Quitting smoking could be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Many boomers who took up the habit years ago unfortunately weren’t aware of just how harmful the habit was. But now, with no excuses left, quitting smoking has become an imperative. You may think that you’re too old to give up such an addictive habit, but you’d be wrong. While it might not be easy, there are always ways to quit if you really want to and we have a few tips to help kick cigarettes to the curb for good.
Ask for help.
With such a difficult undertaking, it’s always better to have a support group to help you through it. I’m sure any number of loved ones would be happy to hear you’re trying to give up smoking and would do anything to help you succeed. Beyond that, you can seek help from professionals. Doctors can give you safe and effective methods of quitting and it’s often helpful to seek the advice of someone else who already kicked the habit.
Avoid triggers.
Smoking is extremely addictive and because of that it can easily become ingrained in our routines. Once you pick up certain habits with your smoking it becomes almost a reflex. For instance, some people always have a cigarette when they’re drinking. If you find that’s the case with you, it might be a good idea to cut back on drinking for a while. You need to be able to separate certain activities with the desire to smoke and eventually, the “need” to have a cigarette becomes less frequent.
Start a new hobby.
One of the more effective methods of breaking an old habit is finding a new one. Sure, you might have old tried-and-true hobbies that you think could distract you from smoking but if it didn’t help you quit before why would it now? Try something new to take your mind off the cravings. A friend of mine began playing video games when he was trying to quit and swears by the method.
Carry gum.
For a lot of long time smokers, one of the hardest things to get over with smoking is the feel of it. You get so used to holding a cigarette and having a cigarette in your mouth that when you stop doing it, it feels unnatural. Taking on a few affectations to help you quit is nothing to be ashamed of. Carry around some gum for when you feel the need to put a cig in your mouth. Or a pencil to imitate the feel of holding a smoke.
Don’t let yourself off easy.
This is going to be hard and you’re going to want to give up often, and that’s why you need to be hard on yourself. None of this “special occasion” nonsense. There are no special circumstances which allow you to smoke “just this once”. If you slip up, be critical of why it happened and don’t just dismiss it. then get right back to it and don’t let it happen again. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones.