’t truly believe you can quit, you’ll probably find yourself saying, "What’s one little cigarette? I’ve got a headache. I just can’t quit like other people." If you believe you can quit, instead you’ll be saying "My head is hurting from withdrawal, but I can make it through this. I know the headache and other withdrawal symptoms will go away in a few days. My life is more important than a stupid cigarette."
Believing shapes everything you do. So does not believing. If you believe something strongly enough your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief.
Can you imagine what life would be like if Thomas Edison hadn’t believed that he could invent the incandescent light bulb? If Edison had begun his search for the solution without really believing he could create a light bulb that worked, he would have quit long before finding the answer. Edison tested more than 10,000 combinations of materials before finding the right one to create a light bulb! You must believe that you can quit smoking, even if it takes 10,000 attempts.
Fixing in your mind a belief that you can quit smoking may sound impossible if you now believe that you don’t have the ability. Here are some tips to help you change your beliefs:
Realize that your old belief was founded on old ideas and circumstances and that your new belief is based on new information and your newfound desire to quit smoking now.
On 3X5 cards, write out several positive statements about your ability to quit. Read your cards three times a day: morning, noon and bedtime. Some statements to use: "I believe that I have the ability to quit smoking," "I am a non-smoker," "I no longer need cigarettes in my life," "I happily quit smoking," "It’s easy to quit smoking," "I am a powerful, self-directed person," "I control my own life." Make up some of your own statements. Make them positive, as if you have already completed the task.
Post a sign on your bathroom mirror with one of the above statements on it.
Repeat the above statements to yourself, whenever you have a free moment.
Use visualization techniques (see Step 7 below) to visualize yourself mastering your smoking habit and winning the fight.
Ask your family and friends to encourage you with positive statements about your ability to quit smoking (See Step 5 below).
2. Create a "Quit Plan"
Successful people in all walks of life become successful through planning. The same is true for smokers who successfully quit smoking. You must create a plan that you will follow daily, so that you quit smoking purposefully, not haphazardly.
Put your plan on paper. Write each of these steps in your plan:
Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to quit smoking. Don’t try to quit until you feel you are ready.
Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your "quit date." Make sure your quit date comes after you have completed step "a" above. Also, choose a quit date that occurs during a relatively low stress time. Don’t try to quit during a stressful time at work or during the break-up of a relationship, for example.
Quitting on a specific date is preferable to slowly reducing the number of cigarettes that you smoke. By going "cold turkey" you won’t have to keep track of how many cigarettes you smoked yesterday and how many you will smoke today. You will also remove the temptation to cheat and smoke too many. By using this report to prepare yourself for your quit date you will be ready to quit, and going cold turkey won’t be so difficult.
Write down all the things you will enjoy doing after you quit smoking (long walks, eating out without being restricted to the smoking section, taking a vacation with the money you will save, etc.). This step is very important, so spend extra time dreaming up your "smoke-free future."
Write down the times and occasions when you are most likely to smoke. Write down what "triggers" your desire to smoke (See Step 8 below). You may be surprised to find that you have organized your day around smoking.
Write down five to ten things you will do instead of smoking, whenever you feel a cigarette craving coming on. For example, you might drink a glass of water, go for a short walk, type a letter, do some filing, call a friend, read a book, or mow the grass. Plan how you will distract yourself. Try to distract yourself with something healthy and/or beneficial. Match the distractions you’ve created in this step with the times and occasions your wrote down in step "d" above.
Write down the names of three people whom you trust to support your efforts to quit smoking. Contact them and ask for their support. Make sure you tell them that you want only positive support. Ask them to call you each day and give you positive encouragement. Also, ask them if you can call them if you need help.
Write down a list of all the items that you use when smoking: cigarettes, lighters, matches, ashtrays, etc. Make notes about where every single item is. Then on your "quit date" track down each item and throw them away. Don’t forget to clean out your car and your office at work.
Write down a list of rewards that you will give yourself. Be sure to reward yourself as you go longer and longer without smoking. For example: End of Day One -- long, hot bubble bath. End of Week One -- see a Movie. End of Week Three -- dinner at an exclusive restaurant. End of Month Two -- take a day off from work. End of Six Months -- take a weekend getaway. End of Year One -- take a 7-day vacation. Whenever possible, write down the specific date that you will reward yourself. By the way, these rewards won’t cost you much, if anything, because you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars by not smoking!
Make an appointment to see your doctor (See Step 6 below).
3. Take Action
You can’t win the battle if you don't start the battle. The problem with too many unmet goals and plans is that no action was ever taken to start down the road to achieving the goal or plan. If you created your "Quit Plan" in Step 2 above (you did create a "Quit Plan", didn't you?) you now have a plan for quitting. What is step "a" of your Quit Plan? Have you done it yet? Do it now! You must put your plan into action.
If you ever studied physics in high school you’ve probably heard of inertia. Inertia is the characteristic of an object (you) wanting to maintain its current state. In other words, objects at rest (doing nothing, not moving) tend to want to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to want to stay in motion.
Anytime you have to slam on your car’s brakes you experience inertia. When your car slows down rapidly, what happens to you and your passengers? Your bodies lunge forward before they are (hopefully) restrained by a seatbelt. If not restrained you could go right through the windshield. The point is this: if you begin taking action--even the smallest action--to quit smoking, you'll start a chain reaction, carrying you forward to the next step in your quit smoking action plan. Getting started on your plan is difficult, but once you get started it’s hard to stop. So get started today!
