Friday, June 25, 2010

7 Steps To Control Your Smoking Urge

By Martin Elmer

Trying to quit smoking is a very lengthy process. This can take a very long period of time such as several years, or it could be something much shorter like only a few weeks or months. The exact time frame that it takes to quit can vary greatly but what is important is ensuring that you are coming up with a plan to combat your urges to smoke.

At some point in your experience trying to quit you will encounter a situation where the urge to smoke is very strong. How you handle this situation will go a long way towards your ultimate success. Being prepared for the urge to smoke will ensure that you have a plan to keep your willpower strong and continue on your path to quit smoking successfully.

Think about when you normally have a cigarette. Is it after dinner or when you have exercised in the local gym? If you have knowledge about that, it will be easier to fight the urge.

Create a plan for fighting the urge. You can use simple things like a stress ball in your hand or a piece candy in the mouth. You can also try to brush your teeth every time you feel the urge to smoke. Or you can use a mint to freshen your breath.

Stay away from all temptations. If you are eating out, find a table in the non smoking area. Never go into a tobacco store and try to limit the time you are together with other smokers. It will be harder to resist the temptation, if you are continuously around smokers and cigarettes.

Remove all smoking instruments from your home. This includes lighters, matches and ashtrays. And air the room to get rid of the smell of cigarettes. Products like Febreeze can also be a great help to get rid of the smell that can urge you to smoke.

If you have a place where you typically smoke when you are at home, think about rearranging the area. If you are able to break the routine of the situation, you will be able to resist temptation much better. This works best if you always are in the habit of smoking in the exact same place, such as a living room looking out a window. If you move the chair to a different area of the room, or refocus the center of the room then you can help to avoid the temptation to smoke whenever you are sitting in the chair looking out the window.

Write down your goals to stop smoking. What might seem like a minor detail actually have a huge impact on the success factor. If you just tell yourself that it might be a good idea to quit the cigarettes, it is easier for you to cheat and give up to the urge. With goals on paper, you will be more likely to follow them. The same applies for losing weight, doing more exercise etc. Written goals can increase responsibility significantly.

Do not discount yourself. If you are absolutely certain that you can succeed, you will be much more capable of the success that you need. It is important to believe that you can succeed. This will help you to stay strong anytime a serious urge kicks in. If you decide to slip up consciously, you are going to find it is much harder to gain back any slack that you have cut for yourself. However, if you hold fast to your dedication to quit smoking you will find that each time you have an urge it is easier to handle.

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