Tuesday, May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. The opportunity for smokers who are thinking of quitting smoking, to test their willpower over at least one day. And since not smoking for 24 hours is the first step towards quitting completely, here are five tips for resisting all day.
We often hear it in the mouths of former smokers, when you stop smoking, it is the first days that are the most difficult. The thought of a cigarette will largely occupy your mind. Although it is recommended to prepare well for quitting, testing yourself over a day can already allow you to take stock of your addiction and define your smoking profile more easily.
Overcoming the urge to smoke during the first days of quitting is possible, but it necessarily requires some motivation and determination. Tobacco Info Service has listed some tips that allow you to suppress the urge to smoke, especially if you are at the beginning of your process.
If you have decided to quit smoking, on this International No Tobacco Day, here are some ways to resist.
1. Keep your hands and mouth busy
Addiction to nicotine is one thing, but addiction to tobacco also depends a great deal on the actions associated with it. Thus, to get rid of the craving, it is recommended to keep busy, to divert your brain from the gestures it associates with cigarettes.
« Sometimes the urge to smoke is linked to the reflex of putting a cigarette in your mouth », indicates Tobacco info service, which recommends, for example, take « a pen to write or draw », knead an anti-stress ball or an object that you have on hand, or even make « an origami instead of rolling a cigarette… »
Same process to overcome the urge to inhale the smoke: occupy your mouth. « Brush your teeth, nibble on an apple or a carrot, (…) chew sugar-free gum, a toothpick or a licorice stick… »
2. Exercise
To avoid focusing on your urge to smoke, you will have to occupy your mind during the first few days. Thus, going to the cinema, reading a book, but also playing a game online or with friends can help you.
One of the best options is also sport, which releases endorphins and therefore limits the stress associated with quitting smoking. In addition, it is an opportunity to set goals, to observe the benefits of quitting smoking on your body as you go along but also of limit weight gain, which can sometimes accompany quitting smoking.
3. Test abdominal breathing
As mentioned above, quitting smoking can cause stress. In order not to crack, your challenge will be to limit stress as much as possible. If sport is one of the options, it is not the right solution for all situations. Indeed, it is difficult, while you are sitting at the desk, to take a break to go for a jog.
To reduce stress, Tabac info service therefore recommends an exercise that can be practiced in all circumstances: abdominal breathing.
4. Set goals and rewards
Tabac info service recommends making a list of motivations, which will allow you to know, when the desire invades you, why you have embarked on this process.
It is also necessary to think of stimulating its motivation by rewards. Not only, by quitting smoking, you save money which allows you to make gifts (for a smoker consuming on average 1 pack per day, it is about 300 euros saved over a month and 3,600 euros on average over the year).
5. Do not hesitate to get help
Tobacco info service can help you put these valuable tips into practice. If you want to quit smoking, do not hesitate to take the plunge and seek the help of tobacco specialists. You can contact free of charge by calling 39 19.
Your pharmacist or doctor can also guide you to help you quit smoking.
What is World No Tobacco Day?
Organized every year on May 31 since 1987 by the WHO, World No Tobacco Day is a day of prevention and awareness of the dangers of tobacco for health and the addiction associated with it.
« Tobacco use is the biggest preventable epidemic facing health care workers, » says the WHO. This day can thus be an opportunity for smokers to embark on the challenge of quitting smoking.