Smoking cessation: Tips to resist your cravings for tobacco

Every tobacco user while trying to quit smoking, find it difficult to resist the urge to use tobacco. If you are planning to quit smoking, doctors at a family clinic Nashville can help you. At the same time, they can also provide you some self-help tips that would help to resist your tobacco cravings. In this article, we will discuss some useful tips that you can follow through your journey of smoking cessation.

Nicotine replacement therapy

You can consult your doctor regarding nicotine replacement therapy. They might prescribe non-nicotine medications such as varenicline and bupropion. Otherwise, they can even prescribe nicotine in the form of nasal spray or inhaler. You might try nicotine gum or lozenges as well. Nicotine gum, lozenges, sprays, etc are safe alternatives and can help you overcome your cravings for nicotine. However, you need to use them in combination with non-nicotine medications. Electronic cigarettes are becoming a popular alternative to traditional cigarettes. However, further studies are required to determine whether they can help in smoking cessation and are safe to use.

Avoid triggers

Usually, smokers felt the need to smoke whenever they are at parties or bars, under a lot of stress & while consuming coffee. These situations can trigger your tobacco cravings if you are trying to quit smoking. Hence, you must identify the factors that can trigger your cravings & avoid the same. 

Chew gums

Whenever you feel the urge to consume tobacco, keep your mouth busy by chewing crunchy food items such as sugarless gums, nuts, seeds, or even raw carrots or celery.

Physical activities

Exercises can reduce the intensity of tobacco cravings & also keep your mind distracted from the same. Therefore, whenever you are feeling the urge to smoke or chew tobacco, distract yourself by doing some freehand exercises. You can even engage yourself with other chores at home or work, to keep your mind away from tobacco.

Relaxation techniques

People under a lot of stress usually rely on smoking to distress themselves. Additionally, smokers who are trying to quit smoking might find it quite stressful to resist tobacco cravings. In such cases, practicing certain relaxation techniques might help them. Deep-breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, listening to soothing music might help in keeping you calm so that you don't feel the urge to go back to smoking.

Others

• Family & friends - Your family & friends can help you to resist your tobacco craving. Talk to them, go for a walk or ask them to keep your mind engaged whenever you feel like giving in to the temptation of smoking tobacco. Your doctor at a medical clinic in Nashville can also provide you counseling support to strengthen your resolve to quit smoking.
• Online support - You can look for online programs that support smokers who are trying to quit smoking. Additionally, you can try and get in touch with others who have successfully quit smoking. Hearing their experience, their struggles, and their success might help you to successfully give up on smoking.
• Postpone it for later - Sometimes, giving up smoking entirely can be difficult. If you feel that you cannot resist the urge to smoke tobacco, try telling yourself to wait for few more minutes. Use this delay to engage yourself in different activities that don't make you think of smoking. You can also try and visit public, no-smoking places to prevent yourself from giving in to the temptation. These simple tricks can help you go through one day at a time without smoking tobacco.
• Don’t try even one - Sometimes, you might try to fool yourself by telling that you would have 'just one'. We say it from our experience that such tricks don't end with 'just one'. As a result, before you know you would start smoking again. All your progress that you might have achieved in quitting smoking will be wasted. Once you start smoking cessation, never for once give in to the temptation of 'trying just one'.
• Constant encouragement - To prevent the urges of tobacco; keep reminding yourself of the benefits of smoking cessation. Tell yourself repeatedly that you are becoming healthier, and you feel better. Remind yourself that every single step towards quitting smoking is protecting your loved ones from second or third-hand smoke.

We hope that you would find these tips helpful while trying to quit smoking. Do not forget to follow the advice of your doctors at a family clinic Nashville concerning smoking cessation. Always remember that each of these small step counts. It is better to try something to resist the tobacco cravings than nothing at all.