Quit Smoking Tips

Whether you're 35, 50, or 70 years old, the time to stop smoking is now. People of all ages can improve their overall health and increase life expectancy. It doesn't matter how long you've been smoking. Whether 10 years, 20 years or more..you still can stop smoking.

You've probably heard negative comments from other smokers, like: "Why should I stop now? I've been smoking my entire life," or "My lungs are already damaged beyond repair. Stopping smoking now won't make any difference."

Those comments are myth. The fact is anyone can stop smoking.

Make a Commitment to Quit Smoking

In order to stop smoking, the first and most important step is to make a personal commitment to end your bad habit.

Although this may seem obvious, many smokers truly do not wish to quit smoking. While their spouse, children, or boss may constantly nag them to quit, stopping smoking is not one of their own top priorities. They may attempt to quit smoking on several occasions, but each attempt is usually short lived.

In Order to Quit Smoking, Examine Your Habits

Once you've made an honest commitment to stop smoking, next you need to review your personal situation.

Start by calculating the number of cigarettes you smoke per day. Do you smoke more during the week than on the weekend? If so, make a note of that and all your other smoking routines.

Create a Stop Smoking Checklist

Before making an attempt to quit smoking, you may wish to keep a record of your smoking for one week beforehand.

List each time of day you have a cigarette and tally your numbers at the end of each day. Look for certain patterns in your smoking. Do you smoke twice as much during the evening hours? Are you more likely to light up at social events than when at home alone?

Partner Up With a Friend to Quit Smoking

Some folks may be able to quit smoking cold turkey but they are in the minority. Pair up with a friend who is also trying to kick the habit or seek the encouragement of a former smoker.

While your spouse may offer kind words of support, it's very difficult for a non-smoker to grasp the willpower and strength needed to successfully quit smoking.

Tips to Curb Your Nicotine Craving:

1. Rid your home and office of all smoking related items. If your ashtray, matches, lighter, etc. aren't within reach, you're less likely to give in to the urge.

2. One of the most popular quit smoking tips is to replace cigarettes with another habit. This suggestion works well but make sure you're replacing your nicotine habit with a healthier alternative. Try exercising, reading a book, or munching on fresh fruit instead.

3. Make sure to get enough sleep while trying to stop smoking. Breaking any bad habit can be stressful. In order to increase your chances of success, your body needs to be well rested.

4. Accept setbacks. When attempting to quit smoking, most people have relapses. Don't let a small slip crush your plan to stop smoking altogether. Simply pick yourself up, forgive yourself for slipping, and start over again.

5. Most smokers do not realize the relationship between caffeine and nicotine. Smokers are often able to handle a higher concentration of caffeine in the body than non-smokers. The nicotine breaks down the caffeine at a faster rate. When attempting to quit smoking, if you experience an increase in stress and anxiety try cutting back on caffeine consumption as well.

6. Set small goals when trying to quit smoking and focus on stopping smoking on a weekly or daily basis. Instead of saying, "I must stop smoking for good", make it your goal to not smoke for the entire week. When you reach that milestone, set another goal. As your body becomes less dependent upon nicotine, stopping smoking will seem less overwhelming.

Prescription Medications To Help You Quit Smoking

Over the years, smokers have tried various prescriptions and over the counter remedies to cure their addition. From chewing gum, to patches, to popping pills, there seems to be an endless supply of stop smoking products available.

One could easily spend a fortune trying to quit smoking. It can also be very time-consuming to research products that have the best success rate and try to figure out which one will be the "magic bullet" for your habit.

In the past, most stop smoking aids contained nicotine. These products helped patients stop smoking by gradually decreasing the amount of nicotine released. They were designed to wean smokers gradually from their dependency instead of quitting smoking cold turkey and causing a shock to their system.

That was then, this is now.

New Quit Smoking Medications: Chantix and Zyban

Today there are effective and safe ways for patients to stop smoking. Medications like Chantix and Zyban help smokers break the habit without exposing them to more nicotine. And these stop smoking preparations help eliminate your nicotine craving without producing the withdrawal symptoms common to other types of stop smoking aids.

