Focus the Mind to Quit Smoking
With the with the onset of the Smoking Ban, it is estimated that over 2 million people in England, Wales & Scotland will have tried to quit smoking in the second half of 2007.
However, even if all of these people managed to give up and stay off cigarettes, that still leaves an estimated 8 million smokers in Britain today.
To give up smoking is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions, with hundreds of thousands trying to quit each year.
But the sad fact is that a significant proportion of these people will lapse before the year is out and return to their smoking habit.
There are withdrawal symptoms that will be experienced when trying to give up smoking - many people suffer from mouth ulcers, develop a chesty cough and even suffer from disturbed sleep.
However as well as these physical symptoms there are also mental side effects that need to be faced - irritability, restlessness and anxiety and it is perhaps these side effects that contribute more to people succumbing to the craving for nicotine more than the physical withdrawal symptoms.
Therefore preparing yourself mentally to quit before you even stub out that last cigarette could be the key to success.
Take time to sit down and write a list of all the reasons why you want to quit and then put it somewhere really obvious to refer back to it in a moment of weakness.
Decide on a day to quit and make a note - only buy enough cigarettes to last you until that time - "emergency supplies" stashed away will call out to you once you've stopped and could be your downfall.
Tell your family and friends and ask them to support you, maybe even find yourself a friend who wants to stop as well.
The night before you are due to quit, throw away all your smoking "equipment" - ashtrays, lighters, spare cigarettes - they've got to go if you are to succeed.
However, perhaps most important of all is to accept the fact that it won't be easy to give up.
If you kid yourself that giving up smoking is going to be a walk in the park then you will be unpleasantly surprised throughout the first few days and you may not have the willpower to see it through.
But, if you're feeling really strong you could try some reverse psychology and view the cravings as a good thing - it's a sign that your body is starting to recover.
Once you've taken the plunge and decided to give up smoking [http://www.
boots.
com/changeonething], the key to success is to take small steps.
Take each day one at a time and tell yourself you just aren't smoking for today; it will seem far less daunting than never smoking EVER AGAIN.
Nicotine replacement therapy could work if you've been a heavy smoker, but if you don't want to go that route then distract yourself; drinking water flushes out toxins but also gives you something to do with your hands.
Alternatively, go and do something else - ring a friend or go for a walk.
Finally, sit those cravings out - the average craving only lasts three minutes and then the urge should disappear.
Once you've got this far, you're almost there and you just need a few techniques to keep you on the straight and narrow.
By spotting your trigger points, you can learn to avoid them; so for example if you always had a cigarette with a glass of wine, have a handful of nuts instead so that you have something else to focus on.
If you do have a lapse, keep your resolve - it's only one and you don't have to have another.
Smoking was a habit, so help to break it by taking up a new habit (but this time, choose a healthy one!)If you think you would benefit from some help as you give up, take advantage of the support that's out there.
There are plenty of support groups for people wishing to give up smoking - both online and offline, and anyone serious about giving up can find details of support groups from their local GP surgery.
Additionally, many high street chemists offer help and advice for those wishing to stop smoking.
Boots, for example operate their Change One Thing programme, which has an action plan containing advice from experts, to hold your hand every step of the way.
Before you know it, you will start to see the positives - your clothes will no longer smell, your skin may have fewer wrinkles, your smile will be brighter once the cigarette stains start to fade and your heart will be much healthily.
So, take a deep breath (if you can!) and declare yourself a non-smoker in 2008.
However, even if all of these people managed to give up and stay off cigarettes, that still leaves an estimated 8 million smokers in Britain today.
To give up smoking is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions, with hundreds of thousands trying to quit each year.
But the sad fact is that a significant proportion of these people will lapse before the year is out and return to their smoking habit.
There are withdrawal symptoms that will be experienced when trying to give up smoking - many people suffer from mouth ulcers, develop a chesty cough and even suffer from disturbed sleep.
However as well as these physical symptoms there are also mental side effects that need to be faced - irritability, restlessness and anxiety and it is perhaps these side effects that contribute more to people succumbing to the craving for nicotine more than the physical withdrawal symptoms.
Therefore preparing yourself mentally to quit before you even stub out that last cigarette could be the key to success.
Take time to sit down and write a list of all the reasons why you want to quit and then put it somewhere really obvious to refer back to it in a moment of weakness.
Decide on a day to quit and make a note - only buy enough cigarettes to last you until that time - "emergency supplies" stashed away will call out to you once you've stopped and could be your downfall.
Tell your family and friends and ask them to support you, maybe even find yourself a friend who wants to stop as well.
The night before you are due to quit, throw away all your smoking "equipment" - ashtrays, lighters, spare cigarettes - they've got to go if you are to succeed.
However, perhaps most important of all is to accept the fact that it won't be easy to give up.
If you kid yourself that giving up smoking is going to be a walk in the park then you will be unpleasantly surprised throughout the first few days and you may not have the willpower to see it through.
But, if you're feeling really strong you could try some reverse psychology and view the cravings as a good thing - it's a sign that your body is starting to recover.
Once you've taken the plunge and decided to give up smoking [http://www.
boots.
com/changeonething], the key to success is to take small steps.
Take each day one at a time and tell yourself you just aren't smoking for today; it will seem far less daunting than never smoking EVER AGAIN.
Nicotine replacement therapy could work if you've been a heavy smoker, but if you don't want to go that route then distract yourself; drinking water flushes out toxins but also gives you something to do with your hands.
Alternatively, go and do something else - ring a friend or go for a walk.
Finally, sit those cravings out - the average craving only lasts three minutes and then the urge should disappear.
Once you've got this far, you're almost there and you just need a few techniques to keep you on the straight and narrow.
By spotting your trigger points, you can learn to avoid them; so for example if you always had a cigarette with a glass of wine, have a handful of nuts instead so that you have something else to focus on.
If you do have a lapse, keep your resolve - it's only one and you don't have to have another.
Smoking was a habit, so help to break it by taking up a new habit (but this time, choose a healthy one!)If you think you would benefit from some help as you give up, take advantage of the support that's out there.
There are plenty of support groups for people wishing to give up smoking - both online and offline, and anyone serious about giving up can find details of support groups from their local GP surgery.
Additionally, many high street chemists offer help and advice for those wishing to stop smoking.
Boots, for example operate their Change One Thing programme, which has an action plan containing advice from experts, to hold your hand every step of the way.
Before you know it, you will start to see the positives - your clothes will no longer smell, your skin may have fewer wrinkles, your smile will be brighter once the cigarette stains start to fade and your heart will be much healthily.
So, take a deep breath (if you can!) and declare yourself a non-smoker in 2008.