There is no doubt that giving up smoking is a huge and positive commitment to make and you need to dig deep and provide an unlimited amount of dedication towards your end goal, if you wish to succeed. Importantly, before you start, is the decision to give up smoking entirely yours or are you under increasing pressure from friends and family? If the decision is yours and you recognize that this is something that you have to do then, all credit to you for making these first steps towards becoming smoke–free, it’s important that you realize that in only a few short weeks, the worst of your no smoking campaign will be over and you will feel much healthier and happier as a result.
Having friends and family who consistently nag you about your smoking habit may make you wish to give up if only to stop them nagging but if you really want to succeed, the drive to achieve a smoke-free life must be strong within you and with no sign of wavering. Instead of dreading the next person to chide you over your smoking habit, put their good intent to good use and get them to support you completely during this transitional time. You will find that having others behind you can be a powerful way to keep you on track and to help you to avoid succumbing to temptation.
There is no doubt that on occasion you will feel tempted to light up and this is where both your dedication and commitment come into force and also you can turn to your loved ones and enlist some extra support just when you need it. It’s a good idea to consistently consolidate and reinforce your mental approach and to remember just why you want to give up. Write a list of all the reasons why smoking is bad for you and all of the benefits that you achieve through giving up and if you feel temptation hovering during moments of weakness, simply read the list and remind yourself what you could lose if you don’t harden your resolve.
As much as it is a good idea to have a realistic approach towards quitting, you need to be confident of the end result and this means reinforcing your self-control so it is set in stone. If you generally achieve all that you set out to do in life, then there is no reason to assume that this goal would be any different. Don’t send yourself mixed signals. Don’t think you can quit, know that you can quit. Have irrefutable confidence that you will not give in to any temptations no matter how hard it gets at times. If you know that the first few weeks are going to be the toughest, steel yourself against those times. It might not be as bad as you expect.
Of course you don’t have to go it alone, you can use any number of ‘quit smoking aids’ such as nicotine gum or patches, these are readily available from doctors surgeries and they will be only too happy to help you give up but if these don’t appeal or if you have tried them before, you might want to invest in an electronic cigarette as these are a much healthier option and will help you to avoid all of the withdrawal symptoms because you can control the amount of nicotine.
Your determination to change your life and to improve your health should be commended. Set yourself small goals and celebrate each victory as you reach them. Weekly goals are manageable and give you something to aim for. Keep yourself busy during those times and re-invent your daily schedules so that any former behavioral habits are no longer ingrained in your mind. This will make it much easier for you to cut out smoking altogether. After all, smoking is a habit, albeit a dangerous one. You can break any bad habits and you can well and truly beat your addiction if you are absolutely determined too. Before you know it, smoking will simply be a thing that you once did.
