Maybe there is no smoker who has not tried to quit smoking at least once. Unfortunately, few people manage to do it on the first try. What can help you get rid of a bad habit once and for all?
Psychological dependence
Smoking forms not only physiological but also psychological dependence. It is believed that the very desire for nicotine disappears within a month after smoking the last cigarette. However, many return to smoking after a long period of time, feeling that the body needs a dose of nicotine.
This is because the brain tricks the body into buying a pack of cigarettes again and relaxing. Smoking is a type of conditioned reflex. One gets used to smoking while relaxing or relieving tension, and a cup of coffee with a cigarette becomes a familiar morning ritual.
How to help yourself get rid of psychological dependence? The first thing you can try to do is replace one ritual with another. For example, instead of smoking during a break from work, drink a cup of green tea.
If the smoker works at home and not in the office, the desire to smoke can be alleviated through exercises such as a few abdominal presses. In addition, when there is a desire to inhale, you can make a habit of brushing your teeth. Of course, at first you will have to do this quite often, but this trick helps a lot to "deceive" the brain, replacing one ritual with another.
It helps very well to quit smoking not alone, but with like-minded people. For example, there are forums on the Internet where people inspire each other to give up bad habits. There you can start a special counter that shows how long a person has not smoked and how much money he has saved.
This creates a visible motivation to quit smoking, as in a month it will become noticeable that quitting smoking has saved a significant amount that can be spent on something enjoyable.
Sometimes people who quit smoking are "tempted" by others, such as co-workers, who say it is impossible to quit smoking because they have failed, or remind the person of their previous failed attempts.
It is advisable not to laugh, but to ask others not to say such words. They can really lead to a person's motivation to decrease and lack of self-confidence. In addition, any unnecessary reminder of smoking leads to the desire to make at least one inhalation.
Helps to stop smoking the absence in the field of view of objects resembling cigarettes. It is better to throw ashtrays and lighters out of the house and wash clothes that smell of tobacco smoke.
Physiological dependence
Getting rid of physiological dependence can be quite difficult, some people in the first days may even experience a state resembling withdrawal. To relieve nicotine cessation, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe special pills that help relieve the symptoms of smoking cessation. In addition, chewing gum or patches that contain a small amount of nicotine and make it easier to experience withdrawal symptoms can be purchased at any pharmacy.
If a person does not feel well after deciding to quit smoking, hot tubs can help relieve stress.
You can get a massage or even start taking light sedatives. It is especially important to find a way to relieve stress in the first days, when the desire to smoke will be felt most strongly.