Stopping smoking is most definitely more like a marathon rather than a sprint and it is common for newly ex-smokers to slip up one night, have a cigarette, then immediately write off the entire night as a ‘night off from quitting’.
As you can probably guess, this is possibly the very worst thing you can do, especially if you are finally absolutely serious about stopping smoking for the rest of your life, both for your sake as well as for your partner, family members or friends.
With this in mind, continue reading to learn how to prevent a relapse having embarked on a promise to yourself to stop smoking.
Be Aware Of Your Triggers
People across the length and breadth of the country and beyond would be forgiven for thinking that life since the outbreak of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic made it nigh-on impossible to even consider stopping smoking.
However, many people can no longer viably use this as an excuse and so it is now up to you to resist starting up again, however hard it may be and however temped you may get.
One of the most effective ways to avoid a smoking relapse is to make yourself aware of the triggers that are individual to you and to avoid them as best you can.
For example, if you have a close friend or even if your partner is still a smoker, then politely ask them to smoke away from you, out of your eyeline, when they need to smoke. Another example of an understandable trigger which you must still refrain from relapsing during, is that of a medical or health issue.
From more long-term illnesses to more sporadic issues such as erectile dysfunction, it can be all too tempting and just as easy to nip to the store and buy a packet of cigarettes. Instead, it is important to focus your efforts and attention on the health issue itself, rather than a coping mechanism; like in the case of erectile dysfunction, immediately contact a discreet and reputable online chemist, such as chemist click.
The First Two Weeks
It is often said that the first two weeks when a person has stopped smoking, especially when they were certainly more of a full-time smoker rather than a social one, are by far and unequivocally, the hardest.
Invariably, this is likely to be true and there is a wealth of scientific studies and data to back this up:
- Flu-like symptoms are incredibly common during this time
- Levels of anxiety and stress will be at an all-time high
- You are likely to have a much-increased appetite
- Irritability and even aggression are far more common
Stopping Smoking Aids
There is a myriad of proven to be effective stopping smoking aids, including but not limited to, nicotine inhalers, nicotine tablets, nicotine patches and various smoking therapies. Furthermore, when dedicated to the prevention of a relapse, it would also be prudent to continuously familiarize yourself with the numerous harmful and in some cases, fatal, effects that smoking can and does have on the human body.