If you are trying to quit smoking, then here are some ways in which you can manage those cravings. Read this blog to know more.
If you are trying to quit smoking, then the first thing that you will have to deal with is cravings. The best way to quit smoking is to manage your cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine is addictive and hence you get the intense cravings when you try to quit smoking. If you can avoid the triggers it will help you reduce the urge, but you can’t avoid these cigarette cravings completely. The best thing about these cravings is that they pass, they don’t last more that 10 minutes. Typically a craving lasts for 5 to 10 minutes. So if you are tempted to smoke a cigarette, then simply tell yourself that the craving will pass soon and all you have to do is wait it out. You will do well if you are prepared for these cravings in advance. So make strategies to cope with these cravings. Some of the things you can do to cope with these cravings are-
Get distracted – Whenever you feel the urge to light up a cigarette try to distract yourself. Turn on the TV, call a friend, do the dishes, take a shower or walk your dog. It can be any activity that you can do just to keep yourself distracted. It will help as long as you can take your mind off smoking.
Get out of the situation that is tempting - Your situation at the moment can be the trigger for you to light up a cigarette. So if you change the scenery you will find that you are not craving any more. Try to change the situation you are in.
Rewards - If you have been thinking about how to stop smoking and how to keep yourself motivated then you should reward yourself every time you triumph over a craving. Treat yourself and you will be able to kick the habit, by staying motivated.
Oral substitute - The best way to quit smoking is to find an oral substitute that you can pop in your mouth every time you get the urge to smoke. You can try carrots, celery sticks, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chewing gum or mints. You can also suck on a drinking straw.
Keep that mind busy - Do some activity you enjoy, like read a book, watch cartoons or any other videos, listen to music that you like, do puzzles or play and online game. Keeping your mind busy will help you because your mind will be too busy to think about cigarettes.
Keep your hands busy - You can also keep your hands busy with pre-occupying it with something like pencils, paper clips, squeeze balls etc. to satisfy the need for tactile stimulation.
Drink water - Drink a glass of water slowly. This will help you by helping the craving pass. Staying hydrated is a good way to reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Light something different - If you want to know how to quit smoking, then this trick will blow your mind. Instead of lighting a cigarette light something else, like a candle or an incense stick and you will see that the urge to light something is taken care of.
Be active - Simply stay active, go for a walk, skip rope, do some pushups or jumping jacks, go for a run or try yoga. These activities will be very helpful in the long run.
These are some of the things that you can do when you want to quit smoking. So try these and see for yourself which of these works for you best.
Author’s Bio- Alex William has been writing a lot about addiction and the best way to quit smoking. He here writes about the ways in which you can manage cravings and how to stop smoking.
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