“No problem, I could quit anytime I want to”. That is the case for many smokers who believe they can quit anytime they want to as though they believe they had a magic switch to turn the nicotine off.
But when you ask them why they are not quitting, it would as if of a sudden, they’re mind starts to get creative and could punch out 101 excuses. Sounds familiar right? The reality is…
Smokers Are Addicted And Need Preparation Before Quitting!
This is because nicotine and chemicals when introduced into our body greatly affect our biological system. Smokers need preparation for quitting are because of the withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine is a stimulant drug of which its effects where both simulation and relaxation may be felt. You see when we smoke, our body gets used to a certain alteration of conditions in our body. The brain gets used to these certain alternation very quickly even before we can notice it.
Now, there’s a new balance in the brain due to those alterations. When the timely dose of nicotine or whatever chemicals as a result of smoking is not channeled towards the brain, the brain gets upset. Hence we feel uncomfortable with different people enduring different symptoms.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms include:
• Cravings to smoke
• Irritation
• Anger
• Insomnia
• Dry mouth
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Inability to Concentrate
• Headache
• Cough
• Sore tongue and/or gums
• Sleep Disturbances
• Sore throat
• Constipation, gas, stomach pain
• Tightness in the chest
Some ways that could help you with the withdrawal symptoms are:
• Wait
When it is time for you to smoke again, just wait a little while before you decide whether you want to smoke again just for about 3 to 5 minutes time. During this time of waiting, take 10 deep breaths slowly, relax yourself, also relaxing your shoulders.
• Drink Plenty Of Water
This is to help you fight off the cravings
• Become A Part Of A Community
Discuss with someone your feelings about quitting smoking. The easiest way to do that online is through forums. Exchange ideas, opinions and solutions. You’ll be surprised the insights you’ll gain through this experience.
• Exercise
I cannot emphasize how important this is, exercise is suppose to boost up your energy so that you have better preparation to fight the cravings.
• Get sufficient sleep
An excerpt from “Sleep: Essential for Optimal Health” by Drs. Robert Goldman and Ronald Klatz.
“Don’t slight sleep. It’s when you’re tired that you tend to overwork. When you’re rested you can finish the work without strain and still have energy and time left over for the rest of your life. Research shows that workers who get less than six hours of sleep a night are prone to costly accidents, poor concentration and poor performance. Without sleep depression, anxiety and anger increase.
The quality of sleep is just as important as number of hours. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed earlier, before 10:00. This usually creates a deeper sleep. Prepare for deep sleep by avoiding TV and computers in the evening.”
So when you get more rest, the likelihood for the need for cigarette is reduced.
• Relaxation
Perform some night rituals such as reading a book before you go to bed or meditation to help you and your body to relax.