According to the Centers for Disease Control, during 2000-2004, “An estimated 443,000 persons in the United States died prematurely each year from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. During 2001-2004, the average annual smoking-attributable health-care expenditures nationwide were approximately $96 billion. When combined with productivity losses of $97 billion, the total economic burden of smoking is approximately $193 billion per year.”
It is well known that quitting smoking is a difficult task to accomplish, especially on your first try. Following are some stop smoking tips to help you kick the habit while keeping your sanity and inching your way toward a healthier lifestyle.
Chewing gum can make things a little easier on you while you are in the process of weaning off cigarettes. Sometimes, the act of smoking is a big part of the habit. People get so used to having a cigarette in their mouth that when they try to quit, it feels awkward not to have anything in their mouth. Chewing gum is a good way to wean off cigarettes by still keeping something in your mouth. After all, a chewing gum habit is much better than smoking. This is one of the stop smoking tips that can be used in combination with others such as nicotine gum. You can also use the chewing gum to wean from the nicotine gum as well.
Think of the things that you usually do while you are smoking. Do you usually have a cigarette in the morning right after you wake up? Do you smoke after every meal? Staying conscious of the times that you usually find yourself smoking will greatly increase your chances of quitting. After a meal, distract yourself by reading a magazine or watching television for ten minutes. After a few minutes of other distractions, you just might find that your craving passes. These stop smoking tips will help you stay aware of your surroundings and are great for people who want to stop smoking naturally.
Smoking is often used to calm people down and relieve stress. Try squeezing a stress relief ball or taking deep breaths. Smoking is an impulse action that is sometimes triggered by emotions. Doing something else to take care of those emotions will reduce your urge to smoke, and slowly you will find other ways to deal with your stress. You can also try taking a quick walk to achieve the same results. These stop smoking tips will help you quit your smoking habit and get some exercise at the same time.
These stop smoking tips are just a few that can help you kick your habit and live a healthier, cheaper, cigarette free lifestyle. On top of these, you can use the common method of stop smoking aids such as nicotine gum or patches. Talking with others who are quitting is also a good way. There are many support groups out there that you can try.
