| If you've made the decision that you are finally going to | | | | comes to dropping cigarettes. |
| quit smoking for good-congratulations. Having the | | | | For many people, the smoking habit is born of a |
| motivation is half the battle. Now you're probably going | | | | nervous need to be doing something or holding |
| to take a trip to the drugstore to buy a stop smoking | | | | something with their hands. Next time you want to |
| aid such as a Nicotine Replacement Therapy-and | | | | reach for a cigarettes, try knitting, painting, playing the |
| you're about to find an overwhelming and rather costly | | | | piano, anything you enjoy that will keep your hands |
| array of products awaiting you. From nicotine gums | | | | occupied. When a craving hits, breathe slowly for two |
| and patches to cigarette filters to herbal capsules, the | | | | minutes. Typically, even the worst of cravings can't |
| stop-smoking industry is a million-dollar business. And | | | | survive unanswered for longer than 2 minutes. If you |
| yet there are plenty of people who have tried | | | | can withstand the craving for two minutes and fill that |
| everything and are still smoking a pack a day. How | | | | stretch of time with some focused breathing, you'll be |
| can this be? While its true that nicotine is a very | | | | in the clear. |
| addictive substance, the habit of smoking has a lot to | | | | When you decide you're going to quit, smoke your last |
| do with factors beyond nicotine. This is the big secret | | | | cigarette and then throw all the rest of them away. |
| to successfully quitting-smoking is as much an | | | | Don't keep any leftover in your house-this will be too |
| emotional habit as a physical addiction, and you need | | | | painful a temptation. Once you give in and smoke one |
| to manage both aspects of the problem. | | | | cigarette, one all too easily becomes two, three, four. |
| Have you ever paid attention to the times you smoke? | | | | Try sips of water or a healthy snack to manage |
| Most people light a cigarette right after they eat, or | | | | cravings. |
| when they are stressed or bored. This has little to do | | | | That's the secret to success in your journey to a |
| with the amount of nicotine in your body at a given | | | | cigarette free life-pay attention to both the nicotine |
| time. This is a force of habit, a pattern you have | | | | dependence and the force of habit that conspire |
| conditioned yourself into following. and you need to | | | | together to tempt you to smoke. If you can take both |
| focus on breaking this pattern, because if you don't, | | | | of these things under your control, you can beat your |
| you're more likely to fail in your mission to quit-and | | | | addiction much more easily than you might have |
| failure is just not something you can afford when it | | | | thought possible. Good Luck! |