When I get home I just love to go out the back and have a smoke. Smoking in itself is associated with timed-out and relaxing I believe. Cigarettes provide a quick fix for feelings of boredom, anxiety and depression and, without their aid, it can be frightening - or at least uncomfortable to confront these emotions head on.
Unfortunately, the key to dealing with this kind of temptation is to do exactly that SMOKER don't always realize that the acute anxiety they feel will pass without smoking. It's not just your lungs you need to worry about. Smoking has been linked to cancer of the cervix and vulva, and osteoporosis. It's also associated with complications reduced fertility, hypertension, eye cataracts, back pains and heavy. There's also evidence that blocking of the arteries begins straight away.
Just one cigarette can dull your sense of taste and smell, make you more susceptible to coughs and colds, and reduce the function of the little hairs that sweep the dust out of your bronchial tubes. The statistics are frightening, so why do we take up the habit?....
Below, some tips to help you quit smoking are listed. First and foremost, set a quit date and quit COMPLETELY on that day. To prepare for that day:
• Identify the times you are most likely to smoke. For example, do you tend to smoke when feeling stressed? When you are out at night with friends? While you are drinking coffee? When you are bored? While you are driving?
• Keep a diary to help you determine such risky times. Record each time you have a cigarette, including time of day and what you are doing.
• Make a plan about what you will do instead of smoking at those times that you are most likely to smoke. For example, drink tea instead of coffee -- tea may not trigger the desire for a cigarette. Or, take a walk when feeling stressed. Remove ashtrays and cigarettes from the car. Place pretzels or hard candies there instead. Pretend-smoke with a straw.
• Let all of your friends, family, and co-workers know of your plan to stop smoking and your quit date. Just being aware that they know can be a helpful reminder and motivator.
• Prior to your quit date, start reducing your cigarette use, including decreasing the number and strength of the cigarettes. However, DON'T do this simply to make your diary "look good!" Get rid of all of your cigarettes just prior to the quit date and clean out anything that smells like smoke, such as clothes and furniture.
Other tips that can help you quit and stay quit include:
• Enroll in a smoking cessation program (hospitals, health departments, community centers, and work sites frequently offer programs).
• Ask your health care provider for advice, including whether prescription medications (such as bupropion -- Zyban or Wellbutrin) are safe and appropriate for you.
• Find out about nicotine patches, gum, and sprays.
• Try hypnosis -- it works for some people.
• Avoid smoke-filled settings and situations in which you are more likely to smoke.
• Exercise to relieve urges to smoke.
