How to Quit Nicotine

 “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin 

Nicotine addiction these days vary from cigarettes, to vaping, to chewing tobacco. Nonetheless, nicotine is extremely addictive and can cause serious illness, health risks, and even death. If you are reading this, chances are you may be someone suffering from this deep addiction and are trying to get help. 

First of all, give yourself a big pat on the back! No really.. you should give yourself credit first and foremost for seeking out ways to help. It took me several years to finally kick the habit after 20 years of smoking cigarettes. I tried so many times and in so many different ways, and I am hoping by me sharing what finally worked for me that it will help you, too.

Here is a list of the best ways to quit smoking, all of which I tried.. I will tell you after what worked for me:

1. Set a Quit Date: Choose a specific date to quit smoking. This helps mentally prepare you for the change.
2. Seek Support: Tell your friends and family about your decision to quit. Their support can be invaluable.
3. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): Consider using nicotine replacement products like nicotine gum, patches, or lozenges. These can help reduce withdrawal symptoms.
4. Prescription Medications: Consult a healthcare provider about medications such as varenicline (Chantix) or bupropion (Zyban) that can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
5. Counseling and Therapy: Behavioral therapy, counseling, or support groups can provide strategies to deal with cravings and triggers.
6. Identify Triggers: Recognize situations, emotions, or activities that trigger your smoking habit. Develop strategies to cope with these triggers in healthier ways.
7. Stay Active: Regular physical activity can reduce cravings and help manage weight gain often associated with quitting smoking.
8. Practice Relaxation Techniques: Stress can trigger cravings. Learn and use relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to manage stress.
9. Avoid Smoking Enablers: Discard cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays. Avoid places or situations that make it easier to smoke.
10. Healthy Diet: Maintain a balanced diet to avoid excessive weight gain. Opt for low-calorie, healthy snacks.
11. Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can help reduce cravings and alleviate withdrawal symptoms.
12. Keep Busy: Engage in activities that keep your mind occupied and reduce the urge to smoke.
13. Reward Yourself: Set up a reward system for yourself. Use the money saved from not buying cigarettes to treat yourself to something enjoyable.
14. Track Progress: Keep a journal to monitor your smoking habits, cravings, and triggers. This can help you identify patterns and adjust your quitting strategy.
15. Prepare for Relapses: Understand that relapses can happen. If you slip up, don't be too hard on yourself. Learn from it and recommit to quitting.
16. Stay Positive: Maintain a positive attitude and focus on the benefits of quitting, such as improved health, savings, and a better quality of life.
17. Get Professional Help: If you're struggling to quit on your own, consider seeking professional help from a healthcare provider or a smoking cessation program.
18. Use Mobile Apps: There are many mobile apps designed to help people quit smoking. These apps can provide tracking, motivation, and support.
19. Educate Yourself: Learn about the health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting. Understanding the reasons to quit can be a strong motivator.
20. Lean on Support Networks: Consider joining online forums or communities dedicated to smoking cessation. Sharing experiences with others can be encouraging.

As someone who has overcome meth addiction, cocaine addiction and alcohol addiction, cigarettes were honestly the hardest out of all of them for me. Now, not saying it worked the first time for all of these, but everything combined created the empire of strength inside of myself to stick to it and never look back in any kind of regret. 

Set a Quit Date: This one was important for me as it gave me time to prepare. You want to prepare yourself in every way possible. They say 1-2 weeks out, but honestly I would say personally no longer than 1 week from now. 

Identify Triggers: This is another biggie! I needed to be very honest with myself about who and what I needed to avoid to make it easier for myself. Because, let's face it, it ain't easy at all! But being aware of your triggers will help ease the process. Otherwise you are just testing yourself at a very vulnerable state. It's like after cutting your hand open you keep picking at the open wound testing your hand's ability to heal being poked at all the time. Eventually, it will give in and bleed and probably scar. But if you give some distance, give it time to do it's thing, let it heal, put some ice on it, some ani-infection cream, a bandage and lay it down for while, it will be in it's own zone and naturally heal with every beautiful and incredible cell. 

I needed to stop drinking because drinking was a big one. Every time I quit, the thing that would bring me back was alcohol. It was very easy to talk myself into a ciggarette and that I can "totally be normal and just be a social smoker!". NOPE! Never did happen. 

Driving in the Car: No I could not just stop driving because I quit smoking, but I needed to find a new way to enjoy my drive without my usual habit. I started listening to different music so it would trick my mins into feeling like a different, car, I started listening to audio books about self development, I started to learn how to enjoy my time and being in the moment. It did take a while but once I got my new driving routine down, I will happily drive across country with a smile on my face, rocking out to Backstreet Boys!

Avoid Enablers: Now this kind of goes hand in hand with "identifying triggers" above, but I made it it's own because it is it's own monster. Not to scare you by using that word, but it is a big one. When we socialize we bond with people, and in some of these ways are by smoking. Taking smoke breaks at work or at school, you make friends, you smoke together, you gossip, you bond, it becomes your thing. When we want to better ourselves and break free of our chains, not everyone will understand but that's ok. They don't have to. When these things happen, dynamics will change. You will "lose" certain "friends" in this process but remember that you are making room for new friends that will not only meet you where you want to go but some will even push you and inspire you to be an even better version of yourself. Besides, keep in mind that if you are losing people in your life because you are bettering yourself, they do not deserve to be there in the first place. Keep your head held high and have faith in what is coming to you by improving your life and yourself. 

Eat Healthy: I started to really eat healthier when I quit smoking. More fruits and veggies and more chicken and rice. With the added nutrients that my body was not used to, I felt the extra push of gratitude from my body and it started to thank me. 

Altoids and gum: Now I got a can of altoids and had them right next to me for the first couple of weeks. I popped one of those bad boys in my mouth very frequently and as it was on my tongue I would take a big breath in through my mouth and feel the menthol rush inside of my lungs. It was so refreshing and it took the cravings away. Gum is another good one to keep your mouth busy and chew away those cravings!

Sleep: I slept a lot the first few days. I listened to my body and I was very out of it but let my body tell me what it needed. So listen to your body as well.

Stay Hydrated: It is important to take care of yourself now that you have this opportunity to do better. Drinking water like you have never drank it before. It will not only improve your health but it will help to flush out all of the toxins in your body from smoking. 

I hope these will help you on your journey. This is your one life and you have this one chance. Quitting smoking is not easy but it is honestly worth it! You are worth it and you will thank yourself later. 

And remember, you are not alone.