Most people are aware of the health risks of smoking. However, millions of people around the world still continue to smoke cigarettes and other tobacco products. According to the Reader's Digest website, this is partially because of the highly addictive properties of nicotine, the primary chemical in tobacco. Many costly patches, gums, lozenges and prescription medications can help people quit smoking, but it is possible to break your smoking addiction without spending money on these products.
Step 1
Set a specific quit date, and write it down, advises the Health.com website. Marking the date on your calendar will remind you of your commitment. Also, tell people that you see every day, such as friends, relatives and co-workers, about your quit date.
Step 2
Write a list of all of the things you like and dislike about smoking. According to the Reader's Digest website, you should be honest about your likes and dislikes. The negatives will most likely outweigh the positives. Keep this list so you can refer to it if your commitment to quit smoking begins to waver.
Step 3
Remove all smoking-related items from your home on your quit date. Ashtrays, cigarette butts and even plastic cigarette pack wrappers can remind you of smoking and weaken your resolve, notes the Reader's Digest website. Take out the trash so no reminders of smoking remain in your home. If possible, open the windows and turn on fans to clear the smell of tobacco smoke out of your home. Also, ask roommates and relatives to refrain from smoking around you or in your home, advises Health.com.
Step 4
Keep raw vegetables handy, and reach for them whenever the craving for a cigarette hits. Eating carrots and other vegetables fulfills the oral need created by smoking. They also contain enzymes that may expedite the clearing of nicotine and other toxins from your body, according to Dr. James Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing."
Step 5
Spend time with supportive friends and relatives during the first days after you quit. Ideally, at least some of these people will have successfully quit smoking, so they will understand what you are experiencing. If you do not have supportive people close by, find a smoking cessation support group.
Tips and Warnings
- Think about how much you spent on cigarettes or other tobacco products when you get the urge to smoke. At about $7 per pack, smoking one pack a day costs more than $200 a month.
Things You'll Need
- Raw vegetables
References
- Reader's Digest: 25 Ways to Stop Smoking Cigarettes
- Health.com: How to Quit Smoking Without Drugs
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Dr. James Balch; 1997
