The truth of the matter when it comes to quitting smoking is that there are literally hundreds if not thousands of stop smoking programs available online. Just by going a quick Google search you have the ability to gain access to as many stop smoking programs as your heart desires. Now, while using a stop smoking program has worked for many and can work for you, this doesn’t mean that any old program is worth pursuing. It’s one thing to be confronted with hundreds of stop smoking programs and it’s another to be confronted with programs that actually deliver results. Because if a program doesn’t cover all aspects of quitting smoking thoroughly then there really isn’t a point to pursuing it. Look at it this way, if you decide to try out a stop smoking program that leaves out important information such as how to keep yourself motivated or proven techniques to quit smoking then you are just setting yourself up for failure. And if you’ve already tried to quit smoking numerous times then I’m sure you aren’t too keen on failing yet again. This is why, if you are interested in trying out a program for smoking cessation, you need to give any program up for debate a thorough analysis.
Just Because It’s A Stop Smoking Program Doesn’t Mean It Will Help You Quit
Whenever shopping around for a new product it is always important to do comparisons and figure out which products offer you everything you need. This is part of being a smart consumer. And so, if you are someone who is trying to quit smoking with the help of a program you need to be applying smart consumerism. Basically, you can’t purchase a stop smoking program for the hell of it. You want to make sure that your investment in a quit smoking program is going to be a good one. An investment giving you just as much as you put into it in terms of time and money. Unfortunately, many programs fail to deliver a service that benefits you, the smoker, in the end.
This is why it is important to realize that just because it’s a stop smoking program it doesn’t mean it will allow you to quit your addiction. Simply put, a large portion of programs for quitting smoking fail to deliver. There are a variety of reasons as to why some stop smoking programs don’t deliver and honestly I couldn’t cover all of the without making this article a novel. This is why, if you look below, you’ll see that I’ve listed some of the most prominent reasons as to why some stop smoking programs fail to deliver.
Some stop smoking programs fail to deliver because…
- They lack thorough information and help
- They don’t cover all aspects of eliminating addiction such as the aspect of psychological addiction
- They are based around unproven techniques/methods
The list goes on and on. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you really need to examine the stop smoking program before going on with it. That’s really all there is to it. As long as you can really look into a program and determine whether or not it is a quality program you’ll be A ok. It is all about your time and money in the end so it is very much worth it to do a little “work” up front if you can even call it that. With all of that said, good luck on your journey to quit smoking!
September 25th, 2009 | Posted in Stop Smoking Programs | Comments Off
There are literally thousands upon thousands of stop smoking techniques and tips out there for one to use when trying to quit smoking. You could eliminate triggers to stop smoking, take up a new sport or activity to help keep you occupied, or you could just go cold turkey. The list goes on and on when it comes to ways of quitting smoking, stop smoking tips, and stop smoking techniques. But what if a strategy isn’t enough to get you to quit? What if you’ve tried everything in existence when it comes to stop smoking techniques? If you are completely worn out as far as ways to quit smoking goes then trying out a smoking aid might be a good option for you. But then again, this really isn’t that much to go by when considering the use of a smoking aid. In this article I will be taking a look at the option of using a stop smoking aid and helping you decide whether or not it is right for you.
To Use A Stop Smoking Aid or Not To Use A Stop Smoking Aid?
When it comes to stop smoking aids there are really only two main types. You’ve got your nicotine based aids and then you’ve got your “herbal” or “all natural” type aids. Both types of aids share one common goal and that is to get you to stop smoking. However, the way in which these different types of smoking aids do their jobs is completely different. Yes, they share a common goal. But apart from their common ground of getting you to quit smoking they are extremely different animals.
With nicotine based products you are literally fighting fire with fire. If you’ve been a smoker for a decent amount of time (or alternatively, haven’t been in hiding for the past 10 years) then you are probably aware that nicotine is what drives your addiction to cigarettes. When you find yourself absolutely dying for a cigarette and craving your brand, you actually just want a nicotine “refill”. So, when you consider the fact that smoking aids such as nicotine gum and nicotine patches work to help your nicotine addiction by giving you more nicotine you can begin to see the flaw in these types of products. Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you that nicotine based smoking aids flat out do no work as I am sure these types of aids have worked for some. It’s just that I want you to be informed before deciding to purchase a smoking aid that is nicotine based.
If you think about it, it just doesn’t make sense to substitute smoking nicotine for another method of consumption. Why spend all of that extra money on nicotine based smoking aids instead of committing to cutting back on the amount of cigarettes you smoke daily? If you are constantly allowing your body nicotine then you are still fueling that addiction of yours. It may be in small amounts but the fact of the matter is that when you are using nicotine smoking aids you are still giving your body nicotine. And nicotine is the root of all evil in terms of cigarette addiction. You need to really think about this type of think before you decide to go with a nicotine smoking aid in place of using traditional stop smoking techniques or trying out a natural smoking aid.
