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Stop Smoking by Substituting One Habit for Another? |
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Written by Webmaster
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By gonnaquitsmoking.com
 Its not easy to kick the habit.
There are literally thousands of methods out there. Some will work for you, some wont.
What works for you may not work for someone else and, conversely, what worked for your friend may not work for you.
This is why you cant just dismiss a method for stopping smoking just because youve heard people say it doesnt work or it just seems too weird or stupid to possibly help you quit smoking.
So lets talk about substituting one habit for another.
I have heard of people giving up smoking using this method, where they replace their habit with another habit.
We all have habits, they dictate much of our lives. Some are bad, some are good and yet others are neither bad nor good.
The trick in this instance, if youre gonna try this method, is to pick a habit that will distract you sufficiently from smoking (at least long enough for the craving to pass), but that will also not become damaging in itself!
For example, I have known people
to stop smoking by sucking on boiled sweets whenever the urge arises for a cigarette. The problem is pretty obvious: gaining weight, rotten teeth, etc.
One of my attempts to quit smoking involved chewing on a straw! Strange as it sounds it did actually quell my cravings for a while.
Here are some other habits (good ones only!) you may want to try:
- sugar free boiled sweets/lollipops/gum (watch this one, the sweeteners can cause a laxative effect in excessive amounts!)
- chewing toothpicks
- chewing straws
- take up a hobby
- spend more time with your kids/pets/spouse/family/friends
- spend more time with a non-smoker friend (this ones quite good actually)
- go somewhere pretty, like a park or the beach and enjoy the view
- get fit, take up swimming or running or whatever takes your fancy
- take up yoga, meditation or Tai Chi
- brush your teeth more often
- wear a different hairstyle everyday
- start an exercise routine you can do at home when a craving strikes
- start drinking more water instead of tea/coffee/alcohol/whatever makes you want to smoke
- make it more difficult for you to smoke, eg. only allow yourself to have a cigarette when you are outside, etc.
- stay away from places that let you smoke and start spending more time in places that dont (many places dont allow it anyway these days!) eg. choose a non-smoking table in a restaurant
- start keeping notes of when you feel the urge coming on. It sounds corny and just plain crap but it may help you analyse when you are most vulnerable and the urge is at its strongest
- pamper yourself on a regular basis: itll help you build up more confidence and self-respect
This list is obviously not exhaustive and Im sure its given you some ideas of your own.
Ideally, what you want is something that will take your mind off your efforts while not damaging your body in another way.
How to Quit Smoking
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