I always thought that the thing that made smoking so hard to stop was the fact that the very act of smoking somehow managed to become part of my personality. I’m not sure how or when this happened but it undoubtedly occurred at some point during my smoking career. There seems to come a point when your whole life begins to revolve around smoking cigarettes, there’s the friends who all smoke, the social activities which would begin to feel empty, and the bizarre intimate relationship we unconsciously build with our nicotine filled friend.
Every time I tried to kick the habit it was like I was giving up a part of myself,and this more than any addiction to nicotine, contributed to the immense struggle that took place when I was trying to stop.
When I found the E Cigarette I had just come through another failed attempt to stop smoking and although I was still at the point where I really wanted to kick the habit I didn’t think I had the energy to give it another shot. E cigarettes allowed me to stop inhaling the poisonous fumes from cigarettes without making any effort. I could continue to get a fix of nicotine and the e cigarette seemed like a genuine substitute for my smoky friend, allowing to quit in my own time without having to worry about health consequences. This gradual experience allowed me to readjust my self-image in such a way that I could stop when the transformation was complete without the dread I normally associated with giving up.
As someone who was addicted to cigarettes for nearly 20 years and has only recently managed to stop smoking I know from first hand experience how hard to is to drop the cancer sticks. For those of you who is struggling with nicotine addiction it can be hard to find the best way to stop smoking so I’ve listed a few stop smoking tips that might give you the motivation you need to stub out the habit.
1. Decide to stop smoking on a specific day
Setting a date in the near future when you intend to stop smoking makes your task so much easier by making your plans more concrete and therefore less easy to break. Choose a day which isn’t too far off as you don’t want to lose motivation. Telling everyone you know the date you have set will also help you stop smoking for good as you won’t want to let them down.
2. Live a healthier lifestyle
Smoking cigarettes becomes part of a lifestyle which usually doesn’t have many healthy aspects. Make the effort to improve my physical condition by eating a healthier diet and exercising will cause you to become less interested in smoking. Start off with something simple like taking a long walk each day and have a salad for lunch and you really feel the benefits of your new nicotine free life.
3. Stay away from the situations which used to cause you to smoke
I used to have great trouble resisting cigarettes when I went to the pub so when I decided to stop smoking for good I stayed away from the pub for a couple of months. Not an easy decision to make by any means but the price paid was definitely worth it. I suggest that if you want to stop you try staying away from pubs and other social situations where you can stop thinking about cigarettes until you feel like you are truly a non-smoker. If you usually take cigarette breaks at work find something else to do for a few minutes to take your mind of cigarettes.
4. If you are really struggling use an e cigarette to satisfy your cravings
I used an e cigarette when quitting smoking and it definitely did me a lot of good. E cigarettes allow you to stop smoking tobacco immediately without worrying about the consequences of nicotine withdrawal, thus removing the dread you might feel when considering a life without cigarettes. Not everyone loves e cigarettes but they are definitely worth a shot if you are desperate to give up.
We’re all aware that smoking cigarettes is one of the most harmful things we can do to our bodies so why do so many of us find it so difficult to stop?
Researchers reckon that 60% of people have a genetic variance that makes them susceptible to nicotine addiction. Those that start smoking in their teens and have two copies of this variance can trigger a lifelong addition to nicotine.
source:King5.com
In an article published in the UK’s Independent Newspaper, a 30-a day smoker tries out the e cigarette and asks if smokers will be tempted to change from their regular smokes. Now nearly 18 months on from the inception of England’s controversial indoor smoking ban, you would think smokers would be embracing the e cigarette in droves just to prevent them from having to go out in the cold to relieve their craving. As the article states, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Read the article here.
As you can all see I haven’t been updating this blog recently. The main reason is that I have had other things in my life that I’ve been concentrating on, mainly associated with trying to make a living.
The other, perhaps more important reason why the blog has gone to the dogs is that I’ve finally become totally nicotine free. I no longer smoke cigarettes and I’ve even punted my trusty e cigarette. How did this come about? Well to be honest, after a few months of puffing away on my electronic cigarette I had a moment of clarity where I came to the realisation that nicotine wasn’t adding anything to my life. Of course I had known for years that nicotine was doing nothing for me except keeping me smoking but at that moment I truly realised the reality of the habit. We don’t enjoy cigarette, they don’t taste good and they are not cool, the only reason we smoke is because we are addicted to nicotine!
I happened to be rereading Allen Carr’s “Easy Way To Stop Smoking” when I had my epiphany so I think that definitely helped things along. Anyway, the day after this took place my electronic cigarette was in the trash and I’ve been nicotine free ever since. This exciting episode happened a couple of months ago and I’m happy to say that in general I’m not missing my old friend one bit. The only time I’ve felt like picking up a cigarette has been when drinking, but considering I drink alcohol so rarely these days its not much of a problem.
I’m going to get this blog back up and running, filling it with information on how to quit smoking in the hope that it will motivate others to take the first steps to a nicotine free life. Its really not that hard when you get yourself in the right frame of mind and things are so much better when you life don’t revolve around cancer sticks.