On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, we take this as an opportunity to bring awareness among people about smoking, its harmful effects and ways to help them come a step closer to their goal of quitting smoking. One needs to understand that the urge to smoke or chew a tobacco chewing gum will not last longer than 5-10 minutes but your self-control and will power can help you come a step closer to a healthy and better lifestyle.
Smoking can have adverse effects on the body. It increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, vision problems, and gum disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking affects every organ in some or the other way and it affects the overall health of a smoker. Thus, here a few tips on how to resist the urge to smoke or avoid any kind of tobacco use.
1. Try Nicotine Replacement Therapy- There are various nicotine replacement therapies that your doctor can help you with. These are easily available in the market if you have a prescription. The options for nicotine replacement therapy include a nasal spray or inhaler, non-nicotine stop-smoking drugs such as bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, others) and varenicline, Nicotine patches, gums, lozenges that can be bought without prescription. These can help you overcome intense cravings.
2. Avoid Triggers- Tobacco urges can be strong in the places where you often smoked or chewed tobacco such as at parties or bars, or in situations of stress or while sipping your coffee. One needs to recognize these small triggering factors and avoid them. This can prevent a smoking relapse.
3. Include a Physical Activity in your daily routine- Physical activity can help distract you from tobacco cravings. These activities can be done for short durations and include running up and down the stairs a few times, walking and jogging. You can even try jumping jacks, squats, and push-ups at your work desk. The main aim is to distract yourself from the urge to smoke and you are good to go.
4. Use relaxation techniques- A lot of people adapted to smoking trying to deal with stressful situations. So they can easily fall to prey the smoking relapse in their life whenever they face a difficult or challenging situation. One needs to find new ways to deal with stress and these techniques include deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization, massage or listening to calming music.
5. Seek Help Online- Some online platforms and communities help people stick together and quit their bad habit of smoking. You can also join an online stop-smoking program or read a quitter's blog and post to deal with tobacco cravings. The stories of other people's journey can often encourage you to continue on the path to better lifestyle.
6. Practice self control- It is obvious for a human to lose control on bad days and smoke a cigarette to deal with a situation or they may simply fall prey to the urge to smoke. But one smoke should never turn to two and more. You need to remind yourself why you started the journey, the benefits of quitting and the good you are doing for yourself.
7. Seek help from family and friends- You can always ask your friends and family to help you achieve the goal. This way a friend who smokes might avoid smoking in front of you, Your family may help you deal with stress in other ways rather than letting you smoke. They may also help you recognize the techniques that work for you.
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