Willpower is an essential element to quit smoking. It is the quality that allows people to resist temptation, fight addiction and overcome obstacles. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need expensive treatments, nicotine patches, or pills to stop smoking. All you need is willpower, and determination to quit smoking for good.
Here are some essential tips to help you quit smoking with willpower alone:
1. Set a Quit Date:
The first step in quitting smoking is to set a quit date. Choose a day on which you will stop smoking entirely. This date has to be specific, and you need to make your plan in preparation for it. For instance, you could plan to destroy every smoking accessory, identify your triggers, and plan distractions.
2. Identify Your Triggers:
It is essential to identify your triggers, those things that push you to smoke, like alcohol, stress, boredom, or even habitual smoking. Once you identify these triggers, plan around them. You could avoid alcohol and other smokers, for instance, to reduce your temptations.
3. Develop a Plan:
As mentioned earlier, you need to develop a plan around your quit date. List down the things you will do to counter any triggers that may arise. You could use distractions like exercise, read a book or go for a walk instead of smoking. Embrace new habits like a healthy diet and socialize with people who aren’t smokers.
4. Get Support from Family and Friends:
Quitting smoking is a challenging task, and it is essential to get support from your family and friends. Let them know about your quit date, the challenges you may face, and how they can help you through the process.
5. Avoid Temptation:
You cannot overrule the effects of triggers on the smoking addiction. Try to avoid any source of temptation that may derail your quitting journey. It could be quitting smoking apps on the phone, simulating anxiety with alternate methods, or simply breaking away from company that smokes.
6. Think of the Benefits:
Quitting smoking has immediate effects on your health and well-being. Think about the benefits of quitting cigarettes, e.g. improved cardiovascular health, better sense of taste and smell, clothes will no longer smell of tobacco etc.
7. Encourage Yourself:
Quit smoking is a long and challenging process, but the rewards are worth it. Encourage yourself throughout the journey, celebrate every milestone, and remind yourself of your reasons to quit. Remind yourself that you have come this far by exercising willpower, and that’s commendable.
In summary, quitting smoking with willpower alone is a commendable and achievable goal to improve your health, wealth, and life. Starting the journey with a firm resolve to quit and identifying any sources that can cause a slip must be your first priority. Surrounding oneself with people who believe in you and realizing the benefits of quitting smoking are alternate thoughts to hold on to as your body and mind adjust to life without smoking. Though it is a path not everyone is ready to take, quitting smoking is accessible for those determined to quit regardless of the external trigger-points.