Top 10 Effective Ways to Quit Smoking

Smoking kills! Smoking is considered to be one of major cause of death in the whole world. All of us are aware of this harsh truth but still many are addicted to this habit and find it really difficult to quit smoking. Here, I present to you the 10 most effective ways to quit smoking advised by experts.

Why Should I Quit Smoking?

This question must be there in the mind of people who smoke. There are several short term and long term harmful effects of smoking which can be quite dangerous for you. I have listed below some of the most common short and long term effects.

Short Term Effects:

• Bad breath
• Skin Wrinkles
• Teeth stain
• Reduction in the sensation of smell
• Reduction in the oxygen flow in lungs
• Increase in the blood pressure
• Increase in the pressure on the heart

Long Term Effects:

• Lung Cancer
• Stroke
• Heart Attack
• Breathing Problems

Top 10 Effective Ways to Quit Smoking

The below list contain the 10 most effective ways to kick the habit of smoking.

1. Consume Sufficient Amount of Water: It's very important in the beginning to consume right amount of fluids to flush out the toxins that you have accumulated in your body due to smoking. Water can work wonders! Also, check your water intake during workout.
2. Keep distance from Alcohol, Coffee and sugar: Try to stay away from alcohol, coffee and sugar as these foods increases your urge to have a cigarette. Lower down your fat intake.
3. Start Deep Breathing: It is considered to be one of the most powerful technique to quit smoking. According to the experts, you need to do the following procedure few times when you get the urge to have a cigarette:
   "Inhale the deepest lung-full of air you can, and then, very slowly, exhale. Purse your lips so that the air must come out slowly. As you exhale, close your eyes, and let your chin gradually sink over onto your chest. Visualize all the tension leaving your body, slowly draining out of your fingers and toes, just flowing on out." This may seems to be difficult in the beginning but when you master this art you are almost done!
4. Start Exercising: Exercising can be quite helpful in reducing your desire to smoke. Join a gym and start exercising. Indulge in weight training, cardios, steam bath whenever you get the time. Eat nutritious foods to provide you the energy to workout. Know your best time to exercise.
5. Destroy all your Smoking Stuffs: On the day you decide you are going to quit smoking, make up your mind and destroy all your cigarettes and remove all objects associated with it like ashtrays and cigarette stand from your place.
6. Take Oral Substitutes: Taking some oral substitute when you get the urge also helps in many cases. People usually use cinnamon sticks, chewing gum or artificial cigarettes as a substitute for cigarettes. When you get accustomed with the habit of not smoking for few weeks, you can control your urge even without taking these oral substitutes.
7. Prepare Some Notes: Write down on a piece of paper why do you want to quit smoking and then write down all the points that you feel are the most strong reasons for that. Carry the paper with you all the time and remind yourself why you don't want to smoke whenever you get the urge.
   Prepare another list of all the good things that have happened to you since you quit smoking. Carry that paper also wherever you go.
8. Develop a Healthy Hobby: Remain engaged to any healthy hobby like painting, music, gardening etc. When you spend your free time in some healthy activities, your mind remains fresh and you don't feel like smoking all the time.
9. Talk to Your Mind: Tell your mind several times that you are a nonsmoker. Many quitters keep believing that they are a smoker even when they are not smoking. This notion in their head makes it difficult to quit the habit totally. Always think positive and make your mind realize that you are not a smoker anymore.
10. Get Rewards: Reward yourself time to time when you are successful in controlling your urge. You can use the money you spend in smoking to buy something that you love to have and you enjoy very much. These small rewards can make you happy and encourage to continue with your practice strongly.

Hope these steps will be really helpful to you when you decide to quit smoking which you should decide as soon as possible to stay healthy. One more thing you should keep in mind is that when you are in the process of quitting this habit you may get into some situation where you get strong urge to smoke. You should then immediately practice above steps like deep breathing or oral substitutes to get over the feeling. You should remember that once you lose your control and take one cigarette, you again start smoking and it becomes difficult to start the quitting process all over again. Thanks Indiatimes for providing useful facts on this. I am sure you will find the above steps very effective and easy to follow. Let me know if you find them working. Hoping to get feedback from you soon! Take care.