The health benefits of giving up smoking are amazing but ditching the habit once and for all is no easy feat. However, there are simple strategies you can adopt to help increase your chances of success…
1. Set a quit date
It’s always easy to push your quit date back and back again, so set in stone when you’re going to stop.
2. Throw it out
Get rid of all your smoking paraphernalia and don’t fall into the habit of bargaining with yourself that your next one will be the last one. If you leave yourself access to cigs, you’ll always be aware they’re there in the back of your mind.
3. Reward yourself
As the days go by, cravings will get easier to control, so rewarding yourself at the beginning is important. If you get through a hard day of cravings, buy that T-shirt you always wanted. Giving up smoking is one of best things you’ll ever do and you should be rewarded for trying (plus you’re saving money, so you can afford that treat)!
4. Don’t skip meals!
You’ve only got a finite amount of willpower and skipping meals can weaken your mental defences, making it easier to give in to the temptation to smoke.
5. Twiddle that stick
Most people find it easier to quit when they have something in their hands. Using cinnamon sticks is one way of doing this.
6. If you relapse, just start again
Don’t view a relapse as a complete failure, just a bump in the road. As long as you’re serious about wanting to quit, you’ll get there if you just stick at it.
7. Put all the money you’re saving on cigarettes in a large glass jar
To help quantify the benefits of not smoking on your wallet, shove everything you would’ve spent on cigarettes in a large glass jar and put it on prominent display. You can even calculate how much you will save with our cost calculator beforehand!
8. To minimize cravings, change your routine
Smoking becomes ingrained in your routine and switching things up for a short while can help you avoid patterns that lead to falling off the wagon.
9. Remind yourself of the benefits
Just like you did with the reasons why you stopped, write up some of the benefits of quitting and keep them to hand. Every day you’re smoke-free is better for your body, so make sure you have the means to keep that in mind.
10. Avoid triggers
You know the situations that you associate most strongly with smoking, so make plans to avoid them and the battle to quit will be easier to win.
11. Ditch coffee for herbal tea
Coffee and cigarettes are a favoured combination, so try swapping out your daily Joe for a healthy herbal tea. It’ll help you to disconnect yourself from cravings, as well as letting you enjoy the health benefits of the tea.
12. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol is a well known trigger for smoking and should be avoided. Stay away from alcohol untill you are confortable being around other smokers and not smoking yourself. Remember, ‘Smokers drink and drinkers smoke.’
13. Call a friend!
If you can’t find a friend who’s trying to quit, don’t be afraid to reach for the phone when things are looking bleak. Having a shoulder to lean on when you’re close to breaking point can make all the difference.
14. Remove that smell
The smell of cigarettes is insiduous. So be sure to thoroughly cleanse anything that’s come into contact with it. Pay particular attention to your clothes and any furniture coverings that may have been exposed.
15. See a doctor
See a doctor for help on how to quit. With ‘higher intensity’ interventions you’re 22.1% more likely to succeed! These can be in doctor consultations of 10 minutes or less.
For more top tips, advice and information on how to quit smoking visit Push Doctor’s essential guide to stop smoking and see how much you could save using the cost calculator.
Push Doctor is an online service connecting patients with a network of over 7,000 friendly and highly skilled GMC-registered UK General Practitioners, via secure video consultations, within six minutes wherever they are. For more information, visit PushDoctor.co.uk or visit the iOS App Store.
