Tips to Help You Stop Smoking

Although the first few days without a cigarette may be difficult, we’ve put together some handy tips that will make the process a whole lot easier.

Deciding to quit smoking is a great place to start on your journey to living a healthier life. Although the first few days without a cigarette may be difficult, we’ve put together some handy tips that will make the process a whole lot easier:

SET A DATE TO STOP

Once you’ve decided to quit smoking, choose a day in the near future that you are going to quit on. Choose a day that is not too far away for you to change your mind but a day that gives you enough time to prepare. There are several ways you can quit, but ultimately, you need to decide whether you are going to continue to smoke as normal until your quit date and then stop, or slowly cut down until your quit date, then stop.

When you have chosen your date to stop, let your friends and family know so they know not to smoke around you and make sure you throw away any left-over cigarettes and ashtrays you may have.

TRY USING NRTS

NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapies) can reduce the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that may hinder your ability to quit smoking. NRTs are designed to wean your body off of cigarettes and supply you with a controlled dose of nicotine, without exposing you to all the other harsh chemicals found in tobacco. There are several types of NRTs, including skin patches, chewing gum, lozenges, nasal sprays and inhalers that can help fix the craving for nicotine safely. Remember that the end aim is to end your addiction to nicotine altogether and not just to quit tobacco, so you should try to ween yourself off any NRT eventually.

AVOID ALCOHOL AND OTHER TRIGGERS

Triggers are the people, places, things and situations that give you the urge to smoke. On your quit day, try to avoid all of your triggers so you aren’t tempted to have a cigarette. When you drink, it’s harder to stick to your no smoking goal, so try to limit your alcohol intake when you first quit. If you usually smoke after meals, find something else to do instead to distract yourself from craving a cigarette. Get plenty of rest and east healthily - being tired can trigger you to smoke.

STAY BUSY

Keeping busy is a great way to stay smoke free on your quit day and for a few days after. Keeping busy will help keep your mind off smoking and will distract your mind from cravings. These are some activities you could try when trying to quit smoking:

Exercise.
Keep your hands busy with a pen or toothpick.
Spend time with non-smoking friends and family.
Chew gum or suck low-calorie sweets.
Start a new hobbie.

ASK FOR HELP

You don’t need to rely on willpower alone to be smoke-free. Talk to your friends and family and let them know you are quitting and on what day. Our Wellness Coaches can guide you through the steps to quit. Join Our LiveWell Facebook group for social support and encouragement.

You also have access to our free help and support. We are here to help and guide you through the process of quitting. Contact us, or register online to start your journey to become smoke free.

Lynette
"It was touch and go at first - I got a bit grumpy when I was desperate for a cigarette. But then I reached the end of the week and I thought to myself, ‘I've done the first week!’".

View full story

How does this work?

The tailored approach LiveWell Dorset uses to come up with solutions to the things that are stopping us achieving our goals, is based upon work done by University College London developing the COM-B model of behaviour change. In this model, all behaviour is influenced by understanding a person’s capability to change, their opportunity to change and their motivation to change. By understanding which of these is the biggest barrier to change, we can tailor support accordingly. This model of behaviour change is at the centre of the support we offer, online and in person.

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