First of all, a big round of applause for you if you don’t smoke or have quit smoking completely. Doesn’t it feel good to be free from tobacco? Quitting smoking has always been challenging and when you successfully kick the bud, the effort is really praiseworthy. The main objective should now be making this changed habit a permanent one.
Although you might have been staying away from tobacco for quite a while, there might be a moment when you long to take a big puff. Those are times when you slip. More than momentary slips, more serious relapses are the ones that you need to worry about. What do you need to refrain from it and enjoy life to the fullest after quitting? Find it out here.
How to Deal With the Withdrawal Symptoms
Before moving on to how you can enjoy the gift called life after kicking the bud, you must know how to deal with the withdrawal symptoms in the first place. The process of withdrawing from nicotine involves two parts – the mental as well as the physical. If you do surrender to the temptation, springing back to chewing to tobacco or smoking is the most eventual thing to happen. Replacing nicotine and using other medicines can play a key role in reducing the symptoms.
A majority of people who have been regular users of tobacco reveal that the mental aspect of quitting is by far, the most difficult challenge. If you have been a tobacco user for quite some time, you will notice that consumption has become part of your everyday life. You consume it throughout the day even while performing various activities like waking up, eating, watching TV, reading, and drinking coffee. This is the major reason why you can’t disengage yourself from such a habit. Even if you participate in a nicotine replacement therapy, you will continue to feel the urge to smoke. Now, get on with the steps regarding how to stay away from tobacco.
Breathe Deeply
You must have breathed deeply at the time of inhaling the smoke, didn’t you? So, when you feel the urge of getting a puff, do the same thing. Breathe deeply and imagine your lungs getting filled up with fresh and clean air. Try to remind yourself why you actually quit smoking in the first place and recall the benefits that you reaped after quitting the use of tobacco.
Deep breathing is indispensable in reminding you of the fact that you are discarding all the toxins that have been stored in your body all this while. It also soothes you down and helps in diverting your mind to something else.
Delay as Much as Possible
The moment you feel like lighting up, hold yourself. Restrict yourself for at least 10 minutes. Many a time, this particular trick pays dividends and helps you sail beyond the desire to smoke. You can apply this same strategy when you feel the urge to chew tobacco. Hold yourself for 10 minutes and experience the urge to wane off in the due course of time.
Be Active
You need to participate in some kind of constructive work. This will ward off any kind of stress and anxiety. Start working out, engage in woodworking, go for a walk in the morning or evening. You can also start working on your garden, or do anything else that distracts you from smoking or chewing tobacco.
Reward Yourself
What you have attempted is actually commendable and requires a very strong mind. It’s not possible for every smoker to quit smoking and when you do that, remember you have accomplished a rather tough task. Aside from kicking the butt, you save a lot of money. Store that money in a jar or a piggy bank every day and treat yourself to something that you love to eat every weekend. You can also gift yourself good music or a brand new book, have dinner outside at least once a week, or sign up at a gym to stay fit and healthy. All these activities would do you a world of good.
Always keep this in mind that the major reasons behind quitting smoking have been the benefits of staying in the pink of health, your money, and of course, your beloved family. You can ask your near and dear ones for support. However, you have to be mentally strong yourself and stay determined.
