Your artillery. There are several weapons that you can use in your fight to quit smoking. You may use one, all, or a combination of several to achieve your goal. The urge to smoke is immediate, and usually lasts for five minutes. If you can resist for that period of time, you reduce the urge.
- Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and exhale as if you had just taken your first puff on a cigarette. Part of the feeling you get from smoking is a direct result of taking a deep breath. A deep breath allows you to take in a maximum amount of oxygen, and exhaling lets out large quantities of carbon dioxide. This results in a feeling of relaxation. Try it, you’ll see.
- Take a sip of water several times during this five minute period. It can help to diminish the need to smoke, and gives you something to do with your hands. The extra water will also help to flush the nicotine out of your body.
- Put something in your mouth that has no calories, such as a stirrer, toothpick, or another substitute for a cigarette.
- Get busy with something, anything, to keep you busy for the next five minutes.
- As long as it does not lead to a craving, chew a piece of gum or a piece of hard candy. Life Savers work well.
- Get up and move around for five minutes. It will help the urge to smoke to pass.
- Use a nicotine patch as replacement therapy.
HANDLING THE REASONS FOR SMOKING
- Become a high energy person without cigarettes.
- Relax and enjoy the pleasure of relaxation without cigarettes.
- Deal with your tensions without a cigarette.
- Deal with psychological dependence.
- Deal with chemical dependency on nicotine.
- Keep your hands busy fighting boredom.
