With the new year approaching closer and closer the time for New Years resolutions are about to come up. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people say they are quitting smoking on the coming of the new year and a week later are smoking again.
I have battled with this unfortunate habit as well, some things I have picked up along the way have seemed to help me and others quite a bit.
First off you have a few options when it comes to quitting you have cold turkey, the patch, the gum, and electronic cigarettes for cutting back. All of which I have tried.
I am telling you right now that cold turkey is not only a inefficient way to go but also can cause strains with loved ones as you will probably be irritated and jump into little fights that mean nothing just because you do not have a cigarette. It is especially harder if you have family that finds out your quitting and starts off by saying "Well you better quit, if you don't I swear I am going to be so mad at you." Yeah we all have those tough love relatives and even though they mean well it can just make you rather hear nails on a chalkboard.
For those tough love relatives I personally wouldn't even tell them, just have them notice on their own that you are not smoking. Because if you break down you don't have the added pressure. Everyone breaks down.
Major tips
#1 Say: "Well I broke down however, I went X amount of hours/days/months without a cigarette which helped my health either way."
#2 When you break down just start quitting again and act like it's nothing.
#3 If you are quitting with someone make a deal to not be angry at each other about breaking, it is hard to quit but if your spouse smokes it makes it so much harder when both are quitting.
#4 Reward yourself with the money you are saving from not smoking calculate how much you spend a week and buy yourself something with that money.
#5 Remember on average it takes a person over seven attempts to quit smoking.
Big Topic: THE PATCH
I hear many people say that the patch hurts them and they ripped it off. I'll tell you what the patch sucks at first. You get itchy, rashy, and your arm will hurt. But you are putting chemicals on your skin so of course it's going to hurt. The longer you keep it on the more your body will be used to it. Eventually it will be like nothing no red marks only a slight ache when the nicotine is releasing on and off throughout the day.
I also hear people complain about prices and they are expensive but I have found alternatives that are way less or free. For one instead of buying Nicoderm but the Equate brand it's the same thing but way cheaper. Here in Washington I would buy the 21mg patches or 14mg patches and cut them in half or whatever I need, for 14 patches it's under twenty dollars.
1mg = 1 cigarette
You smoke half a pack a day cut a 21mg patch in half.
There are also a lot of helplines that will even give you anything you need to quit for free.
I had one hotline that did and if I could remember the name I would promote these people like crazy so when I find them again I will post it. These people even had a number to call when I was having a "nic fit" and would calm me down and help me find alternatives and also give free patches. That was my first time trying and they helped me get through a month cold turkey. (I was 18 and nervous about trying the patch for the first time. So I did not have them send any.)
THE GUM
It tastes awful unless you get the minty kind but problem is it made me want to chew it more because of the flavor. With the gum you chew it until you get a tingle and then put it in your cheek kind of like chew. It does kind of burn and for some people like my best friend it made her feel nauseous and light headed. I think it is because when you chew it sometimes you give yourself too much.
ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES
I would recommend this for anyone who smokes over a pack a day because even doctors say patches are not useful for people who smoke that much. This can help you cut back, it really kills that craving for a cigarette and allows you more freedom.
Before you even start quitting though there is a big piece of advice that I want to share that most will never tell you.
When you decide you want to quit you have all that time before you can get your materials and it can change your mind. We all go in and out on quitting so this is my advice.
Buy your quitting smoking materials and keep them on you, when that urge to quit hits start then. A quit date I always found to be pressuring and would find myself trying to finish off my pack before that day and then deciding well maybe I don't want to quit.
Treat this like an ordinary thing the pressure can crack you and break you down.
The more you quit the more and more you realize how much you aren't dependent on tobacco.
I hope that these tips can help you and if anyone quitting needs support feel free to contact me for any questions or advice.
You can do anything you put your mind to, do not doubt yourself feel proud for even trying because in life all you can do is try and try again until you succeed.
