Around 46 million people in the United States smoke cigarettes as of 2010, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's no secret that cigarette smoking is harmful to your health. Luckily, you can avoid a number of health problems simply by quitting smoking altogether. Cigarettes are loaded with nicotine, an addictive drug. After you stop smoking, your body will have withdrawal symptoms that will make it difficult to quit successfully. By stopping the withdrawal symptoms, you will give yourself a better chance for success.
Step 1
Purchase over-the-counter smoking cessation aids from the drugstore. These products offer a small amount of nicotine so you're able to slowly wean your body off of the drug, rather than quitting cold turkey and experiencing withdrawal. These products come in gum, lozenge and patch forms, and can help increase your chance for success. Cigarette simulators that blow steam rather than smoke can help you wean yourself from the ritual of smoking without harming your health.
Step 2
Join a support group where you can talk about your symptoms and receive literature and camaraderie from those who are experiencing the same withdrawals. Talking about how you feel and getting ideas on how to cope from other quitters can help you get over certain withdrawal symptoms so you can continue your quitting efforts, notes HelpGuide.org.
Step 3
Engage in distractions that keep your mind off of smoking. MayoClinic.com suggests a healthy diet and exercise to allow you to concentrate on your new, healthier lifestyle, instead of your constant need for nicotine. Each time you find yourself craving a cigarette, go for a run, call a friend or go somewhere where smoking is prohibited. Distract yourself so that the primary thought in your mind isn't the need for a cigarette, your irritability, tiredness, jitters or lack of concentration, all common withdrawal symptoms, says "Health" magazine.
Step 4
Avoid high-risk behavior that causes you to crave a cigarette. Your need for a smoke may become uncontrollable when you engage in trigger activities. If you previously liked to smoke while you drank alcohol, going into a pub or bar could be setting yourself up for failure. Hanging around with other smokers could also derail your efforts. Avoid any triggers that make your withdrawal symptoms flare and your resolve weaken.
Step 5
Visit your doctor if you cannot seem to control your withdrawal symptoms on your own. MedlinePlus cites a number of FDA-approved smoking cessation prescription drugs--including Chantix, Wellbutrin and Zyban--that can be helpful in taming your symptoms and strengthening your resolve to quit.
