| Tips to Stop Smoking | |
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Being
a smoker is like cycling with stabilizers attached to the wheels,
you can find it very hard to be balanced with out smoking. Now,
when you cycle freely again, the natural balance returns.
When
people smoke, more than half of what they breathe is fresh air
- pulled through the cigarette right down into the lungs. So if
you feel any cravings you can instantly overcome them by taking
three deeper breaths.
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Imagine
breathing from that space just below your belly button. Whenever
you do this you put more oxygen into your bloodstream. This means
you can use deep breaths to change the way you feel instantly
and give you power over the way you feel and help you let go of
those old cravings and thus making it easier to stop smoking.
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Next,
think now of all the reasons you don’t like smoking, the
reasons that it is bad and the reasons you want to stop smoking.
Write down the key words on a piece of paper. For example, you
experience breathless ness, it is dirty, filthy and your clothes
smell, your friends and family are concerned and it’s expensive,
unsociable and so on. Then, on the other side of the paper, write
down all the reasons why you will feel good when you’ve
succeeded in stopping. You’ll feel healthier, you’ll
feel in control of your self, your senses are enhanced, your cool
hair and clean clothes will smell fresher and so on. Whenever
you need to, look at that piece of paper. All the very best !!!
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| Tips to stop - The following tips are ones that other people have used | ||
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Prepare
yourself some people manage to stop instantly but it’s most people succeed by planning |
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Understand
your triggers do you always smoke with a coffee, while on the phone, when kids in bed? |
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Get
Help getting support of a stop smoking service can double your chances of succeeding: see help to stop page |
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Set
a quit date don’t set a quit date before a stressful event |
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Do it with others quitting with a friend, or relative can help or join a group (see Help page) |
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Plan
what to say when offered a cigarette e.g No thanks, I don’t smoke, practice saying it may help you convince yourself |
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Have
a list of useful distractions walk up room, up & down stairs, swim, gym, play instrument, write |
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Break the links that create the habit
if you always have a cigarette with your coffee have a glass of juice instead |
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Keep
your hands busy
play with pen, worry beads,tap fingers, musical instrument, knitting.. you may be developing another habit, but a healthier one than smoking! |
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Take
one day at a time
congratulate yourself each day you have achieved as non smoker rather than thinking about being smokefree next week or next year |
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Take
gentle exercise |
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Eat
something healthy
A lot of people, worry about putting on weight when they give up smoking. It’s not advised to diet as well as giving up smoking, but healthy eating can help. For more information on healthy eating activity check link to NHS Health Scotland Healthy Living website www.healthyliving.gov.uk/healthyeating |
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Learn
to relax
Stress is a natural part of life. To manage stress better, you need to relax more. This takes skill and practice. For more information about dealing with stress & ways of relaxing check out link to Norfolk NHS stress self help guide http://www.heron.nhs.uk/information/mental_health/stress_self-help.pdf |
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Reward
yourself
Celebrate a day, a week, a month a year as a non smoker, treat yourself with the money you save or it could be something simple like treating yourself to that expensive juice you like at the supermarket or saving up for that holiday you can never afford |
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| It is common for people to make more than one attempt to stop smoking. If you relapse trying and keep positive and learn from your previous quit attempt. | ||
