Stop Smoking Tips - Is There One That Works?

There are many stop smoking techniques that make the withdrawals of nicotine less painful and stressful, with each one varying upon the individuals and how bad the addiction is. The techniques will not break the smoking habit - only you can - but it will make it easier.

Quitting smoking will be more successful if you make the decision to quit smoking yourself with sheer will and determination. The American Heart and Lung Association has a 24-hour hotline for all kinds of help and support for quitting smoking, along with free quit smoking sessions.

To quit smoking requires changing your behavior, according to the Stages of Change Model. In the pre-contemplation stage, the smoker is not thinking seriously about quitting but just "pondering" it sporadically while in the contemplation stage, the smoker is considering quitting more seriously, but is not ready to make the attempt at that time.

In the preparation stage, the smoker is serious about quitting, thinks about developing a plan, and possibly even has a date in mind. The action stage is exactly what it says; you are going into action to quit smoking for a period of 6 months when the smoker is quitting is known as the action stage. The maintenance stage is the period of 6 months to 5 years after quitting. The ex-smoker is aware of the danger of starting to smoke again and takes steps to avoid it. If you want to quit smoking, you need to have a plan and decide on a date when you want to quit. You can pick a date at random, or a birthday or anniversary.

A lot of heavy smokers will quit abruptly by going cold turkey while others some do it in stages by progressively reducing the number of cigarettes they smoke everyday. You can prepare for the big day by telling everyone about your intention and making a plan about nicotine replacement therapy, support groups, classes, etc. and have an actual date in mind to quit.

On the day when you quit smoking, keep yourself active and busy and drink lots of water and juices. Dispose off all your cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters, etc., and avoid alcohol and situations where you may be tempted to smoke, such as bars or restaurants where you have always smoked.

This will be a difficult phase so it would be a good idea to begin some form of therapy or counseling sessions, beginning some sort of nicotine replacement therapy, if needed. There are many forms of NRT, such as gum, patches, shots, natural, diet, and many new developing methods.

Deep breathing and oral substitutes like carrot sticks, raw vegetables, sunflower seeds, sugarless gum, or hard candy can be useful. If you feel an uncontrollable urge to smoke, abstain for at least 10 minutes and don't give in. This may allow you to regain control of yourself. This will happen for weeks to maybe months and needing to develop a plan of attack immediately is worth it.

Find out what works in the body the best, as you will use it to fight strong urges to smoke, months, or even years after you quit. Even if you do revert to smoking, don't lose heart. Jump back on the bandwagon, learning from your experiences and prepare to make a stronger attempt the next time.