Six Effective Tips to Help You Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking solely relying on personal willpower without any external assistance is very difficult. Both psychologically and physiologically, there will be strong withdrawal symptoms: severe depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, cravings for tobacco, restlessness, frustration, tension, feelings of failure, irritability, insomnia... Withdrawal symptoms are particularly noticeable in the early stages of quitting, especially in the first three days, and can still be significant in the first or second week, but as the withdrawal period extends, these symptoms gradually diminish. When the withdrawal symptoms will completely disappear varies from person to person.
 
To successfully quit smoking, you must have the following four points, and none can be missing:

Before starting to quit smoking, give yourself a preparation period. It’s not that I want to quit today and can do it tomorrow; without sufficient psychological and physiological preparation, it’s easy to relapse. Psychological preparation involves anticipating the difficulties you may encounter during the quitting process, analyzing the favorable and unfavorable conditions for quitting. Physiological preparation can include starting to quit during a holiday or while traveling, placing yourself in a completely relaxed environment to reduce the adverse effects of withdrawal symptoms on life and work. Heavy smokers may prepare to seek medical advice and use scientifically proven cessation medications.

Due to the physiological dependence on nicotine and the psychological dependence on the smoking habit that smokers have formed, they know smoking is harmful but still find it hard to let go, often finding various excuses to comfort themselves, which is a very dangerous and unwise approach. In the face of the dangers of smoking, quitting is the only correct choice. The first step to quitting is to make the determination to quit, as a firm resolution is the prerequisite for success.

During the quitting process, you should master several tips for quitting:

(1) Publicly announce, "I am quitting smoking." Spread the word about your quitting, seeking supervision, support, and help from family, colleagues, and friends.

(2) Throw away all cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia, do not buy cigarettes, and do not accept cigarettes from others.

(3) Stay away from smokers and avoid situations where you might smoke again, such as dinner parties or card games.

(4) Distract yourself and regulate your emotions. Arrange your daily work and life tightly to keep yourself busy, or drink tea, snack, chat with friends, play games, etc., to divert your attention and regulate your emotions.

(5) Engage in more aerobic exercise. Regular exercise can reduce cravings and dependence on nicotine, enhance self-control, and maintain a pleasant mood. A survey showed that after participating in running, about 81% of men and 75% of women quit smoking.

(6) Hold on for the last five minutes. Whenever the craving hits, just hold on for about 5-10 minutes, and the craving will gradually subside.

Action is the beginning of quitting smoking, and persistence is the key to success. The action to quit smoking not only needs to start immediately but also requires constant prevention of relapse. In the early stages of quitting, many people may slip and smoke one or two cigarettes; this is actually quite common. As long as you realize the mistake, start over immediately. As long as you fully understand the dangers of smoking from the depths of your mind, take action, and keep taking action, quitting smoking will definitely succeed.

Research both domestically and internationally has shown that doctors' advice and interventions, as well as smoking cessation medications, have a significant impact on smokers' physiological, psychological, and behavioral aspects. The Smoking Cessation Clinic at the General Hospital of the PLA has been operating for nearly 10 years, and our years of clinical practice have proven that receiving medication treatment and psychological counseling from professional smoking cessation clinic doctors significantly increases the success rate of quitting.