When people decide to try hypnotherapy to help them quit smoking, they are often concerned about how they will manage any cigarette cravings once they become a non smoker again. Do you want to stop smoking but are finding it difficult to have that last cigarette? Maybe you’ve already tried nicotine replacement products, e-cigarettes or your local NHS Stop Smoking Service? If you’ve recently stopped smoking or have decided to ditch the cigarettes for good, these are some of my top tips to help you beat the cravings.
Get Support
Let your family, friends and work colleagues know that you’ve quit smoking so they can offer support if you need it. Ask smokers not to smoke around you or offer you cigarettes.
Throw it Away
Throw out all of your cigarettes, tobacco, ashtrays, lighters and anything else connected to smoking. You won’t need them as a non smoker. Holding onto these things will only remind you that you used to smoke.
Do the Washing
Wash your clothes and bedding and clean your car to remove the smell of old cigarette smoke. Take the opportunity to clean your house and open the windows to let clean, fresh air in.
Drink Fresh Fruit Juice
In the first three to four days after you’ve quit smoking, when nicotine leaves your body, your own natural blood sugar levels can drop, causing you to become irritable and restless. Drinking fresh fruit juice or eating fresh fruit and staying hydrated, can help you to keep your blood sugar levels stable.
Make a List
Write down all the reasons that made you decide to quit smoking and carry it with you. Write a list of all the things that you can do instead of smoking and carry that with you too.
Make a Plan
Plan ahead for situations where you are likely to be tempted to smoke, such as parties, break times at work or going out with friends or family. If you think these situations might tempt you to smoke, plan how you will cope with any cravings or temptation should they arise.
All Change
Change your identity and self image to ‘I am a non smoker’. You are no longer a smoker who is trying to quit smoking; you no longer smoke. From now on, whenever someone offers you a cigarette, your answer will be: “No thanks, I don’t smoke.”
Delay
Remember that the worst cravings only last for a few minutes and will become less frequent as each day goes by.
Do Something Else
Go for a walk, read a book or talk to a friend or work colleague. Try eating fruit or cleaning your teeth when you would normally have a cigarette. Hold something else such as a pen or beads to replace the need to hold a cigarette.
There is No Such Thing
Many of the smokers that I see in my clinic and online, have often tried to stop smoking in the past, but then started smoking again because they decided to have a cigarette during a moment of stress or boredom. They believed that one cigarette didn’t mean that they had started smoking again. But one cigarette leads to another… and another… and another. So from now on, there is no such thing as ‘just one more cigarette’. There are no more cigarettes. Not even one. Not ever. Remember that cravings only ever last for a few minutes.
Ready to Quit Smoking?
If you’re ready to quit smoking and become a non smoker again, you can book a Stop Smoking Session at the clinic in Leeds or online.
