You want to quit smoking? Strong! If you manage to stop smoking, you are doing your health and our environment a big favor. But it's not quite so easy for nicotine addicts to put down the cigarette, of course. Changing established habits is also difficult!
"There's nothing easier than quitting smoking. I've already done it 137 times myself." is a nice quote from Mark Twain that describes this challenge pretty well. But as always, there are effective ways and means!
This article therefore contains a few tips for you that go beyond the classic "postpone, avoid, run away and distract" and will help you. Let's go!
Quit smoking: Which tips are really helpful?
Almost 14 million people in Germany smoke every day.1 But Unfortunately, many people only understand how important it is to stop smokingwhen they already notice the health consequences.
So that you can master this turning point much earlier and our Spare the environment from more cigarette buttsI am writing these lines now. I would like to give you the crucial psychological tips that will help you to stop smoking.
1. know the motivational advantages
If you want to change something, you must at all times know why you are doing this. Even if you want to stop smoking, you need a long-term goal in mind.
Here are therefore Some advantagesthat go hand in hand with giving up cigarettes:
- Save money: Private households spend almost 30 billion euros on tobacco products every year. A packet now costs 8.20 euros.2 So it's no wonder that a healthy and sustainable lifestyle save money simply by following your heart.
- Protect the environment: On the one hand there is the air pollutionThe second is the environmental pollution caused by discarded butts. Out of 5.6 trillion cigarettes per year worldwide, 2/3 are thrown into nature. With plastic filters and 7,000 different toxins. These include arsenic, lead, copper and benzene.3
- Reduce susceptibility to disease: The immune system of smokers is weakened. According to the Robert Koch Institute, smokers therefore also belong to the risk groups for diseases such as the Coronavirus.4
- Increase relaxation: Even if many smokers don't want to admit it, the constant addiction to cigarettes also causes stress. As a non-smoker you become more relaxed and more independent, as the stress of "having to smoke" is eliminated.
- Improve physical performance: As your carbon monoxide level in the blood drops, your oxygen level rises - and supplies all your organs with the ideal amount of oxygen. This gives you more energy in everyday life.
- Becoming more attractive: Above all, your skin and complexion will be much smoother and fresher after quitting smoking. Your hair and nails will also become stronger and unsightly discoloration of your teeth will also come to an end.5 Last but not least, you smell better too!
Perhaps one of these benefits of quitting smoking has finally persuaded you to do so. Keep them in mind again and againto really quit smoking in the long term.
2. separate yourself from what reminds you of smoking
Logical, isn't it? The best way to get rid of unwanted habits is to change something in your own environment. That's why many people are particularly good at quitting smoking after a move.
Get rid of the ashtray! Also make sure that Friends and family do not have cigarettes lying around within easy reach - and that they support you in quitting smoking.
Even the journey to work can remind you of your daily cigarette. If you can, so I prefer to ride my bike instead of by car, so you don't have a hand free. Or try something else on your Change work route. Incidentally, many proud non-smokers have also managed to give up cigarettes during their annual vacation.
Tip: Many people smoke when they have been drinking alcohol. If you smoke your Reduce alcohol consumptionyou are doing something good for your health in two senses.
3. distract yourself from thinking about smoking
If you want to stop smoking, you should distract yourself well, especially during the changeover phase, and keep your Keep fingers and thoughts busy.
During the times when you normally smokedFor example, you can use an app for daily brain jogging sessions, download a Get a dartboard* or start with it, for example with Babbel* a learn a new language.
These are just ideas - maybe you can think of something more suitable 🙂
Tip: Learn to relax. After all, stress is one of the most common reasons for smoking. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, but also walks and sauna visits could help you, for example.
4. consider "only one cigarette" as too much
"Once is not enough" should not apply when you are trying to quit smoking. Every cigarette evokes memories and brings you one step closer to the point of lighting up a cigarette every day again.
So stay firm and remind yourself of the benefits of quitting smokingif your willpower has just suffered a little.
5. avoid the smoking area as far as possible
Of course: the Of course, you must avoid the smoking area at the office entrance or in the playground.. After all, everything really does remind you of how good your daily smoke has done you (in the short term). Other smokers, the smell and many other things.
But the You can also get a sense of well-being in other ways. It's better to give the smoking area a wide berth or stay directly where smoking is prohibited anyway 😉.
6. use apps
There are some very good apps for quitting smoking. Here are some examples that may be more effective depending on your personality type:
- „Smoke-Free." With the help of this app, you can constantly see how much money you've already saved by stopping smoking. It also gives you tips on distraction and daily activities.