4. Prepare Yourself Mentally
While most of the media attention surrounding the smoking addiction focuses on chemical addictions to nicotine, you are in reality "multi-addicted." You are addicted to the feel of the cigarette in your hand and mouth. You are addicted to the actions of lighting your cigarette, moving your cigarette up to your mouth, flicking ashes from the cigarette and holding your cigarette between your fingers. You've also become addicted to the visual appeal of cigarettes: the flame, the smoke, even a dirty ashtray. You’re also addicted to the deep inhalations and exhalations you take as you puff on your cigarettes. You may have become addicted to smoking buddies at your workplace. All these stimuli serve to meet some physical, psychological or emotional need within you.
Part of preparing yourself mentally is understanding, studying and attacking your addictions. Think about the pleasures you derive from smoking. Does it make you feel "cool"? Do you get a lift or relax? Do you need to have something in your mouth or hands? Do you enjoy breathing deeply when you smoke? Do you feel a compulsion to head out to socialize with your smoking buddies every morning at 10:30?
Think through how you feel when you smoke. Are you happy, sad, soothed, or more alert? The next time you smoke a cigarette, notice all these things. Jot down your observations, then re-read them regularly. Study your own addiction so you understand what you must overcome. As Socrates said, "Know thyself."
5. Get Help and Support from Family and Friends
Sometimes our family and friends can be our worst enemies when we are attempting something very difficult or "different." If your family or friends don’t smoke, they may not understand your desire to quit. Nor will they understand the extreme difficulty of overcoming your addiction.
If your family and friends do smoke, they may have attempted to quit themselves, but failed. Or they may not want to quit at all, thereby placing pressure on you not to quit also. Human nature causes people to try to "hold others back" when someone close to them begins to move in a direction different from the norm. If you quit, you will place pressure and the spotlight on family and friends who are still smoking.
Your challenge will be to let others around you know that you are doing this for YOU. Let them know that if they will not encourage you, then they should "keep quiet while you quit." But by all means encourage others to encourage you.
Ask your family and friends to give you positive encouragement. Make sure they know that you do not want them to point out your faults, mistakes and slips. Ask them to praise your victories, large or small. Ask them to be understanding during the times that you may be less than friendly or patient. Ask them to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
6. Get Help From Your Doctor
Research shows that smokers who quit with assistance and support from a physician have higher rates of success. Even patients who received only minimal instruction and encouragement from their doctor showed improved "quitting" results.
Your doctor can give you the medical facts regarding the effect of cigarettes, plus tell you the benefits of quitting cigarettes. Also, he or she may prescribe some of the latest prescription-only quit-smoking medications.
Your doctor can also help you determine steps you can take to give up cigarettes and improve your health. Part of improving your health involves changing your diet and exercising. A doctor can test your current physical fitness and give you a plan for getting more fit (See Step 9 below).
Contact your doctor today. If he or she can't or won't help you, ask for a referral to a doctor who can and will help you.
7. Visualize Your Way to Quit Smoking Success
Your mind is a powerful "device." This device can be used for positive or negative purposes. You win or lose in life based on the way you "run" your mind. Much of running your mind involves visualizing--visualizing what has already happened in your life, as well as what may happen, good or bad.
Visualization is very similar to what our teachers and parents may have called "day dreaming." Children excel at day dreaming and playing "make believe." As we grow older, we tend to suppress our daydreams because of pressures to conform to society’s practical approach. Day dreaming or visualization allows us to create bright, fun, fantastic futures for ourselves. Unfortunately, visualization for adults becomes scenarios of unfounded fears, drudgery, regretful memories or just plain darkness.
You never lose your ability to visualize. Instead, you change your visualization to "practical" and logical thoughts. And often, adults do have vivid visualizations but of the negative doom and gloom, "the worst thing that can happen" variety. How often have you let your mind race with pictures of disaster and destruction? You see yourself lashed to a whipping post, being beaten by an IRS auditor, or you see your doctor telling you the pain in your head is a malignant brain tumor.
Your mind can just as easily show you a refund check from the IRS or a "clean bill of health" from the routine physical.
The problem and the opportunity with visualization is that your mind doesn’t know truth from fiction when it evaluates the visions in your mind. Your mind simply accepts the visualization as reality.
An example of this is the effect a scary movie may have on you. When the movie Jaws came out in 1975 many people were so frightened by it that they would go nowhere near a beach or lake. Some people were even afraid to take a bath or shower. The mental images of this monster shark took over the mind’s rational ability to think and allowed people to imagine sharks coming out of the showerhead. For these people the experience was so real that they changed their actions in the physical world. This is an extreme example, yet it is typical of the way that imagination and visualization can affect your physical existence.
In your mind you can create many different scenarios for yourself. You can visualize good or bad events. Your mind tends to act on these visualizations. Whatever you imagine, your mind will accept as real. In time your mind will work to "fulfill" your thoughts, creating them in reality. Think negative thoughts, create negative results. Think positive thoughts, create positive results.
Much has been written on visualization, and you should seek some more in-depth information on visualization techniques.
Here are some quick tips for using visualization to help you quit smoking:
Visualization often begins with affirmations--positive statements you make to yourself. State your affirmations positively and as if you already have what you are affirming. If possible, state your affirmations aloud, five to ten times.
