The first step of the battle to quit smoking is deciding that you well and truly would like to give up smoking for good. Quitting smoking is, in fact, a journey. The path that you have chosen to take is not easy, and knowing where to start will give you the right perceptive. You will need to find other ways through which you can manage your moods that you will experience when you have to cope up with the withdrawal symptoms that you will undergo when you stop smoking. Listed below are some effective tips for quitting smoking.

Prepare for Quit Day
The most important of all tips for quitting smoking is deciding the last date. Pick a date that is quite near, so you don’t change your mind about quitting smoking. You can decide on whether you want to quit as soon as you decide or continue to smoke till the quit date that you have set. You can also decide on quitting gradually by reducing your tobacco intake quite slowly until your quit date and then stop.

Feel free to choose the method that works best for you. A few things that can help you quit is to tell your friends and family about your decision and also the quit date.

Get Rid of Paraphernelia
The next tip for quitting smoking would be to throw away all your cigarette boxes, lighters, and ashtrays. Decide if you are going to take the help of medication to quit smoking. You could also stock up oral substitutes like sugarless gum, coffee stirrers, carrot sticks, hard candy, straws, and toothpicks. Make sure that you quit smoking on your quit day. It helps if you can stay busy on that day. You will also need to drink more water and make sure that you drink less alcohol. It would also be helpful to stay clear of individuals who smoke and to stay away from situations that may trigger the urge for you to smoke.

Use Nicotine Replacement
Not everyone has the willpower to quit smoking without taking the aid of nicotine replacement therapy or medications. Although going cold turkey is the ideal tips for quitting smoking to quit smoking, it doesn’t work for most people. So you can decide to quit smoking by making use of nicotine replacement in the form of patches, lozenges, nasal sprays, chewing gum, and inhalers. Nasal sprays and inhalers can only be got through prescriptions.

Consider Non-nicotine Medication
There are two non-nicotine medications that have been approved by the FDA that you could make use of to help you quit smoking. They are bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix). Both of them act on the chemicals in the brain that plays a role in nicotine cravings and they help to reduce the cravings of nicotine in the body once you stop smoking.

Seek Support
You can always seek counseling support while on the journey of smoking cessation. Self-help materials and support groups can definitely help you get through these difficult times.