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Ten steps to stopping It isn't going to be easy but remember you are not alone - 70 per cent of British smokers would like to quit and about three million try each year. And the good news is that more than 11 million people in Britain are now ex-smokers. It will be an uphill battle, but there is plenty of free advice out there and with a bit of willpower you could join the growing list of survivors. Be prepared. Don't just wake up one day and give up smoking, it is important to have thought it through in advance and prepared yourself as best as you can for the difficulties ahead. And support is at hand from free-phone help-lines run by anti-smokers groups Quit: 0800 00 22 00 and ASH : 0800 169 0 169. Here are ten steps to quitting: 1• Make a date to stop and stick to it. Draw up a plan of action, including what methods are available to you. 2• Keep busy to help take your mind off cigarettes. Throw away all your ashtrays, lighters and tobacco. 3• Drink plenty of fluids - keep a glass of water or juice by you and sip it steadily. Try different flavours. 4• Get more active - walk instead of using the bus or car. Try the stairs instead of the lift. Exercise helps you relax and can boost your morale. 5• Think positive - withdrawal can be unpleasant, but it is a sign your body is recovering from the effects of tobacco. Irritability, urges to smoke and poor concentration are common - don't worry, they usually disappear after a few weeks. 6• Change your routine - try to avoid the shop you usually buy cigarettes from. Perhaps you should avoid the pub or the break room at work if there are lots of smokers around you. Try doing something totally different. Surprise yourself! 7• No excuses - don't use a crisis or even good news to be an excuse for 'just one cigarette' there is no such thing - you will soon want the next and the next.... 8• Treat yourself - this is important. If you can, use the money you are saving by not smoking to buy yourself something special - big or small - that you usually would not have. 9• Be careful what you eat - try not to snack on fatty foods. If you do need to snack, try fruit, raw vegetables or sugar free gum or sweets. 10• Take one day at a time - each day without a cigarette is good news for your health, your family and your pocket. |
REMEMBER.........Smoking
ruins your skin!!!!!!