Some examples of positive affirmations include: "I enjoy breathing easily and deeply," "I am free from any desire to smoke," "My hands and teeth are clean and smoke free," "I enjoy being around non-smokers," and "I am relaxed and calm."
Write down some goals for yourself, relating to smoking. For example, "I will quit smoking by the last day of March," or "My body no longer desires nicotine," or "I will take a vacation to Mexico next year with the money I save by not smoking."
To create deep visualizations that can profoundly affect you, relaxation is very important. To relax you should sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Begin breathing long, deep breaths. Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. Count down from ten to one, breathing once per number. As you count down, imagine yourself walking or even floating down the stairs. In between breaths repeat statements like "I’m getting very relaxed," and "going deeper."
Once you reach the count of "one" (and the bottom of the steps), let your mind wander for a minute or two. Then begin focusing on the affirmations and goals you have created for yourself. Don’t be concerned if you don’t immediately see anything. You may only see cloudy or fleeting images. That’s okay. With practice your visualizations will become more vivid.
Focus on controlling the images, however faint they may be. If you have set a goal to quit smoking by the end of March, see yourself throwing all your cigarettes and ashtrays away on March 31. Try visualizing a package of cigarettes, then make it "explode." Visualize your lungs as very clean and healthy. Visualize socializing with non-smokers. Visualize yourself effortlessly running a marathon. Visualize your friends and loved ones honoring you at a quit-smoking banquet. Create your visualizations from the goals and affirmations you have written down.
Don’t "push" your visualization. Lee Pulos, author of The Power of Visualization suggests that your "visualizations should be no more than 30 seconds at one time."
Pulos suggests doing your visualizations in an enthusiastic, excited state as if you have already achieved your goal.
8. Know Your Triggers
Your next step toward self-knowledge and quitting is learning what triggers your smoking. A trigger is anything that instantly engenders within you a desire to smoke. For example, the end of a meal may be a signal (trigger) to your mind and body that it's time for a cigarette. In part "d" of Step 2 above you wrote down what triggers your desire to smoke. After reading the following, go back to your written plan and add to it if necessary.
Common triggers include people, places, events and stress.
People: when you are with other smokers you are more likely to light up. Also, certain people may put you under stress, encouraging you to reach for a cigarette.
Places: certain places are synonymous with smoking, such as bars or restaurants. Your smoking may also be triggered when you are in a place where you have smoked before or a place where you smoke regularly, such as a designated smoking area at your office.
Events: stressful or extraordinary events such as a family member’s illness or death can trigger stress, which consequently triggers your smoking. You may also tend to light up at sporting events, parties, or as mentioned earlier, the end of a meal.
Stress: As mentioned above, stress can be a trigger, causing you to reach for a cigarette. Cigarettes do have a legitimate calming effect on many smokers, encouraging the use of cigarettes as tranquilizers.
Stress is caused by numerous things in our lives and is most likely a daily influence in your life. Part of your job when giving up cigarettes is learning how to deal with your stress in some way other than smoking. Step 9 below discusses exercise as a stress reliever and quit-smoking method. Meditation and visualization (Step 7 above) are also good stress relievers. Plan how you will reduce stress in your life.
9. Exercise
As previously mentioned, exercise is an excellent method for reducing stress. Exercise also can play an important role in helping you to quit smoking.
Research shows that smokers who take up a regular exercise program have a much higher quit-smoking success rate. The higher the level of activity, the higher the success rate. Smoking and exercise simply aren’t compatible. A Gallup Poll found that smokers who exercised were twice as likely to quit smoking versus smokers who did not exercise.
Cigarettes do alleviate stress for many smokers. When you give up cigarettes, your stress level likely will rise. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever and can replace your dependence on cigarettes for stress relief.
The many positive effects of exercise are too numerous to mention or explain here. However, here is a list of some of the most common benefits of exercise:
Reduced stress
Increased stamina
Increased feelings of well being and improved health
Weight loss
Improved muscle tone and physical appearance
Increased self-esteem and sense of accomplishment
Improved sleep
Improved performance at work
Improved attitudes and disposition
To get started exercising you need to choose one or two activities that you enjoy. Common exercises include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, etc. You may even decide to undertake regular, strenuous yard work for your neighbors.
Try to exercise 20-30 minutes at a time, three to four times per week. If you are out of shape, give yourself time to work up to this regular exercise schedule. Consult your doctor before beginning your exercise program.
For many people, exercise is drudgery. Be sure you pick an exercise that you enjoy, and consider exercising with a buddy. Your buddy can encourage you to "keep moving" when you want to stop. You’ll also be more likely to exercise when another person is depending upon you to be there. The next Step discusses quitting smoking with a "Quit Buddy." Your exercise buddy also may be your "Quit Buddy."
10. Find a Quit Buddy
Chances are you know another smoker who wants to quit. Suggest to that smoker that you help each other "douse the flames" forever. Studies show that smokers who partner with a Quit Buddy to provide mutual support are more successful when giving up cigarettes than are smokers who try to quit on their own.
If you can’t readily find a Quit Buddy, try contacting some of the resources listed at the end of this report. Also, many local hospitals and churches have quit-smoking programs and you may be able to find a Quit Buddy or even a Quit Group there.
Quit Buddies can provide support by way of daily or even hourly phone calls. Make yourself available to your Buddy whenever he or she needs help making it through the tougher moments. Provide positive encouragement when your Buddy succeeds. Do your best to ignore any relapse your Buddy may have. Don’t try to "shame" or coerce your Buddy into quitting. Studies show that negative feedback does not improve quit-smoking success rates.
Plan outings and activities together. As previously mentioned, you might exercise with your Quit Buddy. Sign contracts with each other stating that you will quit smoking and provide your Buddy with support while they quit.
11. Don't Give Up
Many smokers who have successfully given up cigarettes have made several attempts to quit before they finally kicked the habit. You should know going in that quitting may be a lengthy, or even life-long, process. There is no failure as long as you follow Step 1 above (Believe). If you believe you will quit, you will! It may take three or four attempts before your quitting "sticks." If you quit for a short time then resume smoking, you are one step closer to quitting for good. Just quit again. Keep doing it Until. Until you win, until you quit for life.
You may find that after a first or second attempt to quit you have reduced the number of cigarettes that you smoke each day. That's great! You are no longer as dependent! Now, go for the gold!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Nearly 48 million Americans aged 18 years and older smoke. Of these, fully 70%--nearly 34 million smokers--want to quit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. This year 1.3 million of these smokers will quit successfully. Why do tens of millions want to quit but only a fraction actually succeeds? The answer is that most people just don’t know how to go about quitting.
Follow the 11 simple steps outlined below to assure your quit-smoking success.
1. Decide Right Now to Believe that You CAN Quit Smoking
Studies of smokers who successfully quit smoking show that one of the most important traits of a successful quitter is their belief that they have the ability to quit smoking.
Do you believe that you can quit? If you don’t, you will have a much harder time trying to quit. The best action you can take right now to start the quitting process is to fix in your mind the belief that you have the ability to quit smoking. You might say that you can’t change your belief, but you can.
Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will guide everything you do in your attempt to quit. The way you think, the research you do, the steps you take, the people you talk to, the help you seek--all these will be influenced by the belief you have in your ability to give up cigarettes.
If you don’t truly believe you can quit, you’ll probably find yourself saying, "What’s one little cigarette? I’ve got a headache. I just can’t quit like other people." If you believe you can quit, instead you’ll be saying "My head is hurting from withdrawal, but I can make it through this. I know the headache and other withdrawal symptoms will go away in a few days. My life is more important than a stupid cigarette."
Believing shapes everything you do. So does not believing. If you believe something strongly enough your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief.
Can you imagine what life would be like if Thomas Edison hadn’t believed that he could invent the incandescent light bulb? If Edison had begun his search for the solution without really believing he could create a light bulb that worked, he would have quit long before finding the answer. Edison tested more than 10,000 combinations of materials before finding the right one to create a light bulb! You must believe that you can quit smoking, even if it takes 10,000 attempts.
Fixing in your mind a belief that you can quit smoking may sound impossible if you now believe that you don’t have the ability. Here are some tips to help you change your beliefs:
Realize that your old belief was founded on old ideas and circumstances and that your new belief is based on new information and your newfound desire to quit smoking now.
On 3X5 cards, write out several positive statements about your ability to quit. Read your cards three times a day: morning, noon and bedtime. Some statements to use: "I believe that I have the ability to quit smoking," "I am a non-smoker," "I no longer need cigarettes in my life," "I happily quit smoking," "It’s easy to quit smoking," "I am a powerful, self-directed person," "I control my own life." Make up some of your own statements. Make them positive, as if you have already completed the task.
Post a sign on your bathroom mirror with one of the above statements on it.
Repeat the above statements to yourself, whenever you have a free moment.
Use visualization techniques (see Step 7 below) to visualize yourself mastering your smoking habit and winning the fight.
Ask your family and friends to encourage you with positive statements about your ability to quit smoking (See Step 5 below).
2. Create a "Quit Plan"
Successful people in all walks of life become successful through planning. The same is true for smokers who successfully quit smoking. You must create a plan that you will follow daily, so that you quit smoking purposefully, not haphazardly.
Put your plan on paper. Write each of these steps in your plan:
Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to quit smoking. Don’t try to quit until you feel you are ready.
Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your "quit date." Make sure your quit date comes after you have completed step "a" above. Also, choose a quit date that occurs during a relatively low stress time. Don’t try to quit during a stressful time at work or during the break-up of a relationship, for example.
Quitting on a specific date is preferable to slowly reducing the number of cigarettes that you smoke. By going "cold turkey" you won’t have to keep track of how many cigarettes you smoked yesterday and how many you will smoke today. You will also remove the temptation to cheat and smoke too many. By using this report to prepare yourself for your quit date you will be ready to quit, and going cold turkey won’t be so difficult.
Write down all the things you will enjoy doing after you quit smoking (long walks, eating out without being restricted to the smoking section, taking a vacation with the money you will save, etc.). This step is very important, so spend extra time dreaming up your "smoke-free future."
Write down the times and occasions when you are most likely to smoke. Write down what "triggers" your desire to smoke (See Step 8 below). You may be surprised to find that you have organized your day around smoking.
Write down five to ten things you will do instead of smoking, whenever you feel a cigarette craving coming on. For example, you might drink a glass of water, go for a short walk, type a letter, do some filing, call a friend, read a book, or mow the grass. Plan how you will distract yourself. Try to distract yourself with something healthy and/or beneficial. Match the distractions you’ve created in this step with the times and occasions your wrote down in step "d" above.
