I Will Quit Smoking – With Determination Anyone Could Do It!

People are fast realizing the health risks of smoking, and are choosing to kick the nicotine habit in favor of a healthier, smoke-free life. However, stopping smoking isn’t as easy as it sounds, and people generally abide by two widely accepted methods. The first is cutting down gradually – setting a date by which one will stop smoking, and working towards it by steadily cutting down, and the other is the cold-turkey method. The latter means that one will stop smoking in one day, abruptly, and never again touch another cigarette. Many people, however, lack the strength or the self-control to try this, but we give you some tips to help you on your way to achieving the cold-turkey method.

Firstly, and this is the most obvious rule: once you’ve made up your mind to stop smoking forever, abide by it. Resist the urge to take that puff. Remember, just one puff of the cigarette, and you’re back to square one, and all your effort is down the drain. You see, nicotine affects your brain, and grows millions of nicotine receptors in almost eleven different regions. Despite your mind’s nicotine induced dopamine/adrenaline intoxication being an alert high, your chemical dependency on the substance is very real. Don’t fool yourself by saying you’ll “take just one little puff” – the words don’t exist. Tell yourself that you want to stop smoking, and just do it!

You should be prepared to experience a strong sense of emotional loss. Your addiction to nicotine is, after all, intense and repetitive – over the years your body has been conditioned to depend on it. You will have to face emotional turmoil in phases like denial (feeling like you don’t need to stop smoking in the first place), anger (at yourself and everyone around you), bargaining (telling yourself you’ll take just one puff and stay absolutely nicotine-free the rest of the week), depression (feeling low and generally down-in-the-dumps), acceptance (of the fact that you must stop smoking), and complacency. Remember that this emotional journey is necessary, and a healthy part of recovery.

Don’t skip meals, and we suggest that for the first three days, you drink lots of acidic fruit juice. Cranberry juice can help to accelerate the 72 hours needed to remove the alkaloi nicotine from your body, plus it also helps stabilize blood sugars. Regular exercise will repair the damage done to your system through smoking. It’s helpful to get a buddy with whom you can stop smoking, to get the support from one who has already kicked the habit.

Also, perhaps your body is conditioned to crave nicotine at certain places, or events, or times. For instance, a trip to the bar may make you want to light up. Avoid such triggers that can cause you to go backward in your efforts to stop smoking. Remember to practice deep breathing, and reward yourself for little milestones. If it’s been a month since you quit smoking, go to a restaurant for a meal, and stay in the non-smoking section.

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