Post by judyb on Jul 20, 2004 11:51:20 GMT -5
Tips For Gaining Freedom From Nicotine
Practical suggestions for people new to not smoking.
1. It's not as hard as you think. Once you begin to be honest with yourself and to look at
the facts about smoking, it will become a pleasure to remove this addiction from your life.
2. Square off with your smoking habit. Look at it and size it up. Ask yourself exactly what
it is doing for you; then ask yourself what it is not doing for you. You can begin with your hair
and work your way down to the tips of your toes. It is a medical fact that smoking affects every
organ in the human body in a harmful way.
3. Look at quitting cigarettes as giving yourself a gift -- a very big gift. You are
giving yourself a better quality of life and, very possibly, a longer life. You are giving yourself a
healthier body. You are giving yourself more self-esteem. Wrap all this in a package and look at
it for the gift it really is, then "Go for it!"
4. Set a date. Make a commitment. Give it a try. Remember, it is all right if you don't
succeed at first. Just keep trying. The only way you can lose is by ceasing to try.
5. Don't look at it as if you are giving up something. This makes it seem too much like
a loss. What you are really doing is tossing something out of your life that has done you harm
and doesn't belong here anymore. You are throwing away pure garbage. No longer are you
going to allow your lungs to be a resting place for nicotine and tars.
6. Always keep a positive attitude. After all, this is one of the most positive things you've
ever done. Stay away from negative people and worrisome situations.
7. Quit for yourself. Even though your family and loved ones will benefit tremendously from
your quitting, it is you that will benefit most.
8. Treat giving up smoking with the respect it rightly deserves. Become willing to go
to any lengths to remove it from your life. If you are not willing, try praying for the willingness.
This usually works.
9. Look up the word 'nicotine' in your dictionary and write down the definition in big
letters: "A poisonous alkaloid used as an insecticide.' Put it where you can see it.
10. Don't say "I'll take my chances" and continue to smoke. They are not ours to take.
We didn't give ourselves life and we don't have the right to "take our chances" on giving it away.
That is up to God.
11.. Don't fool yourself by saying you have too many pressures in your life right
now to give up cigarettes. If you are smoking, this in itself is a very great pressure. Every
day is a gamble and your life is at stake. By getting nicotine out of your life, other things will
become easier to handle. You will feel better about yourself and you will have more energy. You
will have accomplished something more meaningful than all the money and
material objects you could ever acquire. You will have given yourself what no one
else could give you. You will no longer have the pressure of being a smoker.
12. Don't use the excuse that you might gain weight to justify your continuing to
smoke. Even if you do gain a little, the fact that you will be more active and will get more
exercise should counteract any weight gain. Remember, overeating, not stopping
smoking, causes weight gain.
13. Plan to do things that will keep your mind off smoking. Sometimes our minds can
be our worst enemies. They will tell us that we need a cigarette for just about any reason that is
handy at the time. By doing things like going to the movies in the non-smoking section,
munching on corn or sucking on a lollipop, we can keep our minds occupied and get a break.
Go to museums and other places where smoking isn't allowed. Swimming is a good idea, too.
14. Quit smoking one day at a time and think only about the part of the day you are in. "I
am not going to smoke before noon." "I am not going to smoke before three o'clock." Sometimes
just do it one hour at a time. This is a lot easier than trying to quit forever.
15. Don't subject yourself to smoky situations. If you do come in contact with someone
who is smoking, just say to yourself "He is having the cigarette I might be having"; then, be
grateful you don't have to have it.
16. While you are quitting. Look at it as an investment. Once you have quit for one
hour, you have invested this hour in becoming a healthier person. Now, invest one more hour.
Continue to add to your investment hour by hour. It will grow and become more valuable as the
hours go by. You will begin to see and feel the rewards from this investment more and more.
Protect and guard it just as you would a treasure.
17. Start being kind to yourself. It is the beginning of a new way of life for you and you are
the most important one there. Treat yourself with respect and love and, remember, you are no
longer filling your system with poison every few minutes. Breathe the clean air and breathe it
deeply. Smell the different and wonderful fragrances. Begin to spend time outdoors close to
nature. Many new sensations await you.
18. Don't get too angry. If we are angry, our minds tell us we need a cigarette to cope. Until
your mind learns that it doesn't need a cigarette to cope, try to avoid situations that might be
setting you up. Avoid certain people that may bother you. If there is a lot of tension at work, try
to get a few days off. If you can't get some time off, quit smoking on a long week end. Avoid, as
best you can, things like getting stuck in traffic. Use a lot of caution. Anger can be very
destructive.
19. Don't get too hungry. It is amazing how our minds will tell us that everything's wrong
when all we really need to do is eat.
20. Don't get too tired. If we are tired, it is easy to become irritated and when we get
irritated our minds will tell us that a cigarette will help. Our overall resistance becomes weak
and it is easy to say, "Oh well, I guess I'll smoke."
21. Don't get too lonely. It is good to know some people who are going through the same
thing.
22. You can remember these four things by the word "HALT." Hungry, angry, lonely, tired.
If you feel you need a cigarette, check. Make sure you are not experiencing any of these.
23. Don't get too bored. It is hard to just sit and not smoke. Keep busy. Find things to do
that you enjoy: bike riding, hiking, swimming, exploring new places, trying new restaurants. This
is the time to indulge yourself.
24. Have something to fidget with. We are accustomed to holding a cigarette; being without
one might leave our hands at a loss. Get a small rubber ball or a yo-yo. Play dough is good
also, or a piece of clay.
25. Have something handy to put in your mouth. Life Savers are good, or any slowly
dissolving candy. Beef jerky and lollipops help, too. Avoid fattening foods like cookies. They
don't last long and they fill you up. Experiment while you are still smoking to see what will
relieve the craving. If Life Savers work, then stock up. Just a note of caution: don't use this type
of substitute on a long-term basis.
continued............................