10 Things To Avoid When You Quit Smoking
The Proper Care and Feeding of A Healthy Quit Program
We all want this quit to be the quit. We're looking for permanent
freedom from nicotine addiction. This article takes a look at some
of the things you should avoid when quitting tobacco. Build a strong
quit program by educating yourself about the process!
1) Don't be impatient. The natural tendency is to quit smoking and
expect to be done with it within a month. Cessation just doesn't
work like that. When you quit smoking, you are letting go of a habit
that you've had for many years, if not all of your adult life. It's
only fair to expect that breaking all of the old associations down
will take some time. Sit back, relax, and put some time between you
and that last smoke. Have patience with yourself, and with the
process.
2) Don't worry about forever. It can be overwhelming to think you'll
never smoke another cigarette. Don't do that to yourself. Train your
mind to stay in the here and now of today. This is where your power
is, and always will be. You can't do a thing about yesterday or
tomorrow, but you sure can control today. If you find your mind
wandering in either direction, pull it back. Pay attention to your
thoughts, and do your best to stay focused on the day you have in
front of you.
3) Don't be negative. It's been said that the average person has
approximately 66,000 thoughts in a given day, and two-thirds of them
are negative. We can be so hard on ourselves! Don't beat yourself up
for things you can't change, such as the years you spent smoking.
Don't look at past quit attempts as failures. Learn from the
experiences you've had and move on. Think about all of the positive
changes you're creating in your life. Successful long-term cessation
always starts in the mind. Focus on your purpose and develop an
attitude of gratitude. We have a way of believing what we tell
ourselves over and over. Don't feed yourself negatives. Affirm the
changes you are working to create in your life, and action will
follow more easily.
4) Don't neglect yourself. This is a time when you should be taking
extra care to make sure all of your needs are getting met. Following
these simple guidelines will help you weather withdrawal more
comfortably:
* Eat a well-balanced diet. Your body needs good quality fuel now
more than ever as it works to flush the toxins out of your system.
* Get more rest. You will need it, and chances are you'll feel extra
fatigue for a few weeks. Don't fight it. Sleep more if you can.
* Drink water. Water is a great quit aid. It helps you detox more
quickly, works well as a craving-buster, and by keeping yourself
hydrated, you'll feel better overall. Drink as much of the stuff as
you can manage.
* Exercise daily. Walking is a wonderful way to get your exercise if
you don't already have a favorite physical activity. It's a good,
low impact aerobic workout, and it works well to keep cravings in
check. Take a few 15 minute walks every day and see if it improves
your spirits.
* Take a daily multi-vitamin. Giving your body an extra boost this
way isn't a bad idea for the duration of the withdrawal process.
Cigarettes deplete so many nutrients. It may help you regain your
energy more quickly.
Withdrawal isn't a pain-free experience, but it is survivable, and
it is certainly short-lived. Always keep in mind the fact that
withdrawal from nicotine is a temporary condition.
5) Alcohol and tobacco go hand-in-hand...
Don't drink. I probably don't need to tell you that alcohol and
tobacco go hand-in-hand. New quitters are tender. Putting yourself
into a social setting where there is drinking too soon after
quitting can be dangerous. Don't rush it. The time will come when
you can have a drink without it triggering the urge to smoke, but
don't expect that to be within the first month, or perhaps even the
first few months. We're all a little different in how we go through
recovery, so defining a specific time frame isn't realistic. Just be
aware of your own situation. If you have an engagement coming up
that involves drinking and you feel nervous about that, it may be
best to postpone until you're feeling stronger. If that's not an
option, have a plan in place for how you'll manage the event smoke
free. Will you be able to excuse yourself to step our for some fresh
air? Can you request that people don't smoke around you? However you
decide to handle a situation, don't be shy about it. This is your
life we're talking about here, and quitting tobacco has to be a top
priority for awhile. Whatever you need to do to maintain your quit,
you should do. Period! Remember, life won't always be this way - it
will return to normal eventually.
6) Don't overdo. We've talked about taking care not to neglect your
physical health. Your emotional well-being is every bit as
important. Stress can build if you're not careful, and before you
know it, you're fighting a strong urge to smoke. Early cessation
creates its own tension, let alone all of the other things that come
and go in our busy daily lives. Make sure you don't let yourself get
run down to the point of exhaustion, and that you take time every
single day to destress with an activity that you enjoy. Whether it's
time alone with a good book, a hot bath, or working on a hobby, make
sure you incorporate some YOU time. Fatigue and stress are big
triggers to smoke, and it can be a quick jump to feeling that you
need a cigarette to cope. Plan ahead of time how you'll keep
yourself out of those danger zones.
7) Don't take yourself too seriously. You will have bad days. Expect
and accept that. Such is cessation, and such is life. On those off
days, make a vow to put yourself on ignore! Sometimes the best thing
we can do is to get out of our own way. Our minds can make a small
issue huge, and make a drama out of every little thing if our moods
are out of whack. When you have a bad day, use it as an excuse to
pamper yourself excessively. I say that in all seriousness. Be good
to yourself and put your thoughts on hold. Decide to wait and see
what tomorrow will bring. Nine times out of ten you'll wake up
feeling 100% better, and I promise you you'll be grateful to still
be smoke free.
8) Don't be afraid to ask for help. Statistics show that people who
quit with a healthy support system in place have a much higher rate
of success over time. If you don't have people around you who are
supportive, and even if you do, add some online support to your quit
program. Our smoking cessation forum here at About.com offers some
of the best support the Internet has to offer. There is nothing
better than bending the ear of a person who knows exactly what you
are going through. Getting help from people who have 'been there and
done that' is worth its weight in gold.
9) Don't believe that you can have "just one". There is no such
thing. It doesn't work with Lays potato chips, and it sure doesn't
work with cigarettes. Smoke one cigarette, and you run a very high
risk of being back to a pack a day quicker than you can imagine.
Don't fall for faulty thinking. A relapse always begins in the mind.
If you recognize unhealthy thoughts of smoking cropping up, it's
time to renew your resolve.
10) Don't forget. You quit smoking for a reason. Probably several.
Don't let time and distance from the habit cloud your thinking. Keep
your memory green by reviewing your reasons often. They will never
be less true as time goes by, but they can feel less critical if
you're not careful.
Cessation is a journey. Take it one simple day at a time, and you'll
find that what started out as a difficult task soon enough becomes
an enjoyable challenge.
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