The Proper Care and Feeding of A Healthy Quit Program
We all want this quit to be the quit - the one that lasts us a lifetime. We're looking for permanent freedom from nicotine addiction. Let's take a look at some of the things you should avoid when quitting tobacco. Build a strong quit program by educating yourself about the process!
Don't Be Impatient
The natural tendency is to quit smoking and expect to be done with it within a month. Smoking cessation doesn't work that way, however. When you quit smoking, you are letting go of a habit that you've had for many years, if not all of your adult life. It's only fair to expect that breaking all of the old associations that tied you to smoking will take some time. Sit back, relax, and put some time between you and that last smoke you had. Have patience with yourself, and with the process.
Don't Worry About Forever
It can be overwhelming to think you'll never smoke another cigarette, so don't.
Don't focus on forever, focus on the day you have in front of you. This is where your power is, and always will be. You can't do a thing about yesterday or tomorrow, but you sure can control today. If you find your mind wandering ahead or back, pull yourself out of it by focusing on the present.
Don't be Negative
It's been said that the average person has approximately 66,000 thoughts in a given day, and that two-thirds of them are negative. We can be so hard on ourselves! Don't beat yourself up for things you can't change, such as the years you spent smoking. And don't look at past quit attempts as failures. Learn from the experiences you've had and move on. Think about all of the positive changes you're creating in your life by quitting tobacco.
Successful long-term cessation always starts in the mind. Keep your eye on the prize and develop an attitude of gratitude. We have a way of believing what we tell ourselves over and over, so don't feed yourself negatives. Affirm the changes you are working to create in your life, and action will follow more easily.
Don't Neglect Yourself
This is a time when you should be taking extra care to make sure all of your needs are being met. The following guidelines will help you weather withdrawal more comfortably:
* Eat a well-balanced diet. Your body needs good quality fuel now more than ever as it works to flush the toxins out of your system.
* Get more rest. Chances are you'll feel extra fatigue for a few weeks. Don't fight it. Sleep more if you can.
* Drink water. Water is a great quit aid. It helps you detox more quickly, works well as a craving-buster, and by keeping yourself hydrated, you'll feel better overall.
* Exercise daily. Walking is a wonderful way to get exercise. It's a good, low impact aerobic workout, and it works well to keep cravings in check. Take a few 15-minute walks every day and see if it improves your spirits.
* Take a daily multi-vitamin. Your body can use the extra boost a vitamin provides for the duration of withdrawal from nicotine. Cigarettes deplete so many nutrients. A daily multi-vitamin may help you regain your energy more quickly.
Withdrawal isn't a pain-free experience, but it is survivable, and it is certainly short-lived. Always keep in mind the fact that withdrawal from nicotine is a temporary condition
Alcohol and tobacco go hand-in-hand...
Don't Drink
I probably don't need to tell you that alcohol and tobacco go hand-in-hand. New quitters are tender. Putting yourself into a social setting where you're tempted to drink too soon after quitting can be dangerous. Don't rush it. The time will come when you can have a drink without it triggering the urge to smoke, but don't expect that to be within the first month, or perhaps even the first few months.
We're all a little different in how we go through recovery, so defining a specific time frame isn't realistic. Just be aware of your own situation. If you have an engagement coming up that involves drinking and you feel nervous about that, it might be best to postpone until you're feeling stronger. If that's not an option, have a plan in place for how you'll manage the event smoke free
Will you be able to excuse yourself to step our for some fresh air? Can you request that people don't smoke around you?
However you decide to handle the situation, don't be shy about it. This is your life we're talking about here, and quitting tobacco has to be a top priority for awhile. Whatever you need to do to maintain your quit, you should do. Period! Remember, life won't always be this way - it will return to normal eventually.
Don't Overdo
We've talked about taking care not to neglect your physical health. Your emotional well-being is every bit as important. Stress can build if you're not careful, and before you know it, you're fighting a strong urge to smoke. Early cessation creates its own tension, let alone all of the other stresses that come and go in our busy daily lives. Make sure you don't let yourself get run down to the point of exhaustion, and that you take time every single day to destress with an activity that you enjoy. Whether it's time alone with a good book, a hot bath, or working on a hobby, make sure you incorporate some time just for you.
Fatigue and stress are big triggers to smoke, and it can be a quick jump to feeling that you need a cigarette to cope. Plan ahead of time how you'll keep yourself out of those danger zones.
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously
You will have bad days. Expect and accept that. Such is cessation, and such is life. On those off days, make a vow to put yourself on ignore! Sometimes the best thing we can do is to get out of our own way. Our minds can make a small issue big, and make a drama out of every little thing if our moods are out of whack. When you have a bad day, use it as an excuse to pamper yourself excessively. Be good to yourself and put your thoughts on hold. Decide to wait and see what tomorrow will bring. Nine times out of ten you'll wake up feeling 100 percent better the next day. And when you do, you'll be grateful to still be smoke free.
Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help
Statistics show that people who quit with a healthy support system in place have a much higher rate of success over time. If you don't have people around you who are supportive, and even if you do, add some online support to your quit program. Our smoking cessation forum here at About.com offers some of the best support the Internet has to offer. There is nothing better than bending the ear of a person who knows exactly what you are going through. Getting help from people who have 'been there and done that' is worth its weight in gold.
Don't Believe That You Can Have "Just One"
There is no such thing. It doesn't work with Lays potato chips, and it sure doesn't work with cigarettes. Smoke one cigarette, and you run a very high risk of being back to a pack a day quicker than you can imagine. Don't fall for faulty thinking. A relapse always begins in the mind. If you recognize unhealthy thoughts of smoking cropping up, it's time to renew your resolve.
Don't forget. You quit smoking for a reason. Probably several. Don't let time and distance from the habit cloud your thinking. Keep your memory green by reviewing your reasons often. They will never be less true as time goes by, but they can feel less critical if you're not careful.
Cessation is a journey. Take it one simple day at a time, and you'll find that what started out as a difficult task soon enough becomes an enjoyable challenge.
References: About.Com
0 comments:
Post a Comment