Write down the names of three people whom you trust to support your efforts to quit smoking. Contact them and ask for their support. Make sure you tell them that you want only positive support. Ask them to call you each day and give you positive encouragement. Also, ask them if you can call them if you need help.
Write down a list of all the items that you use when smoking: cigarettes, lighters, matches, ashtrays, etc. Make notes about where every single item is. Then on your "quit date" track down each item and throw them away. Don’t forget to clean out your car and your office at work.
Write down a list of rewards that you will give yourself. Be sure to reward yourself as you go longer and longer without smoking. For example: End of Day One -- long, hot bubble bath. End of Week One -- see a Movie. End of Week Three -- dinner at an exclusive restaurant. End of Month Two -- take a day off from work. End of Six Months -- take a weekend getaway. End of Year One -- take a 7-day vacation. Whenever possible, write down the specific date that you will reward yourself. By the way, these rewards won’t cost you much, if anything, because you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars by not smoking!
Make an appointment to see your doctor (See Step 6 below).
3. Take Action
You can’t win the battle if you don't start the battle. The problem with too many unmet goals and plans is that no action was ever taken to start down the road to achieving the goal or plan. If you created your "Quit Plan" in Step 2 above (you did create a "Quit Plan", didn't you?) you now have a plan for quitting. What is step "a" of your Quit Plan? Have you done it yet? Do it now! You must put your plan into action.
If you ever studied physics in high school you’ve probably heard of inertia. Inertia is the characteristic of an object (you) wanting to maintain its current state. In other words, objects at rest (doing nothing, not moving) tend to want to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to want to stay in motion.
Anytime you have to slam on your car’s brakes you experience inertia. When your car slows down rapidly, what happens to you and your passengers? Your bodies lunge forward before they are (hopefully) restrained by a seatbelt. If not restrained you could go right through the windshield. The point is this: if you begin taking action--even the smallest action--to quit smoking, you'll start a chain reaction, carrying you forward to the next step in your quit smoking action plan. Getting started on your plan is difficult, but once you get started it’s hard to stop. So get started today!
4. Prepare Yourself Mentally
While most of the media attention surrounding the smoking addiction focuses on chemical addictions to nicotine, you are in reality "multi-addicted." You are addicted to the feel of the cigarette in your hand and mouth. You are addicted to the actions of lighting your cigarette, moving your cigarette up to your mouth, flicking ashes from the cigarette and holding your cigarette between your fingers. You've also become addicted to the visual appeal of cigarettes: the flame, the smoke, even a dirty ashtray. You’re also addicted to the deep inhalations and exhalations you take as you puff on your cigarettes. You may have become addicted to smoking buddies at your workplace. All these stimuli serve to meet some physical, psychological or emotional need within you.
Part of preparing yourself mentally is understanding, studying and attacking your addictions. Think about the pleasures you derive from smoking. Does it make you feel "cool"? Do you get a lift or relax? Do you need to have something in your mouth or hands? Do you enjoy breathing deeply when you smoke? Do you feel a compulsion to head out to socialize with your smoking buddies every morning at 10:30?
Think through how you feel when you smoke. Are you happy, sad, soothed, or more alert? The next time you smoke a cigarette, notice all these things. Jot down your observations, then re-read them regularly. Study your own addiction so you understand what you must overcome. As Socrates said, "Know thyself."
5. Get Help and Support from Family and Friends
Sometimes our family and friends can be our worst enemies when we are attempting something very difficult or "different." If your family or friends don’t smoke, they may not understand your desire to quit. Nor will they understand the extreme difficulty of overcoming your addiction.
If your family and friends do smoke, they may have attempted to quit themselves, but failed. Or they may not want to quit at all, thereby placing pressure on you not to quit also. Human nature causes people to try to "hold others back" when someone close to them begins to move in a direction different from the norm. If you quit, you will place pressure and the spotlight on family and friends who are still smoking.
Your challenge will be to let others around you know that you are doing this for YOU. Let them know that if they will not encourage you, then they should "keep quiet while you quit." But by all means encourage others to encourage you.
Ask your family and friends to give you positive encouragement. Make sure they know that you do not want them to point out your faults, mistakes and slips. Ask them to praise your victories, large or small. Ask them to be understanding during the times that you may be less than friendly or patient. Ask them to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
6. Get Help From Your Doctor
Research shows that smokers who quit with assistance and support from a physician have higher rates of success. Even patients who received only minimal instruction and encouragement from their doctor showed improved "quitting" results.
Your doctor can give you the medical facts regarding the effect of cigarettes, plus tell you the benefits of quitting cigarettes. Also, he or she may prescribe some of the latest prescription-only quit-smoking medications.
Your doctor can also help you determine steps you can take to give up cigarettes and improve your health. Part of improving your health involves changing your diet and exercising. A doctor can test your current physical fitness and give you a plan for getting more fit (See Step 9 below).
Contact your doctor today. If he or she can't or won't help you, ask for a referral to a doctor who can and will help you.
7. Visualize Your Way to Quit Smoking Success
Your mind is a powerful "device." This device can be used for positive or negative purposes. You win or lose in life based on the way you "run" your mind. Much of running your mind involves visualizing--visualizing what has already happened in your life, as well as what may happen, good or bad.
Visualization is very similar to what our teachers and parents may have called "day dreaming." Children excel at day dreaming and playing "make believe." As we grow older, we tend to suppress our daydreams because of pressures to conform to society’s practical approach. Day dreaming or visualization allows us to create bright, fun, fantastic futures for ourselves. Unfortunately, visualization for adults becomes scenarios of unfounded fears, drudgery, regretful memories or just plain darkness.
