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Kicking the Tobacco Habit!: START!


As follow-up to the previous post, I am starting a series on quitting the habit of smoking. As I have said, this might be hard to do to a lot of people, but with the right mindset and faith, it's highly not impossible! It will not only be good for you, but to us, non-smokers, as well.

Just the thought of getting rid of something you've been used to doing may make you anxious. So the best way to start is conditioning your mind and body first. Quitting works best when you're prepared.

Before you quit, START by taking these five important steps:
S = Set a quit date.
T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.
A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.
R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.
Kicking that tobacco habit is easier with the support of others. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit. Tell them how they can help you.

Some people like to have friends ask how things are going. Others find it nosy. Tell the people you care about exactly how they can help. Here are some ideas:
  • Ask everyone to understand your change in mood. Remind them that this won't last long. (The worst will be over within two weeks.) Tell them this: "The longer I go without cigarettes, the sooner I'll be my old self."
  • Does someone close to you smoke? Ask them to quit with you, or at least not to smoke around you.
  • Do you take any medicines? Tell your doctor and pharmacist you are quitting. Nicotine changes how some drugs work. You may need to change your prescriptions after you quit.
  • Get support from other people
Expecting challenges is an important part of getting ready to quit. Most people who go back to smoking do it within three months. Your first three months will be hard. Certain things trigger, or turn on, your need for a cigarette. They can be moods, feelings, places, or things you do. It will do you good if you know your triggers so that you can prepare yourself to deal with that 'urge' to smoke again. Other known triggers are stress, depression, failure, alcohol, watching TV, driving car, after meals, playing cards, taking a work break, being with other smokers, drinking coffee, seeing someone else smoke, cooling off after a fight or argument, and feeling lonely or missing someone.

REFERENCE:
http://www.rdoc.org.uk/smoking_tobacco_risk.html http://www.smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/index.html

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