How to Quit Smoking? - Paper Example

Cigarettes smoking is practiced by over I billion people globally. World statistics in 2014 indicated that nearly 800 million men were active smokers. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases such as lung cancer, asthma, and arthritis. In the US, smoking causes deaths of over 500,000 people annually more than HIV, vehicle accidents or alcohol abuse. This trend can, however, be reversed by advising the smokers on how to quit smoking. The paper provides three crucial steps that can help smokers quit smoking.

Step 1: Have A Plan

The first thing to quit smoking is preparing a detailed plan on how you are going to do it. Set a date to quit smoking and get assistance from online tools such as smokefree.gov on how to manage yourself after quitting smoking. A plan should contain the alternatives such as always drinking water or fresh juice so that it will keep you busy from smoking. Another essential aspect is involving others in your plan. Going alone in quitting smoking can be a complicated process, but it may be easier when you involve your family or friends to offer you support. Ask every close person to provide you with moral support and advice where necessary to avoid getting temptations. Lastly, prepare plans on visiting health care professionals in case you develop some complications such as nausea, depression, sore throat, and restlessness. With a well-detailed plan, you can now start the process of quitting cigarette smoking with strict rules.

Step 2: Stay Busy

The second step is staying busy at all times either when you are alone or with friends. This is because cigarette smoking has always been caused by being idle thus prompting you to practice smoking which eventually causes addiction. The best way to stay busy is by engaging in various activities such as sports, exercise, watching movies or reading. Another critical thing is participating in activities with friends who are non-smokers at all times. Rather than smoking, start chewing gums and other things that keep your mouth busy. Additionally, you must avoid places that may tempt you to smoke. These include smoking zones and house parties where smoking is prevalent. Try to avoid common smoking triggers such as stress, coffee, alcohol, and effects of withdrawal symptoms. Throw away the cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters that you had been using before to make sure it is not easily accessible. In a shorter period, you will start noticing the decreasing desire for cigarettes in your body.

Step 3: Reward Your Accomplishments

The last step is rewarding yourself for successfully quitting smoking. Since stopping is hard, celebrate every hour you stay without smoking because it saves you some amount of money that could have been used to buy cigarettes. Use the money saved to buy some household items to replace the space of your ashtray. Replace the furniture burned by the remains of the cigarettes and refurbish. The next thing is to engage in various activities such as dance classes or exercises to maximize the time you had been losing while smoking cigarettes. Moreover, learn other things like singing and musical instruments during your free time or attending movie theaters and studios. More importantly, reward those who gave your support by giving them gifts or anything that makes them feel happy and appreciated. Lastly, reward yourself with tasty meals, nice outfits, and leisure trips.

Conclusively, quitting smoking can be an uphill task but can be easily accomplished when you are determined to do so. Having detailed plan and alternative for smoking will significantly help in ending cigarettes use. If these steps are strictly followed, a cigarette addict will stop smoking in a short period.