- "Quit Now!": The app also takes into account the length of time you have already smoked and offers you the opportunity to exchange ideas with other prospective non-smokers.
- NonSmokingHeroes.com: Here, a smoking cessation program has been put together based on behavioral therapy. This app thinks ahead and prepares you ideally for quitting smoking.
- „Kwit": This app tries to help you quit smoking in a fun way by awarding points and awards for your willpower.
Even if they are not absolutely crucial for you to quit smoking, they will definitely help you to do so.
7. do sports to balance stress
Keep yourself distracted and do even more sport than usual during your quitting phase. The movement activates your circulation and makes you happy.
After all, it's precisely the feelings of happiness that made you smoke in the first place. So make sure you do more sport alternative stress compensation.
For example, if you buy new running shoes and invest your well-deserved money in this measure, you will make your plan to stop smoking even more secure from a psychological point of view.
Tip: How you basically train sustainablyI will be happy to show you in the linked article.
8. consider withdrawal symptoms as a good sign
Yes, the word "withdrawal symptoms" sounds bad, but it's also much worse than it is. At the end of the day, withdrawal symptoms in your attempt to stop smoking are just the Proof that you are on the right track.
If you want to stop smoking, you can rely on the following usual phases set:
- Decision Phase / Preparation: The benefits of quitting smoking predominate in your mind, but the fear of becoming weak resonates somewhat.
- Smoking cessation: The line has been drawn. Your own expectations are now crucial. The more you expect it to be hard, the more likely you are to experience withdrawal symptoms. Try to let the positive effects of quitting smoking outweigh the negative ones in your mind.
- Stabilization phase: At this stage, you know for sure that you have made it and will remain a non-smoker. You no longer have to make an effort in any situation not to reach for a cigarette out of old habit.
Tip: We once 30 days sugar free tried it out. After a few days, my hands were shaking like crazy. These were also withdrawal symptoms that were over after a few hours. An important hurdle in the challenge.
9. use aids if necessary
If there is no other way, little helpers can also support you in giving up smoking. To the Nicotine replacement therapy different remedies are approved in Germany.
For example Nicotine-containing chewing gum*, Plaster*, Lozenges* and Sprays*. These products release nicotine into your body slowly, in smaller doses and without harmful substances such as tar. It is, so to speak, a Gradual smoking cessation.
Tip: But maybe the book will help you My gift for a pleasurable smoking cessation* by Peter Kruse. The author has already helped many people to stop smoking.
10. be proud of yourself
If you take the tips to heart and keep your personal development during your smoking cessation, you have every right to be proud of yourself. And with every day you go without a cigarette, you can be a little more proud. Keep reminding yourself of this.
Some people may stop smoking from one day to the next - but until you are absolutely no longer inclined to reach for a cigarette, it's a long way to go. continuous process.
Use the tips to quit smoking
You realize that you have to quit, right? There's no way around it - and your motivation should be extremely high after reading this article. Now is the time to make a change!
Smoking is no longer cool and certainly not "masculine". It stinks, it's poison for your body, it annoys others and it pollutes nature. In the end, cigarettes only bring a smile to one person's face: the industry.
"The biggest decision in life is about changing your life through changing your mind."
Albert Schweitzer (more at Change quotes)
I wish you every success in quitting smoking! Finally, I'll give you a list of the things that belong to your lungs:
- Air
Do you have any questions, further tips or your own experiences with quitting smoking that you would like to share? Then I look forward to your comment!
In this sense, stay healthy and sustainable,
PS: For me these days, the Eating meat is the new smoking. I'll show you what parallels there are and why I think so in the linked article!
Source reference:
- Statista GmbH: Number of smokers in Germany in the years 2000 to 2025*, available at https://t1p.de/0bm2. [09.08.2024]. ↩︎
- https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/377779/umfrage/preis-einer-schachtel-zigaretten-in-deutschland. ↩︎
- WWF Germany; WHO: Why cigarettes are so harmful to the environment, available at https://blog.wwf.de/rauchen-umwelt-zigarettenkippen. [09.08.2024]. ↩︎
- Robert Koch Institute (RKI 2020): SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) fact sheet, available at https://t1p.de/0eru. [09.08.2024]. ↩︎
- Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA): Appearance, https://www.rauchfrei-info.de/aufhoeren/vorteile-des-rauchstopps/aussehen. [09.08.2024]. ↩︎
