Have you decided to quit smoking? Good, then you’ve already come a long way. The next step is to change your habits.
Here we help you with eight tips to succeed – once and for all.
It will be challenging and certainly also difficult at first.
But it is not impossible and you can do it.
Here we have listed eight concrete tips to succeed in smoking cigarettes forever, step by step.
1.Choose a date
Set a clear start date, for example in two weeks. Then you have time to prepare. Then also decide whether you should scale back or stop abruptly.
- Write a personal list
What do you have to gain and lose? Write a personal list of why you should stop smoking. A clever trick is to put the ice cream on the fridge for daily personal motivation.
- Write down when you smoke
Write down what you feel while smoking. For example, are you happy, sad or stressed? Then you get an idea of how much you smoke, what each cigarette means to you and why you felt the urge to smoke at that moment.
- Avoid things that remind you of smoking
Once the start date has arrived, it’s time to start the journey towards your smoke-free life. Then it can be good to avoid places and situations that remind you of smoking. It could be the balcony, the smoking window at work, or your smoking friend. This applies above all in the beginning.
- Get cessation aid
It may be easier to quit smoking with the help of medicines that contain nicotine, such as patches or chewing gum. If you are over 18, you can buy this without a prescription in a grocery store or pharmacy, if you are younger, you need to see a doctor. Nicotine pouches have also proven to be helpful for a lot of people when they are trying to quit smoking.
- Decide what to do when you get the urge to smoke
The craving for smoke will creep in. Then it is good to have a ready list where you have written down activities that can help you resist, and get your mind on other things. You can, for example:
- Go running
- Train
- Eat
- Drink a glass of water
- Brush teeth
- Call a friend
The craving for cigarettes usually only lasts for a few minutes. That might be nice to know!
- Reward yourself
For extra motivation, you can put aside the money you save from not buying cigarettes. Then treat yourself to something nice for the money instead.
- Take help from loved ones
This is a very important step in the process. Tell those around you that you are trying to quit smoking and get help from loved ones. Ask them to cheer you up and tell them if you want help with something in particular, for example that they don’t smoke when you meet.
- Hypnosis
How it works: During deep relaxation, you are helped to identify yourself as a non-smoker. The aim is to get in touch with the subconscious and dominant thoughts. The signals that you are a smoker, that you should smoke in certain given situations and in certain given emotional states make it difficult for many to break their addiction with sheer will.
How long it takes: Each session lasts about 60 minutes.
Advantages: No side effects. Hypnosis works in the subconscious, thoughts are restructured and you can more easily identify yourself as a non-smoker.
Cons: Scientific evidence that it works is lacking.
Afraid of gaining weight if you quit smoking?
In the first week after quitting smoking, it is normal to gain weight a little, because the nicotine has previously raised the metabolism. The weight gain can be seen as proof that the body is recovering. Here are some simple tips to keep from gaining weight:
Eat properly and at set times, so you don’t fall for the sweet tooth that can occur when you don’t have the cigarette to reach for.
Distract yourself! Read newspapers, go out in the woods, do anything that distracts you.
Exercise, preferably every day, and drink plenty of water, six to eight glasses per day.
Tempt the sweet tooth with berries and vegetables or perhaps a piece of dark chocolate, a box is often enough to satisfy the desire. Also keep in mind that protein-rich foods keep you full longer.
Stop and reflect. Are you really hungry? Maybe you just miss bringing the cigarette to your mouth? Pick something low-calorie instead, such as berries or vegetables in pieces.