When starting treatment with Chantix or Zyban, patients are allowed to continue smoking for the first week. This allows the medication time to take effect. By the second week, trying to stop smoking is much easier.

Quit Smoking Without Extra Nicotine

Although Chantix and Zyban do not contain nicotine, they do release dopamine into the brain. It is the dopamine that greatly reduces unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Prescription Zyban also contains bupropion, a drug commonly used to treat depression. Bupropion is believed to be a key factor in helping smokers deal with their addiction without the unbearable side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

Stop smoking

Whether you're 35, 50, or 70 years old, the time to stop smoking is now. People of all ages can improve their overall health and increase life expectancy. It doesn't matter how long you've been smoking. Whether 10 years, 20 years or more..you still can stop smoking.

You've probably heard negative comments from other smokers, like: "Why should I stop now? I've been smoking my entire life," or "My lungs are already damaged beyond repair. Stopping smoking now won't make any difference."

Fortunately, those beliefs are myths. With a little perseverance, will power, and maybe some outside help if needed, you can kick your smoking habit and reverse a good deal of the damage. Many smokers are surprised to learn that health improvements can occur within a matter of days.

Experience Immediate Results When You Stop Smoking

While most ex-smokers will tell you the first week is the hardest, they fail to mention the immediate health benefits from stopping smoking. Smokers are often so focused on their addiction and withdrawal symptoms that at first they might not realize the positive changes taking place in their bodies.

These are some common changes that occur within the first three days of stopping smoking:

1. Drop in pulse rate and blood pressure- Within days of stopping smoking, most people experience a drop in their overall blood pressure and heart rate.

2. Increase in energy- After breaking your smoking habit, you should notice an increase in energy and stamina.

3. Nicotine elimination- In a matter of days, nicotine is eliminated from the body. The result is a boost to your senses. Foods will seem tastier than before and you'll be more aware of both fragrant and foul smelling odors.

4. Breathing improvements- As changes occur in the bronchial tubes, breathing will become less of a chore. You'll find your breathing will get lighter and more relaxed.

5. Carbon monoxide reduced- Smokers have an unhealthy level of carbon monoxide in the blood. In less than a day after stopping smoking, carbon monoxide levels will start to decrease, resulting in an increase of oxygen in the blood.

6. Lung cleansing- After carbon monoxide is removed from the blood stream, the lungs begin a much needed cleansing process. The heavy tar buildup that has accumulated in the lungs slowly starts to clear.

7. Healthier skin- By stopping smoking, you can improve your skin tone and reduce and prevent wrinkles.

Long Term Health Benefits From Stopping Smoking

Since smoking takes a gradual toll on your body, it's unrealistic to expect all health improvements to occur overnight. Although you might not feel like a million dollars right away, rest assured that by stopping smoking now you'll eventually experience major health improvements.

Here are some of the long-term benefits of breaking your smoking habit:

1. Less coughing- If coughing and hacking are a part of your daily routine, over the next several months these problems should decrease or be eliminated as the oxygen level in the lungs increases.

2. Easier exercise- Forget about huffing and puffing just to get up the stairs. Stopping smoking will improve your circulation, thus making exercise and everyday chores much simpler.

3. Fewer heart problems- Did you know smokers are at a greater risk when it comes to heart attacks? Thankfully the chance of having a heart attack will slowly start to decrease upon stopping smoking. After about ten years off tobacco, most former smokers no longer have an inflated risk for a heart attack. Even smokers who have already suffered from heart problems can reduce their risk of an additional heart attack by stopping smoking.

4. Reduced risk of lung disease- Perhaps the most common reason for stopping smoking is the fear of lung cancer. It's true that the lungs take the most time to recover from cigarette smoking. But generally after a period of about ten years, most smokers will have reduced their chances of developing lung cancer by fifty percent.

Increase Your Life Expectancy... At Any Age

The key to success is to stop smoking before any serious health complications arise such as lung cancer or emphysema. However, if you have been diagnosed with either of these conditions or some other tobacco related illness, you can still boost your chances of recovery by stopping smoking immediately.

While receiving treatment for a serious illness, your body needs to be in the healthiest state possible. The sooner you stop smoking, the sooner your stress levels will decline, boosting your immune system to ward off life threatening diseases and conditions.