You never lose your ability to visualize. Instead, you change your visualization to "practical" and logical thoughts. And often, adults do have vivid visualizations but of the negative doom and gloom, "the worst thing that can happen" variety. How often have you let your mind race with pictures of disaster and destruction? You see yourself lashed to a whipping post, being beaten by an IRS auditor, or you see your doctor telling you the pain in your head is a malignant brain tumor.
Your mind can just as easily show you a refund check from the IRS or a "clean bill of health" from the routine physical.
The problem and the opportunity with visualization is that your mind doesn’t know truth from fiction when it evaluates the visions in your mind. Your mind simply accepts the visualization as reality.
An example of this is the effect a scary movie may have on you. When the movie Jaws came out in 1975 many people were so frightened by it that they would go nowhere near a beach or lake. Some people were even afraid to take a bath or shower. The mental images of this monster shark took over the mind’s rational ability to think and allowed people to imagine sharks coming out of the showerhead. For these people the experience was so real that they changed their actions in the physical world. This is an extreme example, yet it is typical of the way that imagination and visualization can affect your physical existence.
In your mind you can create many different scenarios for yourself. You can visualize good or bad events. Your mind tends to act on these visualizations. Whatever you imagine, your mind will accept as real. In time your mind will work to "fulfill" your thoughts, creating them in reality. Think negative thoughts, create negative results. Think positive thoughts, create positive results.
Much has been written on visualization, and you should seek some more in-depth information on visualization techniques.
Here are some quick tips for using visualization to help you quit smoking:
Visualization often begins with affirmations--positive statements you make to yourself. State your affirmations positively and as if you already have what you are affirming. If possible, state your affirmations aloud, five to ten times.
Some examples of positive affirmations include: "I enjoy breathing easily and deeply," "I am free from any desire to smoke," "My hands and teeth are clean and smoke free," "I enjoy being around non-smokers," and "I am relaxed and calm."
Write down some goals for yourself, relating to smoking. For example, "I will quit smoking by the last day of March," or "My body no longer desires nicotine," or "I will take a vacation to Mexico next year with the money I save by not smoking."
To create deep visualizations that can profoundly affect you, relaxation is very important. To relax you should sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Begin breathing long, deep breaths. Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. Count down from ten to one, breathing once per number. As you count down, imagine yourself walking or even floating down the stairs. In between breaths repeat statements like "I’m getting very relaxed," and "going deeper."
Once you reach the count of "one" (and the bottom of the steps), let your mind wander for a minute or two. Then begin focusing on the affirmations and goals you have created for yourself. Don’t be concerned if you don’t immediately see anything. You may only see cloudy or fleeting images. That’s okay. With practice your visualizations will become more vivid.
Focus on controlling the images, however faint they may be. If you have set a goal to quit smoking by the end of March, see yourself throwing all your cigarettes and ashtrays away on March 31. Try visualizing a package of cigarettes, then make it "explode." Visualize your lungs as very clean and healthy. Visualize socializing with non-smokers. Visualize yourself effortlessly running a marathon. Visualize your friends and loved ones honoring you at a quit-smoking banquet. Create your visualizations from the goals and affirmations you have written down.
Don’t "push" your visualization. Lee Pulos, author of The Power of Visualization suggests that your "visualizations should be no more than 30 seconds at one time."
Pulos suggests doing your visualizations in an enthusiastic, excited state as if you have already achieved your goal.
8. Know Your Triggers
Your next step toward self-knowledge and quitting is learning what triggers your smoking. A trigger is anything that instantly engenders within you a desire to smoke. For example, the end of a meal may be a signal (trigger) to your mind and body that it's time for a cigarette. In part "d" of Step 2 above you wrote down what triggers your desire to smoke. After reading the following, go back to your written plan and add to it if necessary.
Common triggers include people, places, events and stress.
People: when you are with other smokers you are more likely to light up. Also, certain people may put you under stress, encouraging you to reach for a cigarette.
Places: certain places are synonymous with smoking, such as bars or restaurants. Your smoking may also be triggered when you are in a place where you have smoked before or a place where you smoke regularly, such as a designated smoking area at your office.
Events: stressful or extraordinary events such as a family member’s illness or death can trigger stress, which consequently triggers your smoking. You may also tend to light up at sporting events, parties, or as mentioned earlier, the end of a meal.
Stress: As mentioned above, stress can be a trigger, causing you to reach for a cigarette. Cigarettes do have a legitimate calming effect on many smokers, encouraging the use of cigarettes as tranquilizers.
Stress is caused by numerous things in our lives and is most likely a daily influence in your life. Part of your job when giving up cigarettes is learning how to deal with your stress in some way other than smoking. Step 9 below discusses exercise as a stress reliever and quit-smoking method. Meditation and visualization (Step 7 above) are also good stress relievers. Plan how you will reduce stress in your life.
9. Exercise
As previously mentioned, exercise is an excellent method for reducing stress. Exercise also can play an important role in helping you to quit smoking.
Research shows that smokers who take up a regular exercise program have a much higher quit-smoking success rate. The higher the level of activity, the higher the success rate. Smoking and exercise simply aren’t compatible. A Gallup Poll found that smokers who exercised were twice as likely to quit smoking versus smokers who did not exercise.