Unlike nicotine smoking aids, natural or herbal smoking aids are all about eliminating your cravings, withdrawal, and addiction. Most natural smoking aids include blends of several different ingredients which act together in order to target the biggest obstacles of quitting smoking. These aids aren’t about allowing your body more nicotine. Instead, natural and herbal smoking aids are meant to take the obstacles of quitting cigarettes head on and deal with them in a way that does not include nicotine. That is not to say that natural smoking aids are without their own faults as every product will differ. It’s just that you need to realize that when it comes to the use of smoking aids, natural smoking aids offer the safest and most risk-free method of quitting cigarettes.
Remember, it is important to consider all aspects of a smoking aids before deciding to use one whether it be nicotine based or all natural. If you aren’t aware of a stop smoking aid’s side effects, potential, social proof, and so on, then you are bound to be disappointed or even worse, make a bigger problem for yourself than you were already in.
September 23rd, 2009 | Posted in Stop Smoking Aids | Comments Off
Quitting smoking is no easy task and at times it can seem to be an impossible task. For this reason it is always important to be open to new tips and techniques regarding quitting smoking. If you aren’t open to new stop smoking tips and techniques then you are depriving yourself of your true potential. What I mean by this is that if you aren’t willing to try new techniques and tips out then you probably aren’t going to be successful at quitting. Just telling yourself that you are going to quit and are going to stick with that decision isn’t going to make you quit. Saying that you want to quit and that you are going to stick to that decision is a great start but there are things that you need to do along the way in order to make it happen. If you’ve decided that you want to quit then you need to make it as easy as possible for yourself to do so by incorporating helpful techniques and tips for quitting smoking. Below you will find 3 stop smoking tips to help you get started.
1. Do Something Other Than Smoke
A major factor as to why you are a regular smoker is your everyday routine. More likely than not your smoking routine revolves around your daily routine. And if you’ve been smoking for a decent amount of time now then you’ve probably managed to work smoking into much of your daily routine. At this point, your daily routine might even revolve around your smoking routine. If this kind of addiction to cigarettes is your addiction then this first tip is dedicated to you.
If you want to break away from the vicious cycle of smoking then you need to physically separate yourself from it. You need to start taking up activities that are new and refreshing. You need to start living and you need to do it in a way that doesn’t involve smoking cigarettes. The best types of activities for this are going to be nature oriented such as going hiking and going fishing. You really want to strive to do something that makes you feel alive and like you are actually “doing” something. If you feel as though what you are doing is entertaining and you sincerely enjoy it then it’ll be much easier to keep your mind off of cigarette smoking. It will also remind you that there is life outside of a daily smoking routine. You’ll be able to realize that it isn’t necessary for you to have a cigarette at every turn in order to find satisfaction.
2. Stop Smoking By Examining Your Health
A lot of smokers will say that they are fully aware what they are doing is harming their health and literally killing them. They realize that smoking is unhealthy and they are fine with it because they want to smoke. Now, if you really want a way to show yourself how bad smoking is for you health then all you need to do is to start running. Seriously, go outside and try to run for just a few minutes. I can almost guarantee that you’ll feel absolutely terrible.
Smokers don’t really acknowledge the unhealthy effects of smoking because they aren’t experiencing them first hand just yet. By showing yourself the terrible effects of smoking you might actually start to think that what you are going is seriously harming your health. Smoking literally limits your health potential and by exposing yourself to this you may be able to find a new found motivation for quitting cigarettes.
3. Carry A Certain Amount Of Cigarettes With You
If you are trying to quit smoking then you probably aren’t at the point where you can force yourself out of smoking by not carrying any cigarettes on you. However, what you can do is limit the amount of cigarettes that you carry on you. Instead of carrying a full pack on you only leave 5 cigarettes in the pack and then leave the rest at home. The effectiveness of this technique depends a lot on your will power so it is hard to tell how well it will work for you. With that said, this stop smoking tip is an excellent way to gradually cut down on the amount of cigarettes you are smoking and eventually quit. If you can manage to stick with it then you will find yourself managing your day on a certain amount of cigarettes. Instead of going about the day with a fresh pack and being able to smoke whenever the hell you want, you will literally have to plan out your cigarette consumption. Before you go to smoke that next cigarette you’ll find yourself saying, “Do I really want to smoke this one now, or can I wait?”. Now, as I said this is a great way to cut back on smoking and eventually quit smoking if you can work with it. Stick with it and you’ll find yourself cutting down in no time.
