The transition to a healthy lifestyle is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. Withdrawal or the period of withdrawal when the body is completely rebuilding its work due to a lack of nicotine can be very painful. This applies not only to changes in the psychoemotional state - increased anxiety, irritability, but also to a deterioration in physical well-being: a cough appears, the work of the digestive system changes and the headache suffers. The symptoms listed can be observed in almost every person with many years of smoking experience, so not everyone is able to cope and get what they started.
For those with withdrawal symptoms, it is important how to quit smoking without compromising health and how to improve well-being. In order to smooth out its manifestations, a smoker must follow a number of rules - following them will improve his physical and mental state and allow him to get rid of his addiction without undue stress.
General rules for quitting smoking
Follow these guidelines to get the effect:
- Competently compiled diet. It is known to be difficult after a meal: an increase in fatty, fried, acute smoking cravings. However, these products should also be excluded from the menu because they cause additional stress to the body. At the same time, you need to consume herbal teas, fruit drinks, mineral water - large amounts of fluid help to remove toxins. Recommended consumption of dairy products - milk changes the taste of cigarettes, smoking ceases to be a pleasure. However, natural, unpasteurized milk should be drunk, otherwise the desired effect will not be achieved. It is advisable to drink a glass of hot drink every morning.
- Diet control is also important because people often “grab” the stress of smoking and therefore become very obese. In order not to be afraid of gaining weight, we recommend light, low-calorie foods that allow you to stay in shape. For snacks, it is good to use vegetables and fruits instead of sweets and cookies.
- Eliminate alcohol, strong coffee and tea. All these products, together with cigarettes, are characterized by a stimulating effect on the body. Tea and coffee increase anxiety levels and lead to sleep disorders, and alcohol dampens self-control.
- Taking vitamins. Vitamin complexes should be taken within 1-1, 5 months after quitting smoking. It is especially recommended to take ascorbic acid during this period.
- Use of nicotine-containing products. Patches, sprays, chewing gums containing small doses of nicotine can smooth out the manifestations of withdrawal. Some people switch to electronic cigarettes - this is easier to quit, although the product is not harmless, so its use is not recommended.
- Breathing techniques. During an attack of irritability, the use of "abdominal breathing" is recommended. The technique is safe and is used in yoga, meditation, sports training. The relaxation effect can be observed almost immediately. In addition, deep breathing improves the functioning of the digestive system and strengthens the lungs. During inhalation, the abdomen protrudes, and during exhalation it is strongly retracted with tension in the abdominal muscles.
- Proper order and physical activity. During the period of giving up cigarettes, the body is exposed to great stress, so care must be taken to restore vitality. Full sleep and exercise are required. Physical activity stimulates the production of serotonin, which helps stabilize the emotional background.
Stop the habit suddenly or gradually
The opinion of psychologists is uncompromising: cigarettes must be eliminated from life quickly. With a gradual rejection, the number of cigarettes gradually decreases or products with lower nicotine and tar content are purchased. A person struggles with his desire to smoke but still lights a cigarette, leaving the body under constant stress for a long time. The advantage of immediate abandonment is the immediate severance of the psychological and physical connection with the habit.
If you suddenly give up your cigarette, you will have to persevere for the first 3-5 days - after this period, the body itself will start producing 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.
Understand that after a few days without nicotine, inhaling tobacco smoke will cause discomfort - dizziness, severe tachycardia. The body is cleansed and does not feel the need for a substance, but it can be taken over by an old habit. For many, these feelings help them quit forever - it becomes clear that there is no joy, but there are those who smoke more cigarettes in a row, returning to addiction.
In some cases, phasing out is preferable. Usually, this recommendation applies to people who have been smoking for more than 10 years. If your blood pressure rises suddenly, you have seizures, you have severe headaches, you should see a doctor: after studying the patient's condition, the doctor will be able to answer how best to quit smoking: suddenly or gradually, and prescribe medicines thatthey help to cope with the manifestation of withdrawal syndrome. . . .
For pregnant women and mothers of breastfed babies, abruptly quitting smoking is the only right decision.
Nicotine is dangerous in any trimester of pregnancy and you cannot feed your baby milk containing toxins. Some women say that after quitting smoking, their breasts started to enlarge. After noticing such changes, it is recommended to consult a mammologist in all cases. Usually these two phenomena are not related to each other, but hormonal changes are possible and it is better not to leave your condition but to check. Smokers should be careful when using birth control pills. This combination leads to a change in the characteristics of the blood.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
Anyone who has already tried to quit smoking has been confronted with the misconceptions quoted in the book by popular author A. Carr.
These errors sound like this:
- I will smoke less.
- Only 1 cigarette.
- I'll drag it once.
Permanently deleting these sentences is good advice to listen to.
By limiting yourself in this way, you turn smoking into a joy, a gift that you are very much looking forward to. They often experience the opposite effect: those who will get even better out of smoking.
There can be no exception under the name "just a cigarette" - it's a trap to get out of for years. As for the duration of quitting smoking, in most cases it takes as long as the pack is crumpled and disposable. The likelihood of smoking lasts for a lifetime - it all depends on the person’s mood and motivation.
Cigarettes should not be used as an aid in the fight against stress and bad mood. They do not help to concentrate or calm down - breathing techniques that prove to be more effective and harmful can be used for this purpose.
Don’t think that something valuable and important will be taken away from you and you will become a victim. Suffering is not right here, but you can be proud of yourself because you are returning to a healthy lifestyle despite the difficulties.
It is important to surround yourself with non-smokers, or at least avoid visiting smokers. Designing your environment is extremely important if a person stops smoking marijuana - here it is impossible to get out of addiction without changing the social circle.
Conclusion
If you can't quit smoking completely at home, see a narcologist. A non-smoker feels the taste of life more fully, breathes deeply in every sense of the word, so he should no longer poison his body once he is attuned to his health.