Cigarettes do alleviate stress for many smokers. When you give up cigarettes, your stress level likely will rise. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever and can replace your dependence on cigarettes for stress relief.
The many positive effects of exercise are too numerous to mention or explain here. However, here is a list of some of the most common benefits of exercise:
Reduced stress
Increased stamina
Increased feelings of well being and improved health
Weight loss
Improved muscle tone and physical appearance
Increased self-esteem and sense of accomplishment
Improved sleep
Improved performance at work
Improved attitudes and disposition
To get started exercising you need to choose one or two activities that you enjoy. Common exercises include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, etc. You may even decide to undertake regular, strenuous yard work for your neighbors.
Try to exercise 20-30 minutes at a time, three to four times per week. If you are out of shape, give yourself time to work up to this regular exercise schedule. Consult your doctor before beginning your exercise program.
For many people, exercise is drudgery. Be sure you pick an exercise that you enjoy, and consider exercising with a buddy. Your buddy can encourage you to "keep moving" when you want to stop. You’ll also be more likely to exercise when another person is depending upon you to be there. The next Step discusses quitting smoking with a "Quit Buddy." Your exercise buddy also may be your "Quit Buddy."
10. Find a Quit Buddy
Chances are you know another smoker who wants to quit. Suggest to that smoker that you help each other "douse the flames" forever. Studies show that smokers who partner with a Quit Buddy to provide mutual support are more successful when giving up cigarettes than are smokers who try to quit on their own.
If you can’t readily find a Quit Buddy, try contacting some of the resources listed at the end of this report. Also, many local hospitals and churches have quit-smoking programs and you may be able to find a Quit Buddy or even a Quit Group there.
Quit Buddies can provide support by way of daily or even hourly phone calls. Make yourself available to your Buddy whenever he or she needs help making it through the tougher moments. Provide positive encouragement when your Buddy succeeds. Do your best to ignore any relapse your Buddy may have. Don’t try to "shame" or coerce your Buddy into quitting. Studies show that negative feedback does not improve quit-smoking success rates.
Plan outings and activities together. As previously mentioned, you might exercise with your Quit Buddy. Sign contracts with each other stating that you will quit smoking and provide your Buddy with support while they quit.
11. Don't Give Up
Many smokers who have successfully given up cigarettes have made several attempts to quit before they finally kicked the habit. You should know going in that quitting may be a lengthy, or even life-long, process. There is no failure as long as you follow Step 1 above (Believe). If you believe you will quit, you will! It may take three or four attempts before your quitting "sticks." If you quit for a short time then resume smoking, you are one step closer to quitting for good. Just quit again. Keep doing it Until. Until you win, until you quit for life.
You may find that after a first or second attempt to quit you have reduced the number of cigarettes that you smoke each day. That's great! You are no longer as dependent! Now, go for the gold!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
The Health Benefits of Giving Up Smoking
It is never too late to give up smoking. The sooner you can free your body from the constant punishment of smoking then the sooner it can recover from years of abuse. The body has amazing recuperative powers. Once you stop smoking, your body will show some immediate improvement as it adjusts to no longer having to accommodate smoking and its effects. The longer you have smoked, the more the body will have to overcome to return to a more natural, healthier state.
To give you a better idea of how your system gradually recovers from smoking, the American Cancer Society has outlined these changes in a timeline. While the timeline may be different for different people, just as some people are naturally healthier to begin with, the fact remains that your body will be better off once you quit smoking.
Only 20 minutes after your very last cigarette your body will begin to return to normal. Both your blood pressure and your pulse rate will have stabilised at a more natural level. As your circulation improves, the temperature in your hands and feet increases to a normal level as the arteries recover.
About 8 hours after you have stopped smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops as the amount of oxygen carried throughout the body increases. Smoking hinders both brain and muscle functions by reducing the amount of oxygen available to inadequate levels. The levels of carbon monoxide will now be reduced to a level about 50% of what they used to be when you smoked. Another benefit, probably more noticeable to people other than the ex-smoker themselves, is that "smoker's breath" becomes less pronounced.
After 24 hours you begin to see some of the long-term benefits. Not only is your body now functioning more efficiently, the chances of enjoying your improved health are also increased. Not smoking for a day is all it takes to reduce your statistical chances of suffering a heart attack and improve your chances of surviving one. It also takes about 24 hours for the last of the extra carbon monoxide from smoking to be eliminated from your body.
About 48 hours after you have stopped smoking you will probably notice that your senses of taste and smell have become much keener compared to their previously dulled state. Excess mucus and toxic debris that has collected over time will begin to be cleared from the lungs. Although there will initially be an increase in the amount of mucus dislodged from the lungs, breathing will gradually become easier. Amazingly, those nerve endings that were damaged by the smoking habit will begin to regenerate once you quit.
After 72 hours of not smoking, your bronchial tubes become more relaxed and less constricted, making it easier to breathe. The risk of thrombosis is reduced as the blood's clotting agents return to normal.
Some 2 weeks to 3 months into the non-smoking recovery your lung capacity will have increased by up to 30%. In combination with improved circulation, this means that you will find it easier to engage in physical exercise.
In a period from 1 month to 9 months after you have ceased smoking many of the noticeable adverse symptoms of smoking will have improved. You will experience less coughing, wheezing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath. The fatigue associated with these symptoms will decrease as your overall energy levels continue to rise. As the microscopic, hairlike cilia regrow, they increase the lung's ability to purify the air by once again filtering out impurities and clearing mucus. This also reduces the chances of developing an infection, especially in the sinuses.
