The following is a guest post from Ephiphany Solutions
Many people are addicted to smoking and, when you think about it, there’s little benefit to the activity – if any. (From Kris: I can’t think of any benefit whatsoever.) However, given the number of problems that it causes, there’s every reason to quit. It could be costing you hundreds – if not thousands – of pounds/dollars each year, and given the elevated chance of heart attacks, strokes, cancer and dental problems, it could even cost you your life in the long-term. By following these top tips, you can do one of the healthiest things in your life.
Get a prescription
By getting support from a Lloydspharmacy online prescription for smoking alternatives – patches, atomisers, gum or tablets – you can slowly phase out your dependency on nicotine without having to take in a serious amount of tobacco in the process. With government initiatives often subsidising this cost, it can be even cheaper to stop smoking, even though alternatives often undercut outgoings on cigarettes by a large margin.
Let people know you’re quitting
One of the best ways to successfully quit smoking is to have a strong support system, so it pays dividends if you’re letting loved ones and acquaintances help you through the tough times. Ensure that you share your success, too, as then people will feel glad that they are actively encouraging you to make a positive change. You can use the free make a promise tool by the NHS to make the first step towards stopping smoking.
Write about why you’re doing it
Whether you’re jotting down your reasons for quitting, what you plan to do with the money you’re saving or strategies that will help you cope with the desire to smoke, writing is one of the best things that can help you vent and take out your frustrations. Why not blog about it and become a role model for others in your situation? You may find yourself inspiring plenty of other people to do themselves a favour.
Get a new hobby
Computer games, photography, walking and sport have all been credited as great ways to take one’s mind off of smoking. Many people often turn to food as their appetite is not as suppressed as it was before, though this is an unhealthy and expensive option. Do something life-affirming and you will make quitting a lot easier for yourself.
Drink plenty of water
As mentioned, food is often something that people will crave when they quit smoking. However, water helps you in this situation for a number of reasons. Not only does it curb hunger, but it also helps your body to healing damage caused by smoking; the best bit is that it doesn’t even have any calories.
Go forth and do your wallet and body a favour at the same time – you may never realise just how much good you’ll do yourself until you quit.
From Kris: I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to quit smoking. It causes so much damage to the body, much of which is irreversible. Even if you don’t want to quit smoking for yourself, think about quitting for the rest of your family.
