Does this sound familiar? March was actually national quit smoking month but if you didn’t manage to break the habit or you haven’t fulfilled your new year’s resolution yet, we thought it would be useful to discuss the various ways you can reduce your consumption of cigarettes or quit completely.
Many experts have written that smoking is actually only 10% a physical addiction and 90% psychological. The side effects of going cold turkey from Nicotine only last about three days but the habitual ritual of lighting up with coffee, after a meal or when socialising is much harder to break.
It sounds easy here on paper to state that you have to want to give up to be successful but quitting is definitely a mind-set and no products exist that will remove your desire to smoke if deep down, you still want to continue smoking.
Experts have also stated that what ‘could’ happen to you if you continue to smoke, for example lung cancer, heart disease or not being around to see your Grandchildren grow-up; are all valid reasons certainly, but they deal with possibilities rather than certainties. Understanding what ‘is’ happening, may help you find that determination to quit.
Consider the financial implications, imagine what you could do with the money you save each week. What about health reasons you know explicitly that you are experiencing now, such as poor fitness, shortness of breath, excess mucus production or a nasty cough. Perhaps vanity is the key, do you enjoy having yellow fingers and teeth, bad breath and smelly clothes? Ask yourself about how your family feel about you smoking, do they worry about you and how proud of you they would be if you found the will power to quit?
Hypnotherapy has also been very effective in helping smokers finally find the will power to quit and perhaps a combination of techniques will help you kick the habit.
Let’s assume you have found your will power and are now ready to quit smoking, how do you deal with the physical aspects of giving up? Patches can be a very effective form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) but are not the only option on the market today. There are also lozenges, chewing gum, inhalers and sprays.
Some people believe that switching to NRT is simply replacing one addiction for another but this is simply not true. NRT products are far less addictive, do not contain carbon monoxide, tar and other poisons and do not cause cancer.
Ask your pharmacist for advice on the best combination for you and good luck!