The importance of quitting smoking
Quitting smoking is a personal decision that most smokers have considered at some point. However, many fail to do so and despite their attempts to quit this harmful habit, they have been unsuccessful. This is complicated if this practice has lasted for years.
Practical strategies for quitting smoking
Getting rid of this habit is not at all simple, as it requires determination, preparation, intervention strategies, professional support, etc. However, every sacrifice is worth it to preserve physical and mental health.
Steps to follow to quit smoking
Below, we offer you a series of keys to guide you in this new beginning. Keep in mind that these tips do not replace the professional support you should receive according to your case.
1. Find a motivation
Saying you want to quit smoking is easier said than done. Therefore, before you start, make a two-column list in which you include the reasons for and against this decision, at least this is what the experts of the National Health Service of the United Kingdom advise.
Then assign a value to each reason, in order of importance to you. If the reasons that make you quit are more than the reasons that make you continue, you are ready to start. Make sure there is true intrinsic motivation before starting the process.
It is also advisable that for the moments when your motivation can be short-circuited, you have a resource ready to remind you why you decided to do it. For example: you can have a letter addressed to the person you like the most. This letter could begin like this: “Dear son, today I have decided that I will quit smoking…”. Continue to state the reasons reflected in the pros column you wrote earlier.
2. Reduce consumption gradually
Reducing consumption is one of the main steps to quit smoking in the long term, the National Health Service points out. To achieve this, this state body recommends the following:
– Determine how often you will reduce consumption (will you do it every day, week or fortnight?). Then, set a date when you will quit completely.
– Progressively reduce smoking as the date you have set gets closer.
– Use replacement therapies. This will help you compensate.
– Start new habits, such as going for a walk, exercising, meditating, etc.
Not everyone is ready to quit smoking all at once. Therefore, starting a plan to reduce the amount of consumption daily, weekly and fortnightly is a good start for anyone.
3. Start replacement therapy
Starting replacement therapy can help make your first steps easier to bear. Consult with your trusted doctor about the different options in the health market for you.
Mayo Clinic’s expert staff presents the following: recommendations
– Nasal inhaler.
– Chewing gum, pills and tablets.
– Medicines to stop smoking with medical prescription.
In addition to the fact that these methods are safe, under medical supervision, these therapeutic options will help you resist strong cravings more strongly. Under no circumstances should you smoke e-cigarettes as replacement therapy, as these are also harmful to your health and are associated with lung damage, as indicated by the Pan American Health Organization.
4. Learn to breathe and relax
It is advisable that you learn some relaxation technique, such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, etc. If you already practice one, keep using it.
Diaphragmatic breathing is the most advisable in these cases, as it is similar to the type of breathing you have while smoking. You inhale slowly and deeply and exhale slowly, thus lowering your heart rate.
“Many people smoke to help calm anxiety and cope with stress,” says pulmonologist Neha Solanki in an interview for Health Essentials from the Cleveland Clinic. “If you try one of these relaxation techniques, you can increase your parasympathetic response. This helps to reduce anxiety, increase the level of concentration and the ability to keep calm.’
5. Change your environment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that to quit smoking it is necessary to get rid of everything that is related to this bad habit. This means no cigarettes in the car, house or purse. Throw away the ashtrays, lighters and matches.
In addition, it is advisable that, as far as possible, you avoid those situations in which you are prone to smoke a cigarette. So, if you have a habit of smoking while walking in the park, try taking your walk elsewhere or doing another type of exercise.
6. Learn new behaviors and activities
Other strategies suggested by health organizations to quit smoking, such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in the EE.UU. are:
– Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption. Those who use alcohol often have a harder time staying away from tobacco after they quit.
– Consider hobbies like knitting, woodworking or other activities that keep your hands active.
– Instead of lighting a cigarette after eating, choose a short walk around your neighborhood or around your workplace.
– Don’t smoke anything, not even once.
– Away from smokers. If you cannot avoid them, we ask that they understand your decision to quit and refrain from smoking around you.
Celebrate your successes too, even if they are small. Reward yourself with something that makes you happy every time you achieve your daily or weekly goals related to kicking the habit.
7. Resist temptation
Sooner or later, you will have cravings to smoke, it is inevitable. When this happens, go for a walk, talk to a friend, laugh with family members, or meet with your support group for a chat. The National Cancer Institute also suggests chewing some fruit or chewing gum, as keeping your mouth busy could ease the urge to smoke. Try doing some kind of relaxation exercise. Remember that desires are fleeting.
8. Attend support groups
Support groups can be useful for quitting smoking, as they provide an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others and to acquire behavioral resources to face this new challenge.
A study on group therapy indicates that it is better than self-help and other less intensive interventions in supporting people to quit smoking.
Quitting smoking is an individual process.
It should never be forgotten that each of us has our own circumstances, so the best treatment will always be the one that suits our particular conditions. So it’s a good idea to have a psychologist plan any general treatment for you.
Some people feel better able to give up this habit abruptly, while others prefer to face a gradual process. In one way or another, biological withdrawal will always be less severe if consumption is gradually reduced.
The dynamics of this process would consist, then, of progressively reducing consumption so that withdrawal and anxiety are less. Once you start down this path, cigarettes become less important as the days go by, until you end up giving them up altogether.
