Resisting the urge to smoke is not easy. Anyone who has been smoking for a while will tell you so. It becomes a bad habit and as we all know, habits are tough to break. It takes time and conscious effort. You’ll also need a proper game plan.
Smoking puts your body at risk of a number of health issues including cancer, diabetes, dental problems, heart disease, and breathing problems to name a few. While this might just be the wake-up call you need to quit, it might not be enough to go through with it. So, here are 4 tips to help you break a bad habit like smoking:

Avoid Triggers

The urge to smoke will probably be the strongest at places where you smoked most often like bars, parties, or when you had coffee or felt stressed. Figure out what these triggers are and avoid them like the plague. If it’s impossible to avoid the triggers, then you’ll have to focus on getting through them specifically without a cigarette. Get through them and the worst will be over.

Physical Activity

Any form of physical activity will help distract you from a bad habit like smoking. Whenever you feel a craving coming along, just go for a walk or run up a few stairs. You’ll find this method quite effective in getting rid of your cravings. If you’re in the office or can’t leave your home, try doing some squats or push-ups. Basically, anything that gets the blood pumping will be a good option.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

This is the best way to break a bad habit like smoking. Your addiction is to nicotine and so you need to find a different way of satisfying that craving without having to consume the harmful carcinogens found in cigarettes. You could try a variety of nicotine replacement therapies like gum, nasal spray, lozenges, or even nicotine patches. Vapes are another great option. This is because they don’t really try breaking the habit as much as replacing cigarettes with a healthier alternative. 
It’s perhaps the easiest way to remove cigarettes from your life. Go Smoke Free offers a range of vaping products and accessories, and can also advise on what to look for when deciding on a geek bar or vape. You can even save money on clearance items. This is your health, don’t mess with it.

Find Other Ways To Cope With Stress

You might have just been smoking to deal with the stress in your life. If this is the case, you’ll need to find another way of dealing with stress or all your efforts are going to end up getting you nowhere. Try different ways of relaxing like yoga, breathing exercises, massages, or just simply listening to some calming music. You could also consider reducing the amount of stress in your life. If there’s no stress, there will be no need to smoke. 

Get Support

Sometimes, you may need support from a family member or a friend to break this habit. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. If you don’t want to burden the people you know with helping you, you could turn to support groups for help. Here you will find people just like you, dealing with the same problems as you are. You can work together to break this habit. It’s always easier to break a habit when you’re working together.
A bad habit is something you would have formed over months or years. So, don’t think you’re going to be able to break it in a matter of days. You will need to be focused and determined. Even then it might end up being one of the hardest things you’ve ever done in life. Stick to it and don’t lose hope. With time, you will be able to break any bad habits, including smoking cigarettes.

WRITTEN BY

Clara Rose