Health and Exercise

Before you quit smoking, you have to be mentally ready. It is meaningless to start the smoking cessation, if you are not ready for it.

You might also have to handle the physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms. If you take care of this part, the mental part might be easier.

If you really have the willpower, it is possible to stop smoking without any help; but if you are like most people, you will probably need some help. Today there are a number of nicotine products (e.g. from Nicorette and Nicotinell), which can remove the worst urge to smoke.

The most popular products are nicotine plaster and nicotine chewing gum; but also nicotine tablets, nicotine inhaler and nicotine nasal spray are options.

Many of the cigarettes you smoke is probably more a matter of habit than a desire. The cigarette after lunch or at the bus stops; is it because you want a cigarette? Or has it just become a (bad) habit that you do not think about?

Take a critical look at all the situations, where you smoke. If you do so, you will be able to reduce your cigarette consumption radically. So if you smoke, it will be a deliberated choice.

Do you dream about something, you cannot afford today? It might be possible in the future, if you do not have to spend a lot of money on cigarettes.

Give yourself (or maybe your family) a reward, when haven’t smoked for a week, a month, a year etc. Thereby you have a great motivation to continue to fight, when everything seems a little hopeless.

One way to make the reward present is to create a smoking cessation piggy bank. Every day you do not smoke, put the amount at which you previously would have spent on cigarettes. After a few weeks you might have money enough for a nice dinner. And after a few months you can afford a nice vacation.

It might also be a good idea to write down your thoughts down, before you quit smoking. Write about why you have decided to stop, what you think might be the hardest part etc.

Then you are ready, when the crisis comes (and sooner or later it will come). The writings can give you encouragement and motivation. It might also be a good idea to write a smoking cessation diary with all your ups and downs.

Martin Elmer is writing about quitting your cigarettes on the website hjaelp til rygestop. You can also learn how to minimize your nicotine withdrawal symptoms in the section stop med at ryge.