How To Quit Smoking Without Side Effects

How important is it for you to quit smoking? Doctors say the most important thing that a smoker can do to prolong his or her quality and length of life is to quit smoking. But when it comes to smoking, I remember a little something Mark Twain once said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times". And as comic as it may seem, this really is the truth. It's not easy to quit smoking and it's not easy to stay off quitting smoking. There are generally side effects that come with the quit.

The main reason why it's so hard to quit smoking is because of the nicotine. The nicotine is what causes an addiction to the cigarette. It is a naturally occurring drug found in tobacco. It is highly addictive, just as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Research has also shown that over a period of time, the smoker develops both mental as well as physical dependency on smoking. And these are the same obstacles which make quitting and then staying off hard.

One thing that research related to nicotine addiction has brought forth is that since it is an addiction, using the nicotine patches to cure it is not wise idea. It does not truly liberate the smoker from the nicotine addiction and the dependency lives. Also the side effects that are apparent right after smoking, the increased fatigue, are caused by the lowered blood sugar levels. The body begins to adjust to living without having the nicotine and this is what causes most quitters to have a ‘sweet tooth' or sugar craving.

To avoid the sharp hit of side-effects that could well have you bouncing back to the old ways again, you have to make the journey to a smoke free life a gradual and planned one. There are some basic healthy tips that you should follow while quitting smoking. These have been followed by many successful quitters who have found them crucial for reducing side-effects as well as a shield against rebound.

1. Make a gradual cut back: don't just get up one morning and announce to the world that you will smoke no more. This is a drastic method and neither your mind nor body will accept it. Just take the journey on a day to day basis, tell yourself ‘I will have one less cigarette today' and gradually build on this tempo. Don't think of the day you will never smoke henceforth, that will just create a sense of deprivation in your body.

2. Get moral support: while you are trying to quit smoking, it's not a good idea to do it in isolation. Enlist your friends and family to help you out. The added moral support and sense of accountability will have a great positive effect on your attempts. Plan more activities with those of your friends who don't smoke, until you're sure that you're strong enough to resist second hand smoke.

3. Meditation: meditation is a great way to help your mind quit the addiction. Get to know all the facts about the hazards that nicotine does to your body and meditate on cleansing your body from these dangers, having a happy healthy life.

• John Palsson
• 13/12/2008, 12:59 PM
• 0 Comments