How to Eliminate Your Desire to Smoke

Cigarettes are not only an expensive habit, but can lead to heart disease, asthma, lung cancer and emphysema, to name but a few serious health problems directly associated with smoking. In order for your attempt at quitting to actually have a lasting effect, you must want to stop smoking. Read on to learn how to eliminate your desire to smoke.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Pen and paper

1. Write down on paper the reasons why you want to give up smoking. Number each reason, and read the list out loud each time you feel like smoking a cigarette.
2. Instead of smoking after a meal, brush your teeth. You will be doing your pearly-whites a good turn instead of staining them with nicotine.
3. Instead of smoking before you go to bed, relax your body starting from your feet and work your way right up to the top of your head. Tell each body part to relax, while breathing slow and deep. This relaxation exercise should be performed while lying on your back with your hands at your sides, and your feet slightly apart.
4. Your hair and clothes will stay fresh and won't stink of cigarette smoke. Your breath will smell sweet--not like an old ashtray. Your fingers won't yellow with nicotine stains. Your house will smell clean.
5. For health reasons keep cigarette smoke away from children. Cigarette smoke can cause ear infections, asthma, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections and other ailments to you and others. Live long enough to enjoy your children.
6. Chew gum or chew on a wooden match when hit by the need to light up a cigarette. Wash your hands regularly and take daily baths. Your pores will be excreting toxins from your body as each day passes.
7. Since you no longer smoke, you may feel tired due to the absence of nicotine as a stimulant. To counteract this effect, try drinking energy smoothies or exercising. If your day makes it possible, take a short nap each time you feel sleepy. Your brain will gradually adjust to the withdrawal symptoms, and will start functioning properly without the need for stimulants or drugs of any kind.
8. Enjoy your new-found freedom, from being a slave to a pack of cigarettes, to being the master. Take back control of your life, and spend the money you would have spent on cigarettes on something worthwhile. After all, you were literally burning your hard-earned money up in smoke.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember if you are trying to quit smoking, and you get stressed out, and feel the urge to smoke, chances are you would have gotten stressed out anyway, even if you hadn't quit smoking. Don't give into temptation. Breathe deeply and slowly. Release your tension. Breathe the stress away slowly, and regain your composure.