In some cases, developing a habit is much easier than giving it up, especially when it comes to bad habits. Even when a person knows that their behavior is potentially or actually harmful for their health, they are still very likely to take efforts to maintain the habit rather than drop it.
Why? It’s much easier to follow one’s old ways than to establish the new ones, especially when it comes to addictions. Addiction to smoking is one of the leading causes of diseases and deaths, so how come people are still buying, lighting and inhaling the nasty tobacco sticks? In this post, we will tell you in the raw what awaits for you on the hardest days of quitting smoking.
With the right knowledge, you will be more prepared for what quitting has in store and will have better chances of conquering your obsessive habit.
Week One
The first seven days are the hardest for a person trying to quit smoking. The body and the mind are used to getting nicotine regularly and relaxing in a habitual way. One thing is for sure – if you get through the first week, it will get a lot easier later.
The best and the easiest day of quitting is the first day you make up your mind to drop the habit. There is still nicotine in your system, and you feel the hype of doing the right thing and taking a positive turn in your life. The excitement of starting something new makes you feel better.
Unfortunately, the good feelings dissolve by day two and day three, leaving you in a bad place physically and emotionally. By this time, you will start feeling some unpleasant emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms, the intensity of which varies from person to person. To give you an idea of what might happen, we will list the most frequent symptoms below:
– headache
– restlessness
– edginess
– insomnia
– fatigue
– shaky hands
– digestive disorders
The best way to get through the period of experiencing the worst symptoms of nicotine withdrawal is to remember that all the negative things you experience are temporary. You will soon forget about them, and the effort is worth it for the long-time benefit of your health.
Instead of searching for the best days to quit smoking, drop the habit today and get healthier each of the upcoming tomorrows. Control your craving by distracting yourself. Engage in other activities instead of reaching out for another cigarette, and you will be surprised to learn how soon you’ll forget about the craving for nicotine altogether.
Week Two
As the first week of getting rid of your addiction will go by, things will get easier, but there will still be things to deal with. If you experienced a mental craving for a cigarette during week one, it is very likely to get stronger over week two. You might not need a cigarette physically anymore, but there is still an emotional connection to it.
At this point, you should watch out in order not to develop a substitutional bad habit. Many people who give up smoking gain weight quickly because they tend to comfort eat. Some ex-smokers experience an intense craving for sweets that they cannot resist, and consume the desired foods in excessive quantities.
It is a good idea to keep your mind off the smoking topic during two to win the battle with the habit. Try to avoid any triggers that can make you light “just one last cigarette”. The type of your personality and the smoking experience you had will influence the process of giving up the habit and your reaction to it a lot.
Reach Out for Help
Let your family and friends know that you’re quitting smoking and ask them to support you. Most likely, you won’t even have to ask people who care about you to stand by your healthy choices. In any case, spending time with non-smokers and asking ex-smokers for advice is always a good idea.
Magic in Numbers
Some sources say that twenty-one day is enough to form a habit. Others claim that it takes as long to break it as it took to form it in the first place. One thing is for sure – sooner or later your craving will decrease, and it will be easier for you to lead a healthier lifestyle without thinking of the cigarettes most of your time.
After a month of giving up smoking, you will get very good chances of giving up the habit altogether. And even though you might have a nostalgic smoking-related memory pop up in your mind once in a while for the rest of your life, it will not have any control over you anymore. Good luck![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
0 Comments