The transition to a healthy lifestyle is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. The withdrawal or withdrawal period, when the body fully recovers 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 occurs, the work of the digestive system changes and the headache torments. The listed symptoms are observed in almost all people with many years of experience with smoking, so not everyone manages and brings what has been started to the end.
How to quit smoking properly without harming your health and how to improve your well-being is important for those who have had withdrawal symptoms. In order 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 a person to get out of addiction without undue stress.
General smoking cessation rules
To achieve the effect, follow these instructions:
- Competently composed diet. It is known that after a heavy meal: increased, fried, acute desire to smoke increases. However, these products should be excluded from the menu because they create additional stress on the body. At the same time you should consume herbal teas, fruit drinks, mineral water - a large amount of fluid will help speed up the elimination of toxins. It is recommended to consume dairy products - milk changes the taste of cigarettes, smoking ceases to be a pleasure. However, you must drink natural unpasteurized milk, otherwise the desired effect will not be achieved. It is recommended to drink a glass of hot drink every morning.
- It's also important to control your diet because people often "catch" the stress of smoking and therefore gain a lot of weight. To avoid the fear of gaining weight, light, low-calorie foods are recommended, which will allow you to maintain your figure. For snacks it is good to use not sweets and cookies, but vegetables and fruits.
- Eliminate alcohol, strong coffee and tea. All these products, along with cigarettes, are characterized by a stimulating effect on the body. Tea and coffee increase anxiety levels and lead to sleep disorders, and alcohol dulls self-control.
- Intake of vitamins. Vitamin complexes should be taken within 1-1, 5 months after quitting smoking. Ascorbic acid intake is especially recommended during this period.
- Use of products containing nicotine. Patches, sprays, chewing gum, which contain nicotine in small doses, help to alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms. Some people switch to e-cigarettes - it's easier to quit, although the product is not harmless, so its use cannot be recommended.
- Breathing techniques. To calm down 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 is observed almost instantly. 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 attracted by the tension of the abdominal muscles.
- Proper diet and physical activity. During the period of quitting cigarettes, the body is exposed to great stress, which is why it is necessary to pay attention to the restoration of vitality. Complete sleep and sports are required. Physical activity stimulates the production of serotonin, which helps to stabilize the emotional background.
Give up the habit suddenly or gradually
The opinion of psychologists is uncompromising: you need to quickly remove cigarettes from life. With gradual cessation, the number of cigarettes gradually decreases or products with a lower nicotine and tar content are bought. One struggles with the urge to smoke, but still lights cigarettes, so the body is 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 abruptly quit smoking, you have to endure for the first 3-5 days - after this period the body itself will begin to produce nicotine and physical well-being will improve. However, the psychological discomfort can last 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 cleanses itself and does not feel the need for a substance, but an old habit can take over. For many, it is these feelings that help them quit forever - it is clear that there is no pleasure, but some smoke several cigarettes in a row, returning to addiction.
In some cases, gradual stopping is preferable. As a rule, this recommendation applies to people who have been smoking for more than 10 years. If the blood pressure rises suddenly, convulsions occur, severe headaches, it is necessary to consult a doctor: the doctor, after examining the patient's condition, will be able to answer how best to quit smoking: suddenly orgradually and prescribe medications that will help deal with the manifestations of the withdrawal syndrome. . .
For pregnant women and mothers of breastfed babies, quitting smoking suddenly is the only right solution.
Nicotine is dangerous in every trimester of pregnancy, you can not feed your baby milk that contains toxins. Some women say that after quitting smoking, their breasts begin to enlarge. Once you notice such changes, it is advisable to go to 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 abandon your condition, but to check. Women smokers should be careful when using birth control pills. This combination leads to changes in the characteristics of the blood.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking has come across the misconceptions quoted in his book by popular author A. Carr.
These errors sound like this:
- I will smoke less.
- Only 1 cigarette.
- I'll drag it once.
Eliminating all of these phrases once and for all is good listening advice.
By limiting yourself in this way, you make smoking a pleasure, a gift you look forward to. The opposite effect is often observed: those who refuse to smoke even more.
There should be no exceptions under the name "just one cigarette" - this is a trap from which one must get out of it for years. As for how long smoking takes, in most cases it takes as long as you crumple and throw away the package. 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 be more effective and not harmful.
Don't think that something valuable and important is being taken away from you by becoming a victim. Suffering is not appropriate here, but you can be proud of yourself because, despite the difficulties, you are returning to a healthy lifestyle.
It is important to surround yourself with non-smokers or at least avoid visiting smokers. Shaping 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 can't completely quit smoking on your own at home, you should contact a narcologist. The non-smoker feels the taste of life more fully, breathes deeply in every sense of the word, so you should not continue to poison your body if you are already in the mood for health.