The transition to a healthy lifestyle is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. The period of withdrawal or withdrawal, when the body completely rebuilds its work due to the lack of nicotine, can be very painful. This applies not only to changes in the psycho-emotional state - increased anxiety, irritability, but also deterioration of physical well-being: a cough appears, the work of the digestive system changes, and headaches torment. The listed symptoms are observed in almost all people with many years of smoking experience, so not everyone gets away with it and brings what they started to the end.
How to properly quit smoking without harming your health and how to improve your well-being is important for those who have experienced withdrawal symptoms. To smooth out its manifestations, a person who smokes must follow a number of rules - following them will improve the physical and mental condition and allow you to get out of addiction without unnecessary stress.
General rules for quitting smoking
Follow these instructions to get the effect:
- Well-composed diet. It is known that after a large meal: the desire to smoke fatty, fried and acute increases. However, these products should also be excluded from the menu because they create additional load on the body. At the same time, you need to use herbal teas, fruit drinks, mineral water - a large amount of liquid will help to accelerate the elimination of toxins. It is recommended to consume dairy products - milk changes the taste of cigarettes, smoking ceases to bring pleasure. However, you need to drink natural unpasteurized milk, otherwise the required effect will not be achieved. It is advisable to drink a glass of hot drink every morning.
- It is also important to control your diet as people often “catch” the stress of smoking and therefore gain a lot of weight. To avoid fear of gaining weight, light and low-calorie foods are recommended, which will allow you to maintain your figure. For snacks, it is good to use not candies and cookies, but vegetables and fruits.
- Elimination of alcohol, strong coffee and tea. All of these products, as well as cigarettes, are characterized by a stimulating effect on the body. Tea and coffee increase anxiety levels and cause sleep disturbances, and alcohol weakens self-control.
- Take vitamins. Within 1 to 1. 5 months after quitting smoking, vitamin complexes should be taken. Especially during this period, it is recommended to take ascorbic acid.
- Use of products containing nicotine. Patches, sprays, chewing gum, which contain low-dose nicotine, can reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. Some people switch to electronic cigarettes - it is easier to quit, although the product is not harmless, so it cannot be recommended to use it.
- Breathing techniques. To calm down during an irritability attack, it is recommended to use "belly breathing". The technique is safe and is used in yoga, meditation, sports training. The relaxation effect is observed almost instantly. In addition, deep breathing improves the functioning of the digestive system and strengthens the lungs. When inhaling, the abdomen protrudes, and when exhaling, it is strongly attracted by the tension of the abdominal muscles.
- Correct diet and physical activity. The body during the period of quitting smoking is exposed to great stress, therefore it is necessary to pay attention to the restoration of vitality. Complete sleep and exercise are necessary. Physical activity stimulates the production of serotonin, which helps stabilize the emotional background.
Quit this habit suddenly or gradually
The opinion of psychologists is without compromise: cigarettes must be eliminated from life quickly. With a gradual refusal, the number of cigarettes is gradually reduced or products less rich in nicotine and tar are purchased. A person struggles with the urge to smoke, but still lights up cigarettes, so the body is constantly stressed for a long time. The advantage of immediate quitting is the immediate breaking of the psychological and physical link with the habit.
If you suddenly give up smoking, you need to hold on for the first 3-5 days - after this period, the body itself will begin to produce nicotine, and physical well-being will improve. However, psychological discomfort can persist for a long time - in any emotionally unstable situation there will be a desire to smoke.
It should be understood that after a few days without nicotine, inhalation of tobacco smoke will lead to unpleasant sensations - dizziness, severe tachycardia. The body is cleansed and doesn't feel the need for a substance, but an old habit can take over. For many, it is these feelings that help quitting forever - it becomes clear that there is no pleasure, but some smoke several cigarettes in a row, returning to addiction.
In some cases, phasing out is preferable. Generally, this recommendation applies to people who have smoked for more than 10 years. If the blood pressure suddenly rises, seizures appear, severe headaches are tormented, it is necessary to consult a doctor: the doctor, having studied the patient's condition, will be able to answer the best way to quit smoking: abruptly or gradually, and prescribe drugs that will help cope with the manifestations of withdrawal syndrome. . .
For pregnant women and mothers of breastfed babies, quitting smoking suddenly is the only right decision.
Nicotine is dangerous in all trimesters of pregnancy, you cannot feed your baby milk, which contains toxins. Some women say that after they quit smoking their breasts have started to grow. Having noticed such changes, it is recommended to consult a mammologist just in case. As a rule, these two phenomena are not related, but hormonal changes are possible, and it is better not to give up your condition, but to check. Smokers should be careful when using birth control pills. This combination leads to changes in blood characteristics.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking has come across the misconceptions cited in his book by popular author A. Carr.
These errors look like this:
- I will smoke less.
- Only 1 cigarette.
- I'll drag it once.
Eliminating all of those phrases once and for all is good advice to listen to.
By limiting yourself in this manner, you turn smoking into pleasure, a gift you look forward to. The opposite effect is often observed: those who quit smoking even more.
There should be no exceptions under the name "one cigarette" - it's a trap to be avoided for years. As for how long it takes to quit smoking, in most cases it takes as long as it takes to crumple up and throw the package away. The potential likelihood of smoking remains for life - it all depends on the mood and motivation of the person.
Cigarettes should not be used as an aid in the fight against stress and bad mood. They will not help you concentrate or calm down - for this purpose, breathing techniques can be used which will prove to be more effective and not harmful.
Do not think that something valuable and important is being taken away from you, making you a victim. Suffering is not appropriate here, but you can be proud of yourself, because even in spite of the difficulties, you are returning to a healthy lifestyle.
It is important to surround yourself with non-smokers, or at least to avoid visiting smokers. Creating your environment is extremely important when a person wants to quit smoking marijuana - here it is impossible to get out of addiction without changing the social circle.
Conclusion
If you cannot quit smoking completely on your own at home, you should contact a narcologist. A non-smoker feels the taste of life more fully, breathes deeply in every sense of the word, so you shouldn't continue to poison your body if you are already tuned in to health.