Now is the ideal time to throw out your cigarettes: not only is the new year just around the corner, but also Chicago will go smoke-free on January 16.
If quitting smoking is at the top of your New Year's resolution list, The American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago is conducting a series of quit workshops, giving Quit Kits away prior to the ban's implementation, and offering these ten tips to help you conquer the habit.
1. Write down a list of reasons why you want to quit. Carry it with you and remind yourself of the reasons when you have the urge to smoke. Smokers who are motivated become quitters.
2. Set a date. Stopping smoking is probably the most important health decision you'll make in your life, so don't quit on a whim. Take time to plan your strategy.
3. Remove all evidence of smoking from your life. Clean your car interior, launder your clothes, put away your ashtrays, and get rid of all your cigarettes. Holding on to cigarettes or lighters "just in case" undermines your self-confidence.
4. Change your typical daily routine in as many ways as possible. When you eat breakfast, don't sit in the same place at the kitchen table. Rearrange your furniture. Take a new route to work. Drink tea instead of coffee. Have lunch in the conference room rather than at your desk.
5. Reward yourself for not smoking. Set goals, both short term and long term. Have a specific reward (not something you were going to do anyway!) for each milestone you reach. Research shows that filling out contracts and rewarding yourself are popular activities among successful quitters.
6. Cut down on alcohol and caffeinated beverages. Drink a lot of water. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go.
7. Plan ahead for temptation. Eat frequent small meals to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Keep healthy substitutes handy to keep your hands and mouth busy, like carrots, raisins, gum, hard candy and lollipops. You can also keep your hands busy by carrying a stress ball or a doodle pad or a pack of cards. Plan non-smoking tactics before you go to events where other people might be smoking.
8. Do something physical (take a walk, do some push-ups, just DO SOMETHING) especially when you are angry, stressed or bored.
9. Be proactive about spending more time with non-smokers and/or ex-smokers. 10. If you slip and smoke, don't be discouraged. Many former smokers tried to stop several times before they finally succeeded. Just like anything new, we have to practice not smoking to get it right. If a slip happens, stop right there. Examine what went wrong. Learn from what happened. And quit again.
The Association is also conducting a free one-hour Quit Tip Workshop at noon, Friday, January 13 at 1440 W. Washington Blvd. Reservations are required.
On Sunday, January 15, 1 - 3 pm, while supplies last, the Association will offer curb service for smokers or their loved ones interested in picking up free Quit Kits filled with stop-smoking ideas, telephone and website support information, a three-month pass to Bally Total Fitness Clubs and nicotine replacement samples donated by the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Tobacco cessation counselors will be on hand to offer advice to individual smokers. Reservations can be made by calling Erica Gaddy at 312-243-2000.
For more information call 312-243-2000.
Sourece: American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago, http://www.lungchicago.org
Linear Mode
