Breaking the habit means beating the cravings.
Managing the cravings that are inherent in your attempt to quit smoking is the key to successfully overcoming your addiction. Prepare yourself to face this challenge with a well-designed plan for success as well as a plan to counter the potential slip-ups that you may have. You are your own best motivator with the same power to motivate yourself toward success or failure, but your stop-smoking plan can be your strongest ally in your fight to kick the habit.
Instructions
1. Prepare a supply of alternatives. Base these alternatives on your personal tastes, but make sure to have a substantial supply at your disposal. Avoid using food alternatives because doing so may lead to additional health problems in the future. Sugarless gum is a classic option for an alternative. Water or black coffee are other options that may help you bypass your cravings while not adding to your caloric intake. Using an unlit cigarette as a substitute for smoking is a less conventional option, but you may find this helpful. An unlit cigarette can be held in the same manner as a lit cigarette and you can breath through it, helping you overcome the strongest cravings. Ensure that you remove your lighters from arm's length to protect yourself from unconsciously lighting it.
2. Design a rigorous fitness workout and stick to it. Plan to perform this workout during times of your day when you would normally reach for a cigarette. Base this workout on your fitness level but push yourself. Managing your more powerful craving times with a workout will train your body to seek exercise as a substitute for smoking. Additionally, a rigorous workout will challenge your current fitness level and allow you to feel the physical ramifications of returning to smoking. Should you smoke a cigarette, you will feel its effects on your body during your next workout.
3. Place a calender on your wall and mark the first day that you quit smoking as well as a large mark for every day when you refrain from smoking. This calender is something that you can look at every day to see your success-measured marks and space on your wall. Motivate yourself by seeing your measured success. Your calender substitutes later cravings with motivation as the time you spend without smoking increases.
4. Plan for your slip-ups. These moments of weakness are not a sign of failure, and you can prepare a plan of action for when these moments arrive. Forgive yourself for your slip-up and keep it in perspective. A slip-up is just that, and your reaction to it is more significant to your eventual success. Return to your nonsmoking lifestyle without delay and prepare your substitutes for the next craving.
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