By Shiza Khan, M.Sc. – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics | Dietitian/Nutritionist
In this article:
Smoking is one of the biggest preventable health hazards in the United States today. According to reports, more than 40 million people in the country are smokers, despite the widespread knowledge about its disadvantages.
Cigarettes contain the active ingredient nicotine, which is highly addictive and can have many negative effects on the body. They increase the risk of certain types of cancers (especially lung cancer) and respiratory diseases, contribute to metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and lead to cardiovascular diseases, among others. (1)
The good news is your body can start healing itself almost as soon as your stop smoking, so it is never too late to quit. However, most smokers face a very long and difficult journey when they make the decision to quit.
This article will present a list of tips to help you get through the withdrawal phase. (2)
One easy way to do this is by writing down all the reasons that make you want to quit. (3) Read them every time you feel the urge to smoke. It could be wanting to get healthier, having kids, living longer, etc.
It helps to remember that a cigarette is not worth giving up your life goals for. (4)(5)
Tip 2: Seek medical assistance
Some people may find it hard to quit on their own and require medical assistance.
Talk to your doctor about trying nicotine replacement therapy: soothing your nicotine addiction with the help of skin patches, chewing gum, etc., that contain nicotine. This can help you gradually overcome and quit smoking. (6)
Tip 3: Set a target
According to several studies, setting a date you plan to quit, or a “quit date,” can be very helpful in the quitting process.
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Set a date and give yourself a time frame to quit smoking, and do your best to stick to it. (7)(8)
Tip 4: Identify the triggers
Different people have different reasons for smoking. Some may have started it due to peer influence, to burn out excess stress, etc.
It is important to identify the triggers that make you want to smoke and avoid them. It may be stress, your friends smoking around you, or having a cigarette with your morning coffee. (9)(10)
Trials have reported alcohol use to also promote the use of other drugs that may also include cigarettes. (11)
Tip 5: Clear your belongings
Clear out your belongings and home of all the things that make you want to smoke. Toss away your old lighters, ashtrays, and cigarette boxes.
Tip 6: Practice yoga and meditation
Research shows that meditation techniques such as yoga can help you relax and decrease your withdrawal symptoms when you decide to quit smoking. (12)
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Start regular meditation and fe to help rejuvenate your mind and distract yourself. (13)(14)
Tip 7: Try alternative therapies
Some research studies suggest that alternative therapies such as acupuncture may help you quit smoking.
Hypnotherapy is another widely used alternative treatment for smoking, but there is very limited evidence of its effectiveness. (15)(16)
Tip 8: Provide encouragement
If any of your friends or family members have started the journey of quitting cigarettes, be as supportive of them as you can. It is important to remember that this is already difficult for them and they do not need extra judgment and harsh behavior.
However, do hold them accountable for their actions and promote healthy behavior. (17)(18)
Tip 9: Don’t get disheartened
When you quit smoking after being addicted for a long time, you may experience some relapses initially. Do not get disheartened by these. Try your best to forget about them and start your quitting process anew. (19)(20)
Can Smoking Be Stopped?
Smoking is similar to any other substance addiction. You may feel strong withdrawal symptoms, irritation, nervousness, etc., in the first few weeks after quitting, but many people have reported improvement after the first month.
It is definitely possible to completely quit smoking, even if you relapse now and then initially. (21)
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Final Word
Any addiction is hard to overcome and can take a long time or multiple tries. However, it is not impossible and has been done by many people.
Keep your end goals in sight, stay motivated, and seek professional help if you find it difficult to quit by yourself. (22)
Sealock T, Sharma S. Smoking Cessation. [Updated 2022 Jan 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482442/.
How to quit smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/index.html. Published February 28, 2022.
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Brady BR, Nair US, Gerald JK, Yuan NP, Krupski LA, Thomson CA. Higher quality quit-date goal setting enhances quit attempts among quitline callers. Tob Prev Cessat. 2019;5:20. Published 2019 Jun 6. doi:10.18332/tpc/109537.
Treloar HR, Piasecki TM, McCarthy DE, Baker TB. Relations Among Caffeine Consumption, Smoking, Smoking Urge, and Subjective Smoking Reinforcement in Daily Life. J Caffeine Res. 2014;4(3):93-99. doi:10.1089/jcr.2014.0007.
Verplaetse TL, McKee SA. An overview of alcohol and tobacco/nicotine interactions in the human laboratory. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017;43(2):186-196. doi:10.1080/00952990.2016.1189927.
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Lotfalian S, Spears CA, Juliano LM. The effects of mindfulness-based yogic breathing on craving, affect, and smoking behavior. Psychol Addict Behav. 2020;34(2):351-359. doi:10.1037/adb0000536.
Tang YY, Tang R, Posner MI. Brief meditation training induces smoking reduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(34):13971-13975. doi:10.1073/pnas.1311887110.
Ussher MH, Faulkner GEJ, Angus K, Hartmann-Boyce J, Taylor AH. Exercise interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;2019(10):CD002295. Published 2019 Oct 30. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002295.pub6.
Wang JH, van Haselen R, Wang M, et al. Acupuncture for smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials. Tob Induc Dis. 2019;17:48. Published 2019 Jun 4. doi:10.18332/tid/109195.
Barnes J, McRobbie H, Dong CY, Walker N, Hartmann-Boyce J. Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;6(6):CD001008. Published 2019 Jun 14. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001008.pub3.
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