Giving up cigarettes is a difficult process for most people. A few can quit cold turkey and not experience any withdrawal symptoms at all. But, for most ex-smokers there are some things that should be avoided, in order to continue being able to ditch the smoking habit. Here are 7 things to avoid when you quit smoking.
Being confined to a small space that is flooded with cigarette smoke is only going to make you want a cigarette for yourself. This goes for not only buildings, but also for vehicles. If you are with a friend or acquaintance who is smoking in the car, kindly ask that the cigarette be extinguished or roll down your window. Hopefully your friend will respect your wishes and wait to have a cigarette break later on.
Most friends should be supportive of your decision to quit smoking. There might be a friend who can't fathom the idea of kicking the habit and can't understand why you'd ever want to. Sometimes it's friends like this who feel the need to repeatedly ask you if you want a cigarette or offer you a puff of their own. You don't need to be around this lack of support when you've just recently stopped smoking.
Smoking keeps your hands and mouth busy, so the first thing people turn to in place of smoking is gum chewing. This tends to lead to the consumption of candy. I remember my dad going through bags and bags of candy after he quit smoking. He ended up going to the dentist a few months later, where he received news that he had a couple of new cavities.
The oral fixation doesn't end with candy either. Many people who have recently become a non-smoker resort to eating a lot of junk food. Junk food seems to be the next level people resort to when candy isn't enough.
I know many people who smoke when they are bored. When people who mostly smoked out of boredom decide to quit smoking, they tend to lean more towards food. It's as if the hands and mouth don't know what to do to keep occupied. Food can very easily become the new substitute for cigarettes.
Very few people can quit smoking and continue to lead a sedentary life without seeing some ill effects on their body. Take up walking to keep your mind off of smoking and your hand out of the potato chip bag. It's easiest to quit smoking when you have a friend in the same boat. If you do have a friend who has recently given up cigarettes, then see if he/she will start exercising with you.
For some people, it only takes one cigarette to be hooked again. Try not to give in to that pesky urge to smoke. Get rid of any cigarettes you've hidden around the house or in your car so you won't be tempted.
I hope these 7 things to avoid when you quit smoking will help you to be successful in your goal of kicking the habit of smoking. Have you recently quit smoking or are you just thinking about giving it up?
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