5 tips to help you quit smoking
So, you’re thinking about quitting smoking? Congratulations—you’ve already taken one of the hardest steps! While anyone can get cancer du poumon, smoking is the leading risk factor for developing the disease and can impact your overall health. But the good news is, it’s never too late to quit and reduce your cancer risk.
Breaking free from cigarettes may feel daunting, but with the right mindset and support, it’s a goal you can achieve and stay committed to. Here are five tips to help you get started.
1. Establish a support system
You do not have to go through this journey alone. Be sure to let your family and friends know about your plans to quit smoking. Sharing important updates like your quit date, common triggers and daily progress can hold you accountable and help prevent unwanted relapses. You can also consider joining a support group or using quit lines (like 1-800-QUIT-NOW) to connect with people going through the same process or experts who can guide you. Having a community to cheer you on and support you can make the journey feel less overwhelming.
2. Break your daily routines
Urges and triggers most often stem from your daily routines, so changing it up may help. If you always find yourself lighting up after your lunch break each day, consider finding a new spot to eat, or altering what time you normally take lunch. Changing your commute, rearranging your morning rituals or even replacing smoke breaks with short walks can weaken the connection your brain has built between certain activities and smoking.
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3. Remind yourself of your motivation
Whether it’s for yourself or someone else, your reason for quitting can be a helpful reminder when you feel urges or withdrawal symptoms. Quitting has near-immediate benefits and reduces your risk of developing cancer or other smoking-related diseases. According to the American Cancer Society, your heart begins to drop within minutes of your last cigarette. If your reason to quit is for someone else, keep in mind that secondhand smoke is also dangerous and puts non-smokers at risk for cancer too, especially children. Write your motivation down, keep it somewhere visible and return to it whenever you need a boost.
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4. Find healthy substitutes for the hand/mouth fixation
Cigarettes are addictive because of their nicotine levels, but there are other habits when it comes to smoking that can be addictive over time as well. The constant repetition of putting a cigarette to your mouth or holding it in your hands can become second nature. While you’re on your quitting journey, finding helpful substitutes for these fixations can help.
Items such as flavored toothpicks, sugar-free gum, vegetable sticks and drinking straws, can keep your mouth occupied in a healthy way. Twirling or fidgeting with pens, pencils, cinnamon sticks or other stress toys can help your hands stay busy, while still giving the feeling of holding something like a cigarette.
5. Talk to your health care provider about other smoking cessation tools
Quitting cold turkey can sometimes be unrealistic. Luckily, there are plenty of proven cessation tools that can make the process easier.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) options such as patches, lozenges or gum can help slowly reduce your nicotine intake and minimize withdrawal symptoms. You can also talk to your health care provider about prescription medications or counseling programs designed to support you through the process. The key is finding what works best for you—and remembering that needing help doesn’t mean you’re failing, just setting yourself up for success.
Urges, setbacks and slip-ups can happen—but do not be discouraged. Stay committed and continue working on your overall goals. If you have a history of smoking cigarettes, talk to your health care provider to find out if you’re eligible for routine lung cancer screenings and learn more about other ways to réduire votre risque de cancer.