One year without smoking will mean that the excess risk of coronary heart disease is now approximately half that of a smoker. After 2 years the risk of a heart attack drops to a more normal level.
After 5 years of staying smoke-free the average smoker who smoked one pack of cigarettes a day will have decreased their lung cancer death rate by almost a half. The risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat or oesophagus will now be half that of a smoker. Abstaining from smoking for between 5 to 15 years will mean that you have reduced your risk of having a stroke to the equivalent of a non-smoker.
Approximately 10 years after you stopped smoking, your lung cancer death rate will now be equivalent to that of a non-smoker. The risk of developing other cancers, such as cancer of the kidneys, pancreas or bladder, is decreased. Healthy cells gradually replace pre-cancerous cells in the body.
After you have refrained from smoking for 15 years, your risk of developing coronary heart disease will be the same as that of a life-long non-smoker.
These are only some of the physical improvements that you will experience when you quit smoking. Obviously, the longer and heavier your smoking habit was, the longer it will take for your body to recover. This does not even touch on the social, psychological, and emotional positives that come for giving up smoking. Quitting smoking at any time in one's life is beneficial. Some people wait until they are ordered to do so by their doctor or surgeon but even the recuperative capacity of the body has its limits. You are much better advised to quit smoking before you develop any serious health problems. Generally speaking, giving up smoking makes your body healthier and increases the chances that you will stay that way.
Article Source: http://www.stopsmokingtoday.com
To give you a better idea of how your system gradually recovers from smoking, the American Cancer Society has outlined these changes in a timeline. While the timeline may be different for different people, just as some people are naturally healthier to begin with, the fact remains that your body will be better off once you quit smoking.
Only 20 minutes after your very last cigarette your body will begin to return to normal. Both your blood pressure and your pulse rate will have stabilised at a more natural level. As your circulation improves, the temperature in your hands and feet increases to a normal level as the arteries recover.
About 8 hours after you have stopped smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops as the amount of oxygen carried throughout the body increases. Smoking hinders both brain and muscle functions by reducing the amount of oxygen available to inadequate levels. The levels of carbon monoxide will now be reduced to a level about 50% of what they used to be when you smoked. Another benefit, probably more noticeable to people other than the ex-smoker themselves, is that "smoker's breath" becomes less pronounced.
After 24 hours you begin to see some of the long-term benefits. Not only is your body now functioning more efficiently, the chances of enjoying your improved health are also increased. Not smoking for a day is all it takes to reduce your statistical chances of suffering a heart attack and improve your chances of surviving one. It also takes about 24 hours for the last of the extra carbon monoxide from smoking to be eliminated from your body.
About 48 hours after you have stopped smoking you will probably notice that your senses of taste and smell have become much keener compared to their previously dulled state. Excess mucus and toxic debris that has collected over time will begin to be cleared from the lungs. Although there will initially be an increase in the amount of mucus dislodged from the lungs, breathing will gradually become easier. Amazingly, those nerve endings that were damaged by the smoking habit will begin to regenerate once you quit.
After 72 hours of not smoking, your bronchial tubes become more relaxed and less constricted, making it easier to breathe. The risk of thrombosis is reduced as the blood's clotting agents return to normal.
Some 2 weeks to 3 months into the non-smoking recovery your lung capacity will have increased by up to 30%. In combination with improved circulation, this means that you will find it easier to engage in physical exercise.
In a period from 1 month to 9 months after you have ceased smoking many of the noticeable adverse symptoms of smoking will have improved. You will experience less coughing, wheezing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath. The fatigue associated with these symptoms will decrease as your overall energy levels continue to rise. As the microscopic, hairlike cilia regrow, they increase the lung's ability to purify the air by once again filtering out impurities and clearing mucus. This also reduces the chances of developing an infection, especially in the sinuses.
One year without smoking will mean that the excess risk of coronary heart disease is now approximately half that of a smoker. After 2 years the risk of a heart attack drops to a more normal level.
After 5 years of staying smoke-free the average smoker who smoked one pack of cigarettes a day will have decreased their lung cancer death rate by almost a half. The risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat or oesophagus will now be half that of a smoker. Abstaining from smoking for between 5 to 15 years will mean that you have reduced your risk of having a stroke to the equivalent of a non-smoker.
Approximately 10 years after you stopped smoking, your lung cancer death rate will now be equivalent to that of a non-smoker. The risk of developing other cancers, such as cancer of the kidneys, pancreas or bladder, is decreased. Healthy cells gradually replace pre-cancerous cells in the body.
After you have refrained from smoking for 15 years, your risk of developing coronary heart disease will be the same as that of a life-long non-smoker.
These are only some of the physical improvements that you will experience when you quit smoking. Obviously, the longer and heavier your smoking habit was, the longer it will take for your body to recover. This does not even touch on the social, psychological, and emotional positives that come for giving up smoking. Quitting smoking at any time in one's life is beneficial. Some people wait until they are ordered to do so by their doctor or surgeon but even the recuperative capacity of the body has its limits. You are much better advised to quit smoking before you develop any serious health problems. Generally speaking, giving up smoking makes your body healthier and increases the chances that you will stay that way.
Article Source: http://www.stopsmokingtoday.com
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