Child Health

Everyone would love it if there was a magical tip that can be used to immediately stop smoking without having to deal with withdrawal symptom. Cravings or the urge to smoke again is probably one of the hardest things that you will have to deal with once you decide to quit. A lot of commitment and willpower goes into this process to make sure that you do not relapse. However, you should not give up just because you have given in to the urge and smoked a cigarette.

It is important to pick yourself up and try again until you succeed. Always keep in mind all the benefits that you are going to achieve like improved health and better finances. At some point during the cessation process, several thoughts will run through your mind and you will be tempted to think that just one cigarette will not be harmful. You should know better than to indulge in your thought and soldier on. Some useful tips to help you navigate through any unhealthy thoughts include:
1. Identify triggers
Once you identify what your smoking triggers are, you will be able to avoid them and thus reduce your urge to smoke. Keep a notebook and note down the intense of the cravings, time of day, activities you are doing, your location, your company and how you feel. You should keep your notebook for at least an entire week and the weekend included.
It is important to plan some activities that will shift your focus after you have identified what triggers the urge. For instance, if the urge comes after taking a meal, take a long walk after every meal to keep your mind on other things. You should also avoid temptations like sitting in smoking areas in a restaurant as this is a very strong trigger. Get rid of all smoking materials like matches, lighters, ashtrays and cigarettes from your home, office and car.
2. Remind yourself the reason why you quit
Every time an urge hits you to smoke, you should focus on all the reasons why you made the decision to give up smoking in the first place. It is a good idea to list down all your reasons on an index card and carry it with you wherever you do. Just start reading the list and by the time you are through, your urge will have passed.

Always counteract the thought to smoke by reaffirming to yourself that you made the right decision and you are not going to smoke again. You can chew a gum and keep your mouth busy before you give in and smoke that cigarette. By diverting your thoughts to other things, you will be in a position to suppress the desire and your craving will disappear.
3. Reward yourself
When you decide to quit smoking you should come up with a plan and set targets that should be achieved within a set time frame. For instance, if you are using e-cigarette as a smoking cessation aid, make a commitment to yourself the number of times you are going to use it in a day. Write down the reward that you are going to give yourself at the end of the period. When the urge hits just look at the reward that you are going to get.
Alternatively, you could save the amount of money that you would spend in a day and treat yourself for a retreat after a month. After you get your first reward, you will feel so good about your achievement and you will want to experience this feeling again.
4. Support system
There are lots of benefits associated with quit smoking support groups because these are people who know what you are going through. Every time an urge hits you, the group will be there to motivate you and provide you with numerous techniques to cope. Talk is a useful tool for any kind of addiction and the group will give you a listening ear to vent. The non-judgmental and unbiased nature of the group will allow you to speak out your heart. You should make sure that you attend all the sessions so that you can get the most out of the support group.

Byline

Tatiana Rodriguez is a health writer and she regularly posts articles on a wide range of health topics. She is an expert on e-cigarettes and recommends checking out the electronic cigarette glossary if you are looking for a smoking cessation aid.