I began smoking at far too young of an age, though any age is too young to start such a habit. Eventually, I decided to quit. There are so many doctors out there who are quick to put you on prescription medications and nicotine substitutes in order to help you quit smoking. However, this method really just amounts to replacing one bad habit with another. It is very important that if you DO replace a habit to make it be a good habit that takes the place of the bad. Of course, each person is different, so different methods work for different people. However, I tried many methods: cold turkey, nicotine gum, candy -- so many times – but this one worked for me and it could work for you, too!
Quitting smoking is hard. There is the physical addiction to nicotine as well as the behavioral/contextual habit of when/where/how you smoke. Mind over matter is a huge part of it, and intellect over emotion is another. This natural approach doesn’t always work for everyone but it can work for some people. It will take some rearranging and retraining your mind, as well as your body and emotions.
The most important part to this approach starts with you, YOU Have To WANT To Quit!! No matter what your reasoning for quitting is it has to come from inside of you to WANT to stop smoking. Above all, you have to have the desire in order to have the drive. Making a list of all the reasons you want to quit and putting it on your fridge can be a great reminder.
Tips To Quit
- Let It Go – It may sound strange but letting go of the IDEA that you smoke was very helpful to me. When I felt a craving coming on to have a smoke I told myself “You don’t smoke cigarettes.” Sometimes I’d even say it out loud. Aside from letting go of the actual idea of being a smoker, it’s important to let go of the tobacco, too. In order to accomplish this, it can also be really helpful to get rid of anything that makes you think about smoking, such as ashtrays, tobacco, etc.
- Occupy Yourself – There is a saying that states “An idle mind is a devil’s playground.” Keep your mind busy – smoking will try to make its way to your number one priority in your mind. Don’t let this happen. Every time you start to think about smoking, you have to change it up with another thought. Singing and playing the guitar helped distract me. Another technique is keeping your hands busy -- the hand-to-mouth motion is a habit in itself, so keeping your hands busy helps to fight that natural craving.
- Chew on Fruits & Vegetables – Some people use candy to help the cravings and that’s wonderful. The candy, especially lollipops, help with the hand-to-mouth habit, but so does eating anything, really. Fruits and vegetables are an awesome choice because they’re good for you and help heal your body. Too much candy and sugar can lead to different health issues but the fruits and vegetables only add more to your health. Carrot slices and celery sticks both work well simply because they are usually cut into finger-food size which is -- conveniently -- about the same size as a cigarette.
- Engage in Physical Activity – Physical activity is important to our health whether we smoke or not. When nothing else would work to help fight the cravings, I turned to exercise. I would go for a jog or even a brisk walk and after that, I had no desire to smoke (and was usually breathing a little hard so I couldn’t have anyway) – win-win. Any physical activity will help in so many ways, so keep it moving.
- Change It Up – Many cigarette smokers wake up in the morning, grab their coffee (or whatever they fancy), and more often than not light up a cigarette. Smoking becomes part of your routine: after a meal, during lunch break, after a task, driving in the car, and especially when things get a little stressful. Once you can master this technique, you are basically free and clear. Change your patterns and routines – for example, if you sit at the table with coffee in the morning and smoke, try having your coffee outside. To be honest, for me, skipping the first cigarette of the day was one of the harder ones, but once you get past that and use the above four methods it becomes less difficult.
- Manage the Stress – Let’s face it: stress exists whether you smoke or not, and that cigarette isn’t the only thing that can help. Meditation, essential oils, diffusers, exercise, a journal -- all of these are ways you can manage your stress. If it’s possible to be outside, go to the creek or a park, who wants to smoke? I hope not! Nature is healing in itself.
- Vitamins, Minerals, Water – These 3 things (combined with food) are essential to help cravings and to help you heal. There might be times you feel a little sick or extra tired – that’s the body’s way of telling you that the addiction is on its way out the door, so be sure to replenish the good as the bad exits.
Quitting any habit can be difficult; I know this first-hand. I also know I’m 35 years old and I spent 20 of those years smoking. In the beginning, it was a cigarette every now and then with friends and slowly it increased more and more. I told myself I could quit when I wanted to and just never wanted to, not enough to stop, anyway. My approach and natural methods may not help everyone but I do feel they’re something to consider -- besides someone out there loves you and would like to keep you around. Just let it go!
