Monday 30 August 2010

Stopping smoking - It's not really that hard?

After smoking for the past 4 years I finally decided to call it a day and pack in. I had tried before now going cold turkey and that is definitely hard!
But with the right motivation and all the right reasons for giving up smoking, I decided to give it a proper go this time with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in the form of patches. I had played about with NRT before but not with any real serious intention of giving up, the micro-tabs made me hicup for 2 hours each time, the inhaler burnt my throat and the lozengers made me sick. 
I have not smoked in 2 weeks so far which is a personal record for me, and I'm determined to go all the way and never smoke again. But with the patches it's really not been that hard, there has been some cravings granted but you just spend the next 10-15 minutes concentrating on something else and then they go, and they're so much easier to manage than going cold turkey!

You hear the same reasons over and over again about why you should stop smoking, its bad for you, it gives you cancer and heart disease... You know it's bad for you, but that alone wont stop you. 

You need to find your own motivation:
- Do you have a child? - Do it for them
- Save a lot of money! - Click here to see how much!
- You wont smell - You might think you don't, but you do
- Have fresher breath - Always good for kissing
- Be healthier - This goes without saying
- Smell / Taste improves - Lifes little pleasures are so much better

Whether it's one of the reasons listed above, or you find a new one you do need to have some source of motivation to want to quit! 

The second step to quitting successfully is to select a date and stick to it, make it about 2 weeks so you have time to cut down to around 10 a day and that gives you time to build up mentally for it, remind yourself as of that day you will no longer be a smoker, e-mail your family and friends telling them you're quitting on this day, put it on facebook etc. It's always good to have a little pressure pushing you.


Do NOT forget these:














You don't need the 24 hour ones, but they're easier and give you some extremely vivid dreams (see here) which I enjoy, some people might not obviously if you're the type who does not enjoy these dreams get the 12 hour patch instead of the 24 hours, but a plus side to the 24 hour patch is if you wake up in the middle of the night, you wont be craving as much as you would if you didn't have one on.


It's not a comprehensive guide this post, because as the title says it really isn't as hard as people think, and I'm thinking that's a factor in why people fail giving up. Believe it'll be easy, and it will be easier than if you thought it's impossible and it's going to be torture, good luck if you're planning on stopping!

14 comments:

  1. I quit smoking last August cold turkey and haven't had a single cigarette since. I really appreciate what your post.... people really shouldn't smoke!!

    Anywho, check out my exercise blog when you get a chance!
    getjackedson.blogspot.com

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  2. Good stuff, my father is trying to quit right now. Cold turkey.

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  3. imma trying!! it's hard!

    check out my blog.

    http://applejuicephotography.blogspot.com/

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  4. cool story bru.

    http://lexerier.blogspot.com/

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  5. I should try this, probably better than electronic cigarettes.

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  6. I agree completely. Very informative post, me likey

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  7. congrats man. I hope you can keep it off

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  8. I never started, but I sure don't plan on starting.
    http://quipsoffiction.blogspot.com/

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  9. Good man, don't get hooked back on it.

    I tried it two times in highschool and i was flat out disgusted by the taste.

    and the waste of money.

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  10. I stopped smoking years ago, glad i wasn't a smoker when i entered my 20's.

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