September 23rd, 2009 | Posted in Stop Smoking Tips | Comments Off
I think that many would agree that the reason why many smokers start smoking is because of friends and social situations. If you think about it, the reason any of us smoke cigarettes is because of something “social”. At some point in our lives we need to experience smoking socially if we are going to accept. We might see our parents smoke, we might see our friends smoke, we might see people smoking on TV…the types of social smoking encounters goes on and on. So, what is the point to all of this talk? The point I am trying to drive home here is the issue of smoking situations. Smoking when around friends or in social situations is an obvious trigger for a smoker. If you are with friends that smoke then you are are going to smoke yourself. It’s just going to happen. Social activities are one of the many triggers of smoking. There are many other situations where we find ourselves wanting a smoke and this is what I’d like to discuss in this article.
If you’re a smoker and you would like to stop smoking then you absolutely need to identify “your” smoking situations. What kinds of situations do you find yourself smoking in all of the time? When do you find it natural to smoke a cigarette? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself. You need to dig into that head of yours and really analyze all of the types of situations you regularly find yourself smoking in. Obviously, this alone will not allow you to stop smoking. Simply identifying situations that you regularly smoke in isn’t the actual active part of this technique. I’ll get to that in a bit. Now, if you really want to get serious about things and are truly committed to quitting then I highly suggest that you literally write down different situations you find yourself smoking in regularly. Yes, this means carrying a pen and paper with you throughout your day and writing down all of the situations you are smoking in. If you find yourself smoking a cigarette at breakfast along with some coffee then write it down. If you have a smoke to kill some time before your bus arrives then write it down. If you are smoking…then write down the situation! The whole point of identifying your own smoking situations is to remember them and to become aware of them. If you are just tell yourself that you are smoking while having some coffee then it isn’t going to stick. Writing things down allows you to have a physical copy of your smoking habits which in turn will make your smoking situations stick in your brain. This is what you want.
When you have begun to see your smoking habits you can start acting on them. Becoming fully aware of your smoking situations is the first step towards acting on them. This is what allows you to take your smoking situations on and correct them. I realize that it isn’t this easy but it is a formula that works if you can work with it. Once you have begun to realize that you are always smoking in the morning with a cup of coffee, always smoking when you’re bored, always smoking when you’re with friends, always smoking after a stressful event, and so on, you will be able to compensate for these events. The issue of eliminating your smoking habits is still there but it is there in a much more manageable way. When you begin to see that you are always smoking in certain types of situations then you can prepare yourself for them. For example, if you are someone who tends to smoke a lot when you are anxious or stressed out then you know you are using cigarettes as a vice. If this is the case then you can prepare for this type of smoking situation by using another vice. Instead of smoking a cigarette you could open up to a friend, workout, take a nap, and so on. The goal in this type of smoking situation is to find another vice, preferably a healthy one, for your stress and anxiety. It is all about swapping out the smoking for something else. This applies to all smoking situations. You need to identify what is causing you to smoke in certain situations and either totally eliminate the factor or deal with the cause in a non-smoking manner.
September 23rd, 2009 | Posted in Stop Smoking | Comments Off
Hundreds of people can tell you that you can quit smoking if you really put your mind to it and that it really isn’t all that hard if you really want it. Yes, you can have tons of people pat you on the back and tell you these things but it isn’t going to change the fact that quitting your smoking habit is going to be hard, very hard. Listen, I’m not here to lie to you and tell you that kicking your smoking to the curb is going to be easy with “the right mentality” or whatever. I’m here to tell you how it is and to help you see the reality of quitting smoking. The reality of the matter is that if you want to stop smoking then you are going to have to commit to your decision from the get go. This is where the stop smoking journey begins and this is what ultimately determines whether or not you will be successful at your attempt.
The way I see it is that if you are going to decide to quit smoking then you better want it. When smokers think to themselves, “Man, this smoking habit of mine is damn disgusting. I think I ought to quit some time soon. Maybe after this pack…”, the genuine drive to quit isn’t there. Putting off your time to quit is the same thing as saying that you don’t really feel like quitting. If you want to quit then you’ll tell yourself you’re quitting for good at that very moment and if you just want to talk about quitting then you are going to do just that and nothing more. You see, planning out your time to quit isn’t really doing anything for you. In the end, all it is really doing is making yourself more guilty about smoking cigarettes than you already were. Why the hell put yourself through that? Smoking cigarettes is your own decision. You are the only one responsible for smoking cigarettes. And if you are a smoking then you have two choices. You can either commit to quitting or you can continue to smoke. Honestly, if you really do enjoy smoking then continue to do so. Don’t agonize yourself though guilt trips and failed attempts.
Now, I realize that determining whether or not you are willing to commit to your decision to quit smoking is walking a fine line. When you strongly addicted to nicotine and you are a regular smoker then it is going to be pretty damn hard determining whether or not your intentions of stopping smoking are genuine. This is something that only you can determine. You are really the only one who can tell whether or not you have that extra “umph” as far as quitting smoking goes. However, the fact still remains that if you want to start off on the right foot when quitting smoking then you are going to have to truly commit to your decision.
September 21st, 2009 | Posted in Quit Smoking | Comments Off