8 Tips for a Successful Quit Smoking Journey

8 Tips for a Successful Quit Smoking Journey

On May 31, World No Tobacco Day, many smokers consider it a D-Day for them to quit smoking for good. Before this day comes, here are some tips to prepare for it. But first, let's understand why quitting smoking is a difficult task. Cigarettes contain many substances that are addictive. This is why quitting smoking is a difficult process, as it is hard to break free from the addiction.

The challenge of quitting smoking can be attributed to two key factors:

- Addiction resulting from the body's need for a substance or Physiological Dependence

- Addiction resulting from a psychological dependency on a substance or Psychological Addiction.

Quitting smoking is a difficult habit to break as it is both a physical and psychological addiction. It is not enough to simply remove one of the causes, as both must be addressed in order to successfully quit. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction to smoking in order to quit successfully.

Facts of Physiological Dependence

Within just 7 to 10 seconds of smoking, nicotine has an immediate effect on the brain, providing a feeling of satisfaction and energy. After 30 minutes, all of the nicotine has been broken down by the body and the smoker begins to feel tired, restless, and stressed. This prompts them to smoke again and the frequency and amount of cigarettes increases until the smoker becomes addicted.

The reality of what is commonly referred to as Psychological Addiction or Habit.

Ponder this: how critical are cigarettes to your daily routine?

To explain the source of addictive behavior, Ivan Pavlov's theory of classical conditioning can be applied. This theory is often referred to as “The dog heard the bell and drooled because he thought he would get food”. This is based off of an experiment where Pavlov would ring a bell, causing the dog to salivate in anticipation of receiving food.

Every time before feeding the dog, the dog will recognize that whenever the bell is heard, it will get food, and when the bell rings, the dog will drool. Even if no food is provided at that time, the dog has learned that when the bell rings, it will get some food.

This can be compared to a smoker, who has certain behaviors associated with smoking,

Whenever someone who smokes gets in a car, they may find themselves compulsively thinking about smoking. This thought pattern is reinforced by a habit of always getting a cigarette when first waking up. Thus, every time they're in the car, their brain might say to them, "Okay, I'm in the car. Where's my cigarette?"

Smoking Cessation

If you are serious about quitting smoking, tomorrow's World No Tobacco Day is the perfect day to start. With the help of various smoking cessation products and medical procedures, you can tackle the physical addiction, but for the habit, it requires strength, encouragement, and true intentions.

Follow the tips below to ensure you never come back to smoking again.

Throw away all your cigarettes. Search through your pockets, jacket, desk drawer, and any other places where you may have hidden them. Make sure not to keep even a single cigarette - no matter how expensive it may have been.
Also throw away the ashtray, as it is an expensive decoration that could be passed on to someone else, or stored away somewhere it won't be easily seen or picked up.
Change your hairstyle to signify that you are becoming a new person.
Clean the house and all of its furnishings, including washing all of the clothes to ensure that the smell of cigarettes is gone. Smokers may not be able to smell these odors due to habit, but once the habit is gone, it will become more apparent.
Consuming a large amount of clean water can help flush Nicotine out of the body, which can lessen the desire to smoke.
Reduce the consumption of caffeine each day. Whether it's tea or coffee, before quitting you should try to cut down the amount of this substance to about half of what you were consuming each day. Nicotine makes caffeine absorb into the body more quickly, so eating the same amount of caffeine while smoking may lead to a condition known as caffeine toxicity with symptoms of anxiety and stress, which may cause you to go back to smoking again.
Exercise regularly. Not only does it make the body healthy and strong, but it also helps to take your mind away from smoking.
Find a friend who wants to quit smoking with you. Quitting together will make the process easier, as you can keep reminding and encouraging each other. Alternatively, you could also look for other sources of inspiration, such as quitting for your children, parents, or a loved one.