We have good news and bad news.
The good news is 55.1% of adult smokers attempted to quit smoking in 2018. The bad news is only 7.5% were successful.
While those numbers are not promising, there are effective methods to quit smoking. But the key to putting down cigarettes is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Smokers have to test different methods and determine which ones work for them.
Let’s review the most successful methods used to quit smoking.
Story Stages
1. Chew Away Your Cravings
One of the most common tried-and-true methods used to quit smoking is keeping your mouth busy. Smoking causes oral fixation. Therefore, smokers need to replace sucking on tobacco cigarettes with something less harmful.
Give your mouth something to do so it can fight off a cigarette craving. Try chewing sugarless gum throughout the day to keep your mouth occupied. If that’s not enough, crunch on carrots, celery, sunflower seeds, or nuts.
2. Replace Smoking With Vaping
Quitting smoking cold-turkey is extremely difficult, especially if you are a long-term smoker. Ease your body away from cigarettes by replacing them with a less-toxic habit, like vaping. Medical researchers believe e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than tobacco ones.
Vaping refers to using e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are made up of vape tanks, atomizers, and power sources that allow the user to inhale flavored vapes.
Researchers have found that vaping supports long-term abstinence. This is because it gives smokers pleasure while also providing the physical, psychological, and cultural elements of traditional smoking.
3. Avoid Smoking Triggers
Smoking cessation involves avoiding old triggers. These are things that make a person crave a cigarette.
Triggers can be emotional, social, or based on lifestyle patterns. For example, a smoker may take a smoke break every day at 10 am and 3 pm. These times become triggers that make it difficult for the smoker to stay clean.
To avoid triggers, identify them first. Make a list of everything that reminds you of smoking. Then, make a separate list of ways you can avoid or distract yourself from those triggers.
If going to a bar makes you want to smoke, avoid those types of places. If stress makes you crave a cigarette, find a healthier way to blow off steam. Try taking a hot bath, having a cup of tea, or getting a massage.
4. Get Physical
Physical activity helps people quit smoking in two ways.
First, it makes you feel better. Exercise stimulates endorphin production that helps us feel less tense and clear-headed. Keeping your mood elevated can prevent emotional smoking triggers, like stress, from taking over.
Second, physical activity is a distraction from cravings.
If you are experiencing an intense desire for tobacco, get moving. Go for a jog, walk up and down your stairs, or bang out a few jumping jacks. Do something that gets your body moving and pushes away tobacco cravings.
Methods to Quit Smoking & More Lifestyle Tips
No matter how long you have been smoking, it’s always possible to put down the cigarettes for good. With so many helpful methods to quit smoking, you can find the tricks that work best for you.
So, now that you know the best ways to quit smoking, what other advice are you looking for? Browse our blog for more tips on culture, entertainment, health and fitness, money, and more.
