Instead, do what you can to distract and ignore your bad mood. On those off days, vow to put yourself in "ignore mode." In other words, don't focus on the negative atmosphere of your thoughts. Such is smoking cessation, and such is life. Put yourself on "ignore mode." You will have bad days.If you affirm the positive changes you are making in your life, action will follow more easily. Look at past quit attempts not as failures, but as experiences you can learn from as you work to create positive changes in your life by quitting tobacco now. Start paying attention to your thoughts, and banish those that don't serve your best interests, including lamenting the things you can't change, such as the years you spent smoking. Seeking out sources of humor, whether a silly video, hilarious sitcom, or funny friend, can help lessen your stress and enable you to think more positive thoughts. Maintaining a gratitude journal makes it easy to get in the habit of focusing on the positive in your life while also reaping the stress-management benefits of journaling. Find a few positive messages or mini mantras you can repeat to yourself to help you stay the quit-smoking course, like “I am strong enough to beat nicotine,” or “I choose my health over cigarettes.” Here are a few stay-positive strategies to add to your quit-smoking toolbox. Quitting is a process, and staying positive can help you endure the ups and downs as you work to reach your quit-smoking goals. Face it, we're almost always our own worst critics. It will probably come as no surprise that we aim many of those negative thoughts directly at ourselves. It's been said that the average person has approximately 66,000 thoughts on any given day and that two-thirds of them are negative. A few examples: Go for a walk, drink a glass of water, work on a crossword puzzle, eat a piece of fruit, or call a friend. Create a list of “ craving busters,” or activities you can quickly use to shake your urge to smoke. For example, you might choose “ cold turkey” or a more gradual approach. In order to not lose momentum, it’s best to plan no more than a week or two ahead of time. Nicotine is an addictive drug that affects your brain chemistry. Smoking is more than just a “bad habit” that you can choose to stop at any time. During the visit, let your healthcare provider know that you plan to quit smoking, and discuss which types of nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine-free quit aids would work best for you. Patcharanan Worrapatchareeroj / Getty ImagesĪ little preparation can help you get into the mindset to quit smoking and line up some tools to better manage the first week to 10 days after your last cigarette, which according to the American Lung Association, will be the hardest.
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