Make a Quit Plan

Some people have an easier time quitting than others; some people may try more than a few times in order to quit. While most quitters quit by themselves, there are quit services that can help you along the way and are completely free-of-charge.

When you are planning to quit, you can follow these steps to make a quit plan:

Mark down your reasons for quitting
Knowing your reasons for quitting can help keep you motivated, especially in difficult moments.
Choose a quit method
Most quitters quit by themselves, but there are free tools and services which can help you quit easier.
Set a quit date
The next step is to pick a quit date. Choose a day when you won’t be particularly stressful, avoid deadlines and big projects. This makes you easier to cope with withdrawal symptom.
Know and list your triggers
knowing what causes your cravings can go a long way in helping you reach your goals. This could also help you develop strategies to keep yourself in control, whether that is to avoid a particular situation or to re-condition yourself through positive reinforcement.
Plan positive activities to fight cravings
there will be times when you will crave a cigarette more than usual. When you get that urge, change what you are doing and try different positive activities, such as singing or meditation, instead.

Having willpower and sticking to your quit plan are essential to quitting cold turkey. Your willpower will get stronger over time, you get easier to manage cravings and resist the urge to smoke. Maintaining a balanced diet, and having a positive and optimistic attitude can be helpful on your quit journey.

Give us a call (1833 183) when you need more support or information!

Being Realistic with Withdrawal Symptoms

Now that you have quit, you will be faced with another challenge: staying tobacco-free. The first few days of quitting will be uncomfortable, but you can get through it. The common withdrawal symptoms include the following:

• Craving for cigarettes
• Anger, frustration, and irritability
• Anxiety and depression
• Weight gain
• Dizziness
• Headaches

You may experience one or any combination of the symptoms, which are usually the worst during the first week after quitting. From that point onwards, the intensity subsides. Of course, everyone is different on their quit journey and your experience may not be directly comparable with others. Remember, you can always explore your options with NRT. Not sure how to proceed? Give us a call.

To know more about Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Identify Your Patterns and Triggers

When you smoked, you developed certain patterns, like smoking more when you were drinking or after a meal. You probably repeated these patterns countless times that it became automatic to reach for a cigarette or a smoking product when those situations came up.

To remain a non-smoker, you will need to reverse this conditioning. Be mindful of situations where you would want to smoke more than usual or situations where you feel most suited for a cigarette. You will need to avoid a situation or substitute one behaviour with another until you feel more confident in getting through tobacco-free.

Avoid Temptation and Handle Your Stresses Differently

It is normal to crave a cigarette every now and then. The easiest way to overcome that is to avoid the temptation at first place and develop healthy hobbies to handle stress. Below are a few tips:

• Announce to your family, friends, and colleagues that you are quitting smoking, so that they will not offer you cigarettes or you will have a reason to turn them down if they do.
• Find new hobbies that you do not associate with smoking to distract yourself, such as swimming, painting, or listening to music.
• Avoid environmental cues that may induce your urge to smoke . For example, if you smoked while drinking at the bar, avoid going to bars. It is also a good idea to avoid environments that are filled with second or thirdhand smoke to refuse any invitation to smoke.
• Avoid unnecessary stress, but if it is inevitable, try to practice meditation, mindfulness, or breathing exercises.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea or soft drinks; these drinks may provoke cravings
• Change the situation to make it less stressful; ask for help when things become too difficult

Slip without falling

Even if you slip up and have a cigarette, it is not the end of your quit journey:

• Quitting is not an “on-off” switch. Quitting is a spectrum. A slip means you have had a small setback but it does not mean that you have failed completely. You can always get back on track and you will kick the habit.
• Learn from mistakes. Identify the trigger that made you smoke again and decide how to cope with it again when it arises. Change your routine and find distractions and new hobbies if you need to.
• Enlist support from family, partner, and friends. The key to quitting is in your hands but unlocking success is a whole lot easier with their support along the way. Feel free to have a chat with us at 1833 183 if you want more assistance.
• If you relapse, do not feel guilty. Remember, quitting is a spectrum, each attempt puts you 1 step closer to the end goal.