Tips to quit smoking

Smoking is a bad habit and we all know that. Smoking not only affects your health but also people around you. Many people try to quit smoking but fail because most of the times, the decision is not well planned. Also, people who quit cold turkey have higher chances of failure than the ones who take help from stop smoking service. So how should you quit smoking?

Read below self-help tips that will help you quit smoking gradually and never look back!

1. Make a real plan to stop smoking: Fix a date and stick to it. Sticking to the 'not a drag' rule can help. Whenever you find yourself wavering from the promise you made to yourself, say this aloud "I will not have even a single drag" and stick with this until these cravings pass.

Plan ahead for times where resisting smoking might be difficult - a party for instance - and devise your actions and escape routes in advance.

2. Ask for help: Addictions are linked to overwhelming emotions. Sometimes it is difficult even to think about giving up smoking. In such times, you need help! A friend, family or like in most cases professional help like NHS help to stop smoking. Stop smoking service in Twickenham provides free support and consultation for smoking addicts. The service involves weekly counselling sessions including carbon monoxide monitoring and guidance on smoking cessation medication like Bupropion, which can help double your chances of successfully stopping smoking.

3. Understand the law of addiction: If you have been addicted for a while, you should know the real reason behind the cravings. Nicotine dependence is a real drug addiction. While you enjoyed smoking in the past, nicotine has de-sensitized and rewired your brain, causing it to grow millions of nicotinic receptors. In the absence of nicotine, the craving gives rise to anger, depression and uncontrollable mood swings.

4. Take one day at a time: Implementing “I will never smoke from today,” gets almost impossible if you have been smoking for a long time. Reduce the frequency per day followed by days per week you smoke. Maintain a diary. Mark and celebrate your every step towards victory. This will take time, so have patience and faith in yourself.

5. Use ‘stop-smoking’ aids: If the quitting process is taking longer time than usual, one can take the support of medical aids easily available at stop smoking service centres in Twickenham that mimic the feeling nicotine gives and are far less harmful than smoking does. E-cigarettes, nicotine patches, and nicotine gums are few of the choices you can make. These aids help you by releasing very less amount of nicotine in the body, and the doses reduce gradually helping you quit in the process.