We all know cigarette smoking is bad for our health, and yet many of us still use them. Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to achieve, but once you get there, you can do anything!
The Body Response to Smoking
Did you know that in the first 20 minutes after putting down a cigarette, the body already starts to respond and repair itself? Heart rate and blood pressure are the first things to drop back down to normal.
Within 24 hours of no smoking, the risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks begins to drop and by 48 hours the nerve endings of the tongue and nose restore taste and smell.
When Nicotine Cravings Hit
At this point, the most common symptoms of cravings start to kick in. This can include anything from anxiety, appetite and frustration to poor focus, dizziness and constipation. One month later, lung tissue begins to regenerate, respiratory symptoms subside and exercise tolerance increases.
Based on this timeline, I think it’s safe to say just how amazing it is that the body can heal and recover so quickly.
Why Start Smoking?
Most Common Reasons People Begin Smoking
- self-medication
- boredom
- peer pressure
- anxiety and stress relief
Most Common Reasons People Try to Quit Smoking
- they don’t want their kids to smoke
- fear of chronic health conditions and risk of disease
- to save money
- because their doctor has told them to
Identifying Smoking Triggers
For most people, smoking is a very social event and can bring people together at work, at home or elsewhere. Identify who else smokes with you and get them on board with your goal. This is the best chance you will have for success.
If you smoke with co-workers on your lunch break, change it up. Go for a walk at lunch, eat your lunch outside on sunny days, or take lunch at a different time. If you are truly motivated, you will avoid these pressuring social situations. In the best case scenario, you convince everyone in your social group to quit too! Then it becomes a social support group, or even a challenge to motivate each other and succeed as a team.
If you are feeling that anxiety and stress encourage you to smoke, perhaps it’s time to take a deeper look into your body’s response. After all, if you can’t change the stressor (ie. job, boss, home life), all you have control over is your perception of the stress. Often, this is the greater challenge to overcome.
Smoking Cessation Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help calm the mind, reduce the stress response and decrease endorphins responsible for cravings. It can open the lungs, reduce wheezing, clear the airways and support detoxification.
The most common acupuncture protocol is the NADA protocol, designed to stimulate different parts of the ear and normalize the body’s response to nicotine. It has been a highly successful support tool along with counselling and proper nutrition
Dietary Requirements for Smoking
The act of smoking and the effects of nicotine are known to deplete certain nutrients in the body. A proper meal plan and nutritional supplementation can drastically reduce the negative effects of nicotine. Within a week, many people notice an increase in energy, proper sleep, and decreased need for cigarettes.
Make sure to have things like celery or carrot sticks on hand at all times. It is a short-term substitute for a cigarette but can help reduce the need if bored. Small portions of dry cereal or healthy snack foods help stabilize appetite and blood sugar levels.
Meditations for Smoking Cessation
As discussed, many people smoke because of high stress and anxiety. It is no surprise that deep breathing is a successful tool for smoking cessation, because the act of smoking REQUIRES you to take deep breaths. Perhaps if one were to feel an intense craving and focus on breathing instead, they may be able to decrease the urge for a cigarette and lower their stress at the same time.
A number of cessation programs include hypnosis and the success rate with this approach has yet to be determined. However, the fundamentals are related to lowering the stress response and having the body reach a state of peace and tranquility.
Develop New Coping Strategies
Outline all the reasons you want to quit and carry it around in your wallet. Create a regular exercise routine and enlist the support of family and friends to hold you accountable.
You can still be friends with people who smoke. You just have to create new routines with them that don’t involve smoking. Maybe going for a walk at lunch will be the new way you bond, or a love for sports will be your strongest commonality now.
If you always go to the same store to buy cigarettes, or always smoke after a coffee, change it up. Find a new route to get home, shop at a different store, or drink tea instead.
Creating new habits develops new neurological patterns in your brain. These patterns become stronger the more you use them, and eventually they will override your old smoking patterns. Either way, the only way to quit is to try, so let’s get started!