Top Five Tips to Quit Smoking

While you are contemplating ways to quit smoking, remember that you are not alone and then realize why it's so hard for you to quit smoking - there is a physiological basis and a psychological basis to your addiction.

While there is no wonder cure to stop smoking cigarettes, here are the top five tips to quit smoking:

Prepare Yourself to Quit

Be sure that you make a stop smoking plan customized to your personal needs. If you usually smoke while sitting in front of the TV, for example, then plan other activities to occupy yourself when you would usually be watching TV. Set a date and tell your family and friends that you plan to quit. Understand the challenges that you will face on that date and beyond, get rid of all tobacco related items from you home, car, and work place prior to your quit date.

Research Methods for Quitting

Investigate methods such as nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, lozenges, inhalers, nasal spray and gum) and non-nicotine medications that come in pill form to see which smoking cessation methods may be right for you. Look into alternate treatments for nicotine addiction such as natural treatments that utilize stop smoking herbs.

Learn to Manage your Cravings

Some methods to keep your mind off of cigarettes include getting active by exercising, distracting yourself with crossword puzzles or other things that make you focus on something else, chewing gum, nibbling on carrots, learning to relax find a calm space where your are comfortable, and avoiding situations that trigger the cigarette craving (such as a bar).

Get Support for Quitting Smoking

Find a local support group. You can find a Nicotine Anonymous group near you, call a telephone help line like 1-800-QUIT-NOW, take a smoke-free workshop or call the American Cancer Society near you for a list of resources.

Prepare to Relapse

If you do relapse, understand that it is normal in the process of trying to kick your nicotine addiction. You should examine what happened right before you started smoking again, identify the triggers or trouble spots that confronted you, and make a new stop-smoking plan that removes them.

These top five tips to quit smoking are not the only solutions. You may find other alternatives that will help you to stop smoking for good. Keep trying. Check out our Editor's Choice stop smoking product.