Take Action - Time To Quit Now
So the big day has arrived - the day you have decided is going to be your quit day. So how are you going to get through the first few weeks and optimize your chances to successfully quit?
Remember, you want to plan on how you are going to handle any chalenges that will surface during this critical time. You must concentrate and manage your focus to achieve your goal of becoming a non smoker.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Some of the withdrawal symptoms you may experience in the early days of the quit include:
- Feeling depressed
- Feeling irritable, easily frustrated and angry
- Feeling anxious, restless or nervous
- Having problems focusing and thinking clearly
- Having problems sleeping, and
- Feeling hungry or gaining weight
It is therefore vital that you have strategies in place to ease you through the tough early stages of quitting smoking.
Tips for the first day
- Remind family and friends that today is the day you are quitting and ask them to be supportive.
- If you are using any medication or nicotine replacement therapies make sure you follow the instruction leaflet carefully and remember to take them at the appropriate time. Don’t be too quick to give up on medication or NRT; those who use them for around 12 weeks after quitting tend to be more successful at staying away from cigarettes.
- If you are attending a support group or program or using a telephone helpline to quit, make sure you make full use of them. The more support you have in place the greater your chance of success
- Keep yourself busy, especially on the first day of your quit. Take a long walk, exercise or go to see a movie.
- Spend as much time as possible in places where smoking is not allowed such as libraries, malls, museums, and theaters in the early days of quitting. Avoid the places where you would usually smoke until you are past the most acute craving phase.
- If you miss having something to do with your hand or mouth you could chew sugar-free gum or lollipops or drink from a bottle of water
- Avoid drinks you associate with smoking such as coffee or alcoholic drinks. This doesn’t have to be forever just to help you disassociate certain drinks with smoking. Choose water or fruit juice instead
Keep away from temptation
- After meals can be a dangerous time when you are trying to quit, as many smokers like to have a cigarette after food. Brush your teeth straight after a meal, wash the dishes or go for a walk to avoid this temptation.
- Some people associate driving with smoking. If this is one of your weak areas try to change your driving habits. Listen to different music or a new radio station. Take a different route or if this is a really big problem area for you, consider taking the bus or train for a short time until you break the habit.
- Avoid the things that you strongly associate with smoking. This may mean missing your favorite TV show for a while or sitting in a favorite chair.
- Try to be around non-smoker, especially in situations like parties or in bars when you might be tempted to smoke.
If you are not completely confident that you can resist the urge to smoke after you have quit, it may be necessary to remove any visual reminders of smoking from your living and work areas.
Throw away or give away those leftover cigarettes, get rid of lighters, ashtrays, matches, and anything else that could be associated with smoking. Why should you force yourself to resist the urge to smoke when it is far simpler to just remove the reminders. If you keep a pack of cigarettes in your home or office, there is a good chance that you may pick one up. Just this one may be the cigarette that hooks you again.
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