Quitting Smoking
Saturday, April 24th, 2010Addiction never comes in small doses. For a person who has been smoking from the time he could hold a cigarette, overcoming the habit can be a major hurdle. Quitting smoking is not an easy task as it requires lots of courage and patience, not only by the smoker but also for the people around him. But if you did decide on quitting smoking, I’m sure anyone would say that it was one of the best decisions to make in life.
Addictions are hard to stop. But if you do try to stop it can invoke feelings such as fear and that is quite normal.
But you must not let this fear control you and let it become a barrier in making the most important decision in life.
Remember that although the fight to overcome your bad habit takes time and your patience, in the long run it is definitely worth the effort.
Quitting smoking can take place with the follow up of three basic steps.
- The first step is to get ready. This can be done by setting up a specific date where you will actually begin your ‘quitting smoking’ process.
- Apart from the date, you can also change the atmosphere of where you live in. Surely the place would be filled up with cigarettes, ashtrays, etc. If you search properly, might be found not only inside the house, but in the car and even the workplace. If you really want to stop smoking, make sure that there aren’t more people in your house who share the same bad habit.
- The next step is to get support. Giving up smoking can be a difficult task. It needs your will power, as well as the support and encouragement of your peers, your family, etc. You must enlighten them on the fact that you are on the road to quitting smoking and are in need of their help. This can be done by telling them not to smoke or leave cigarettes around you. Getting support from a psychologist or a doctor is much preferred in cases like this. The increased awareness has opened up new doors for people who are quitting smoking. Today, you will find thousands of institutions offering counselling sessions, mostly free of charge to the patients who come in. So try and get information regarding such places and try to enrol in such a program.
Quitting smoking can be a very trying situation mainly because the body has become so used to inhaling the product. This is where the third step comes into practice. Learning new skills and behaviours can help the person who is trying very hard to overcome these urges. Try to change your daily routine, go out for a walk, get busycan help the person keep their mind away from what they are trying to stop.
Each day can be an adventure if a good plan is initiated to doing something new and enjoyable. Whilst doing all this, make sure to gather knowledge by reading books on ways that will assist you in the process of quitting smoking.


The effects of cigarette smoking are dangerous and they lead to many fatal conditions like lung cancer. The nicotine in cigarettes reaches the brain just after 10 seconds of consumption. The smoke is so lethal that it spreads to every part of your body swiftly. The carbon monoxide mixes with the hemoglobin in the red blood cells and affects oxygen circulation.
