The most basic and popular way to quit smoking is to just stop altogether, without any aids. This method has its good points and bad points, but for those with the determination to make it work, quitting cold turkey can be an effective way of stopping smoking.
Quitting smoking cold turkey means that you’re not going to be able to rely on things like nicotine replacement therapy to help you through the nicotine withdrawal period. You’re basically waking up one day and saying, all right, this is going to be the day I quit smoking forever. This can actually be a good thing, as you won’t prolong the withdrawal period with low doses of nicotine, but the drawback is that you may experience fairly intense withdrawal symptoms the first few days after you quit.
The first thing you can do is to speed up the withdrawal process. Although you’re not going to use any quit smoking aids, drinking lots of water and exercising can go a long way towards helping you flush out any nicotine more quickly.
You’re also going to need something to help calm you down whenever you get your nicotine cravings and you’re tempted to get a smoke. One easy way is to simply breathe deeply and slowly. Find a quiet corner if you can where you can relax and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. Each time you exhale, you can imagine any stress or craving leaving with your breath.
You may also want to pick up an exercise routine, which not only helps to flush out the toxins, but can also be a distraction from any withdrawal symptoms you may be having. Getting a new hobby or going out with friends can also be great ways to distract yourself while the nicotine is leaving your body, and if you’ve got other friends there they can help prevent you from lighting up again.
While quitting cold turkey may be a popular way, it’s not really the most successful method to quit smoking. Quitting smoking cold turkey is free and can be tried whenever you want, but if you’re not truly serious about quitting smoking (and even if you are serious), it can be a rough ride. Feel free to try the cold turkey method, but other options such as hypnosis, acupuncture, or even just getting a support group can be great ways to ease you through quitting smoking without any negative side effects.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I am on my second day cold turkey of not smoking. I’m noticing how much cigarettes have kept me in bondage. I don’t want to invite death by smoking cigarettes. Christ died so we could have life more abundantly. So let’s live people..!!