SMOKING...........!

Facing Up to Smoking ::
The more you know about why you smoke, the easier it will be to quit. You may reach for a cigarette during a stressful commute. Or you may want to smoke when you first wake up in the morning. Learn what your smoking triggers are, and how to handle them.

Common Triggers
Frustration
Fatigue
Anger
Stress
Hunger
Boredom or loneliness
Drinking or socializing
Watching others smoke


Track Your Smoking Habits
To learn about your smoking habits, track them for a week. Attach a small notebook or piece of paper to your cigarette pack. With each cigarette you smoke, write down the time, where you are, who you’re with, and how you feel.

How to Cope with Your Triggers
Change the habits that lead you to smoke. For instance, if you often smoke at a morning break, go for a walk instead.

Distract yourself from smoking. Keep your hands busy by playing with a paper clip or doodling. Keep your mouth busy by chewing on gum or a carrot stick.

Limit contact with people who are smoking. When you eat out, sit in the nonsmoking section.

"Smoking gives me more energy. I smoke to keep from slowing down. I reach for a cigarette when I need a lift. When I'm tired, smoking perks me up."
Many people use tobacco like they use coffee: to help them wake up, get moving, keep going when they feel worn out. The nicotine in tobacco, like the caffeine in coffee, is a stimulant. It increases your heart rate and blood pressure. But you can find other ways to get more energy. Try doing these to see if they might help you if you decide to quit.

Things to Do
Get a good night's sleep; you're more likely to feel fresh and alert. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise raises your overall energy level, so you may feel less need for a boost.
If you start feeling sluggish, take a brisk walk instead of smoking. Moving around is a drug-free stimulant.
Eat regular, nutritious meals. Healthful foods are a great natural source of energy.
Drink lots of cold water. It will refresh you as it helps clear your body of nicotine.
Avoid getting bored, which can make you feel tired. Keep your mind active, perhaps by calling a friend, reading a new magazine, or playing a game.
"I like to touch and handle cigarettes. I feel more comfortable with a cigarette in my hand. I enjoy getting a cigarette out of the pack and lighting up. I like to watch the smoke when I exhale."
Many smokers say they've gone back to smoking because "I had nothing to do with my hands." "It just feels right to have a cigarette in my hand or mouth.”
Getting over this obstacle can make it easier to quit smoking and stay smoke-free. The tips below suggest other ways to satisfy the handling urge. Try them out, just to see if they might help you if you decide to quit.

Things to Do
Pick up a pen or pencil when you want to reach for a cigarette. Doodle, or make a list of your reasons for quitting.
Play with a coin, twist your ring, or handle whatever harmless object is nearby.
Put a plastic cigarette in your hand or mouth. Some have a minty taste to help you focus on how fresh your breath is without tobacco.
If all you miss is the touch of a real cigarette, go ahead and hold one. But if handling a cigarette makes you want to light up, stick with the substitutes.
Eat regular meals to avoid being hungry. Don't confuse needing to eat with the desire to put a cigarette to your lips.
Take up a hobby that keeps your hands busy. Try knitting, carpentry, painting, or making bread.
Have a low-fat, low-sugar snack like carrot sticks, apple slices, or a bread stick. Suck on a sugar-free hard candy or mint.
"Smoking makes good times better. I want a cigarette most when I am comfortable and relaxed."
Almost two out of three smokers say they just plain enjoy smoking. When you associate smoking with "the good times," it can strengthen your smoking habit. But it can be easier to quit when you focus on enjoying yourself without tobacco. The tips below offer some ideas to help you miss cigarettes less, if you decide to quit.

Things to Do
Think about the pleasures of being tobacco-free:
Imagine how good foods would taste.
Imagine how fresh you would look and feel in social situations without smoking.
Think about how much easier it would be to walk, run, and climb stairs if your lungs were smoke-free.
Think about how good it would feel to be in control of the urge to smoke.
Think about how you could spend the money you save on cigarettes like a shopping spree, a night out, or a party to celebrate your success.
Remind yourself of the health benefits of quitting. Giving up cigarettes can help you enjoy life's other pleasures for many years to come.
"Smoking helps me relax when I'm tense or upset. I light up a cigarette when something makes me angry. Smoking relaxes me in a stressful situation. When I'm depressed I reach for a cigarette to feel better."
Lots of smokers use cigarettes to help them through bad times. If you use cigarettes as a crutch, finding another way to cope with stress can help if you decide to quit and can help you stay smoke free after you quit.
These are some things that have helped former smokers handle tense times without tobacco.

