Tips to Quit Smoking

The best tips to quit smoking are those that will make you successful at kicking the habit. But, before we discuss tips to quit smoking, it is important that you understand two very important facts:

Smoking is a habit and an addiction. Because of this, you need to combing tips to quit smoking that deal with the habit and with the nicotine addiction.
Don't quit cold turkey. Studies have shown that smokers who quit cold turkey have less than a 10% success rate. That means that for 20 smokers that try to stop smoking cold turkey, only one or two of them will be successful.

Know Yourself

One good tip to quit smoking is to understand the role cigarettes play in your life. As a habit, you probably are not even aware of how often you smoke or what drives you to smoke. You may smoke because of the craving, because you are bored, you're stressed, or maybe because you can. It is important that you understand what is driving your psychological addiction so that you can begin the process to quit smoking. Once you have developed a grasp of what drives you to smoke, follow these simple habit breaking tips to quit smoking:

Set a goal. Choose a date to stop smoking, write it down, and post in a prominent place to remind you of your goal. Make sure that you give yourself between eight and 12 weeks to gradually ease yourself off of smoking
Make a plan. Develop a plan to stop smoking. By gradually reducing the amount of cigarettes you smoke through the use of a plan, you will be far more successful at breaking the habit than if you were to quit cold turkey. For example, if you smoke in the car try something like this:
- Week 1 - only smoke when driving to and from work, no other times
- Week 2 - only smoke when coming home from work
- Week 3 - only smoke when coming home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
- Week 4 - stop smoking in the car
Get help from friends and family. Tell your family and friends that you plan to quit smoking, and ask for their help. By following this tip to quit smoking, you can get support from those closest to you. Explain to them why you want to quit and what your end date is. Even if they are not able to provide significant support, you will be more successful just because you have publicly declared your goal. By letting them know what is going on, they will also be more understanding if you experience any withdrawal symptoms like irritability, anxiety, headaches, or trouble sleeping.

Know Your Body

At the same time you address your habit, you also need to address your body's desire for nicotine. Nicotine reacts in the brain to create feelings of pleasure and calm. Over time, your body begins to require nicotine. The good news is that there are therapies, medications, and supplements available to address this addiction. Here are a few tips to quit smoking by breaking the addiction:

Nicotine replacement therapies. These are products like the patch or gum designed to deliver small amounts of nicotine into your body to help with cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Some of these slowly release nicotine into your body to take the edge off of cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Others deliver higher doses when cravings or withdrawal symptoms are particularly strong. Generally, you must use multiple types of nicotine replacement therapies. Because these therapies do contain nicotine, they can be habit forming.
Prescription medications. It is believed that these medications work to alter the chemistry within the brain so that the brain no longer craves nicotine. Success rates with medications range from 30% to 45% of smokers who use them. Understand that these require a prescription from a doctor. They also come with the biggest warning label for drugs approved by the FDA because they can cause very significant side effects that include suicidal behavior, suicidal thoughts, hostility and depression.
Herbal supplements. These supplements are all-natural alternatives that don't require a prescription, and, when used as recommended, are not habit forming. The ingredients used are plainly listed and some of the ingredients can even be found in candy - like peppermint!

Remember, the best tips to quit smoking that you can follow are those that address the habit and the addiction. More importantly, the best tips to quit smoking are those tips that will work for you.

So, if you're ready to stop smoking today, we've reviewed the top solutions. Click here for more information.