Today marks the day of 9 weeks smoke free for me, as I gave up smoking during the pregnancy at exactly 20 weeks. I have always had it in my head that I would never smoke during pregnancy, but sometimes it's not that easy to just 'give up' and I think I find it easier then most people. Smoking has been classes 'as addictive as heroin' but here are a few tips that have always helped me when giving up smoking.
- Set yourself a date
If you wake up one morning and decide that you're not going to smoke on that day, you will probably give in. I set the date for me to be exactly 20 weeks, that gave me a good 2-3 weeks to prepare myself for that date to come and to tell my brain that I WOULD be giving up on that day. When that day came, I woke up telling myself not to have a cigarette, and I didn't. - Drink loads of water
It doesn't really have to be water, but always have a drink close to you. You will need something to distract you from wanting a cigarette and it has to be something that uses your hands and your mouth, so having a bottle of fresh water close by will be a lifesaver when you feel the need to smoke. As you take a sip from the bottle, you are training your brain that it's not a cigarette that you need, it's the movement of hand to mouth. - Distractions
If you suddenly get a really bad craving, you have to find something to take your mind off of it. Go outside for 5 minutes and take a few deep breaths, or jump in the shower. Many of the cigarettes that you smoke will be out of boredom, so it's all about tricking yourself - instead of having a cigarette try sucking on a lolly as this uses your hands and your mouth and will trick your brain. - Be strong
I find that when I'm giving up smoking, I get voices telling me to do it and another telling me not too. This is just my cravings kicking in and my body asking for what it was missing. After a meal was a time when I always had a cigarette, and my brain would tell me to smoke after I had eaten - So you have to be strong and tell yourself 'I'm not going to do it.' You may start feeling like you are considering giving up and you may even pick up a cigarette - just always tell yourself that you're NOT going to. - Don't have a morning fag
You have to wake up and not smoke, as soon as you wake up and put nicotine in your body it will be even harder to stop that day. Wake up and have a shower to cleanse yourself, the clean feeling should help you want to steer away from putting a smelly cigarette into your mouth/system.
These are things that have helped me give up smoking on more then one occasion, and I have always been successful.
Have you ever tried giving up smoking? If so what would your best tip be?
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