Things to Do
Use relaxation techniques to calm down when you are angry or upset. Deep breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and imagining yourself in a peaceful setting can make you feel less stressed.
Exercise regularly. Studies show that exercise relieves tension and improves your mood.
Remember that smoking never solves the problem; figure out what will, and act on it.
Avoid or get out of stressful situations that might tempt you to smoke.
Get enough rest. Take time each day to relax, no matter how busy you are.
Enjoy relaxation. Take a long hot bath. Have a massage. Lie in a garden hammock. Listen to soothing music
"I crave cigarettes; smoking is an addiction. When I run out of cigarettes, it's almost unbearable until I get more. I am very aware of not smoking when I don't have a cigarette in my hand. When I haven't smoked for a while I get a gnawing hunger for a cigarette."
Many smokers are addicted or "hooked" on the nicotine in tobacco. When addicted smokers quit, many go through a withdrawal period. They may have both physical symptoms (feeling tired and irritable; headaches; nervousness) and an emotional need for a cigarette. One ex-smoker compared his continued craving for cigarettes to the longing you feel for a lost love.
It isn't easy to get over an addiction to tobacco, but many people have succeeded; often on a second or third try. But once you're back in control, you won't have to beat smoking again. For many ex-smokers, that's a powerful motivation to stay tobacco-free. The tips below include ideas to help addicted smokers make it through withdrawal and stay away from cigarettes for good. Would any of them work for you, if you decide to quit?

Things to Do
Ask your healthcare provider about using a nicotine patch or nicotine gum to help you avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Smoke more than you want to for a day or two before you quit. This "overkill" may spoil your taste for cigarettes.
Go "cold turkey." Tapering off probably won't work for you because the moment you put out one cigarette you begin to crave the next.
Tell family and friends you've quit smoking. Ask for help if you need it. Keep away from cigarettes completely. Get rid of ashtrays. Destroy any cigarettes you have. Try to avoid people who smoke and smoke-filled places like bars if you're having withdrawal symptoms or cigarette cravings.
Think of yourself as a non-smoker. Hang up "No Smoking" signs. Don't relive your days as a smoker.
Remember that physical withdrawal symptoms last about two weeks. Hang on!
"I smoke cigarettes automatically without being aware of it. I light up a cigarette without realizing I have one burning in an ashtray. I find a cigarette in my mouth and don't remember putting it there."
If you are this kind of smoker, you are no longer getting much satisfaction from your cigarettes. Unlike people who smoke for pleasure, you might not miss it very much if you stopped. The key would be breaking your smoking patterns. The tips below would help, if you decide to quit.

Things to Do
Cut down gradually. Smoke fewer cigarettes each day or only smoke them halfway down. Inhale less often and less deeply. After several months it should be easier to stop completely.
Change your smoking routines. Keep your cigarettes in a different place. Smoke with your opposite hand. Don't do anything else while smoking. Limit smoking to certain places, such as outside or in one room at home.
When you want a cigarette, wait one minute. Try to think of something else to do instead of smoking.
Be aware of every cigarette you smoke. Ask yourself: Do I really want this cigarette? You may be surprised at how many you can easily pass up.
Set a date for giving up smoking altogether and stick to it.
Reasons for Not Smoking
There are numerous health problems associated with smoking. You probably already know most of this information but haven’t wanted to think about it. Have you experienced any of these problems?
Heart Attack
Stroke
Chronic Heart Disease
High LDL ("bad”) Cholesterol
Low HDL ("good”) Cholesterol
Cancer - lung, mouth, throat, stomach, breast
Emphysema
Asthma
Hypertension
Acute Bronchitis
Diabetes
Peptic Ulcer
Eighty to ninety percent of all smokers surveyed report that they would like to quit. More than three million people stop smoking each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Quitting is a complex biological and psychological process and much more difficult than most people realize.

The Odds
Compared to nonsmokers, smokers are:
16 times more likely to get emphysema.
15 times more likely to get cancer.
10 times more likely to get bronchitis.
Twice as likely to have a heart attack.
Children of smokers have more respiratory illness than children of nonsmokers and are 8 times more likely to become smokers.

Article from http://www.healthline.com/