TIP! Take each day one at a time. The road to stopping is just a process.

Almost everyone who smokes realizes they should quit. Has any smoker ever extolled the great health benefits of smoking? Only people who have been able to quit smoking really understand how much effort is required. The following article will provide you with some of their proven tips.

Cold Turkey

TIP! Talk to a medical professional if you need assistance in your attempts to give up smoking. There may be prescription medication that can help making quitting easier, including some antidepressants.

Find a way to quit smoking that works for you, but try to do it little by little. It is not usually wise to try and quit cold turkey. Quitting cold turkey is only effective about 5% of the time. Nicotine is extremely addictive, so use a patch, therapy or medication. Using these treatments will help you avoid withdrawal symptoms so that you can more easily stop smoking for good.

TIP! Think about using nicotine replacement alternatives when you quit smoking. Withdrawal from cigarettes can leave you irritated, depressed, or frustrated.

Understand that quitting smoking will take a long time to materialize. Remember that quitting will always be a process, and it doesn’t usually happen over night. You can’t worry about the future. Keep your focus on making it through one day at a time, with the idea that the habits you create or break today will follow you into the future.

TIP! Make sure that you are fully committed before you even start to quit smoking. Most people who quit do so because of a lack of willpower.

When quitting smoking, inform your family and friends about your intentions. By letting them know, they can give you the motivation you need. A supportive group of loved ones can give you the push you need to stick to your plans for quitting.

TIP! While in the process of quitting smoking, allow yourself a reward as you reach certain milestones. If you can go for a full week without smoking a single cigarette, reward yourself with a new shirt or a movie ticket.

Smoking is a step-by-step process that should be done day by day. Focus on getting through just one day without smoking. Focusing on one day at a time is easier than focusing on the long-term. Once you feel more comfortable, you can start thinking about long term goals.

10 Minutes

TIP! Stop cold turkey- it will be hard, but worth it. By stopping, you are taking the most important step you can take.

When you feel an overwhelming urge to smoke, use the delay tactic. Tell yourself that you will wait 10 minutes and then find a way to distract yourself for that time period. Usually, after the 10 minutes have passed, any craving will have gone away. If the 10 minutes wasn’t enough, then keep delaying yourself until it urge has passed.

TIP! If you smoked, inside your house, give it a complete cleaning once you have quit. Clean your carpets, your curtains, your clothes and your furniture.

If you do not think you can quit cold turkey, try nicotine replacement products, like gum or patches. You can buy these products over the counter. They allow you to get your daily dose of nicotine and work toward getting rid of this habit without suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

TIP! Your family and loved ones offer the greatest motivation for quitting. They can be affected by not only your possible illness or death, but also by negative health consequences from being around your smoke.

If you’re thinking about quitting smoking, it’s important that you talk to your doctor beforehand. Your physician could have additional resources or methods for stopping smoking that you did not know existed. A physician may also choose to prescribe medication, if they feel it is necessary.

TIP! View quitting as a favor to yourself, rather than a sacrifice. It is easier change your behavior by thinking of the rewards.

A benefit of quitting smoking is so you can improve the health of all those near you. Secondhand smoke causes lung disease, cancer, and other health problems to everyone around you. Once you quit for your own health, your family also quits breathing the secondhand smoke that your smoking habit generates. Not only will you be saving your own life, you will be keeping your loved ones healthy.

TIP! Get rid of anything that reminds you of your smoking days. Dump all of your lighters and ashtrays.

Tell everyone you know about your desire to quit smoking. They can be there to help you quit. A support system can be tremendously valuable. The chance of being successful in your quest to give up smoking will be increased significantly.

TIP! You may have smoked when stressed. If you have done this, you need to look for different techniques on how to relax when you’re stressed out.

Stay as optimistic as possible when developing a regimen to stop smoking. Think positively about how your life is going to be so much better once you quit smoking. Consider that your teeth are going to be brighter and cleaner, your breath and clothes will smell better, and your home is going to be full of freshness and cleanliness. Make sure to also focus on the positive benefits to life after quitting smoking.

TIP! If you feel like a cigarette, exercise instead. Exercise releases endorphins into your system.

If you smoke in your home, give it a very thorough cleaning when you quit. Clean your carpets, furniture and drapes. You might even consider putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Your home will smell fresh and clean, and you will not be reminded of smoking every time you walk in the door.

TIP! Consult your physician on medications that you could use in helping you quit. There are more new products on the market than ever that are designed specifically to help people quit smoking.

When quitting smoking, keep in mind that the process will be most difficult during the first week. In fact, the first two days–approximately 48 hours–are the worst part of quitting, because you’re detoxifying from nicotine. After this initial period, your nicotine cravings will, for the most part, be psychological. Understanding this can make resisting the cravings less traumatic.

TIP! Consume a lot of produce, as well as seeds and nuts, during the quitting phase. Consuming healthy, natural foods which are low in calories helps you stop smoking for several reasons.

If you do not succeed at quitting initially, don’t beat up on yourself or get discouraged. Even people who have the best intentions and planning may end up smoking in the future. Examine where you felt your weakness was, and figure out how you can learn from your experience when you try again. You may find victory in a future effort down the road.

TIP! If all else fails, seek counseling to help with quitting. Many people can’t quit because of emotional attachments to smoking, or issues about self-esteem.

Non-smokers don’t understand why you smoke when you know what it does to you. They are also unable to comprehend just how tough quitting truly is. There are people that have stop smoking, and they have used some of the methods explained in this article. Apply their experiences to your life and liberate yourself from smoking.