General Advice

Everyone has a time when they crave cigarettes more. Although Nicotine Replacement therapy and Zyban can help you. The habit is often hard to break. These tips are designed to help you and give you ideas on how your 'curb those cravings'

Think about when is your worst time for wanting a cigarette, for some people its:- 

• In the morning 
• In the car 
• After food 
• In the pub 
• On the phone 
• With tea or coffee

what you need to do is highlight when is YOUR worst time and work on each area at a time.
Take on day at a time
Stay positive
Think positive
Say 'YOU CAN DO IT'
YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE TO HELP YOU ADAPT

WITH TEA OR COFFEE
Most people associate cigarettes with tea or coffee. Subsitute these drinks with others such as fruit juice, orange juice or milk or water.
These are not only heathier but you do not associate these with cigarettes.

SAVE YOUR MONEY
When you quit smoking, why not save the money you would have spent on your cigarettes and put it in a 'piggy' bank and at the end of every month why not treat yourself to something you wouldn't have had if you smoked. what about a new dress, day out or treat the family. Or save up for a year and see what you can buy, a new car, a holiday.

DONT FORGET A CRAVING ONLY LASTS FOR 3 MINUTES AND WILL GO AWAY WHETHER YOU HAVE A CIGARETTE OR NOT .......


TAKE FIVE MINUTES FOR YOURSELF
· Sit in a comfortable chair and rest your hands in your lap.
· Close your eyes and begin by breathing out slowly with a slight sigh.
· Breathe in and out, very slowly. Repeat two or three times.
· As you breathe out, imagine the tensions slipping away.
· Feel yourself relax
DO THIS AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES PER WEEK

SPRING CLEAN
First of all what you should do is if you smoke in your home is make it a no smoking home. Ban smoking all together. If other people smoke ask them to smoke outside. Spring clean your house, paint the ceiling, redecorate, get the couch professionally cleaned. You wont want to smoke in a nice clean house.

STOCK UP
You will need to keep busy, a lot of people will miss the 'hand to mouth' action also a lot of people are scared of putting on weight when they quit. Therefore you will need to stock up on low calorie snacks, fruit, sugarfree gum/mints. These will take your mind off the cigarettes. Or why not drink bottled water, to substitute the hand to mouth action. Carry one with you at all time. Try to avoid chocolate and crisps and fizzy drinks as these are loaded with calories.

KEEP BUSY - YOU NEED TO KEEP OCCUPIED TO TAKE YOUR MIND OFF THE CIGARETTES, WHY NOT DO SOME OF THESE:-
JIGSAWS, CROSSWORDS, READ, KNIT, PAINT, PLAY BOARD GAMES, FISHING, SNOOKER, CARDS OR DOMINOES, TAKE UP A HOBBY, EXERCISE, JOIN A CLASS.
IN THE MORNING
IF THE FIRST THING YOU DO IN THE MORNING IS SWITCH ON THE KETTTLE AND LIGHT UP YOUR CIGARETTE, WHY NOT CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE, DRINK JUICE INSTEAD OF TEA/COFFEE, EAT YOUR BREAKFAST FIRST, GET DRESSED, GET WASHED, DO EXERCISES.
IN THE CAR
Like your home make your car a 'no-smoking' car. Get it professionally cleaned, clean the windows, empty the ashtrays and fill it with potpourri. You wont want to spoil that fresh clean smell!

AFTER FOOD
This is probably the worst time for most people. Instead of lighting up after a cigarette, why not indulge in a nice healthy after, like fruit with yoghurt or low fat ice cream. or go for a nice leisurely stroll, or wash the dishes!

IN THE PUB
This is a place where people associate cigarettes the most. One way is to avoid the pub, maybe meet friends at a restaurant or at the cinema or even at the bowling alley or bingo. Tell all your friends that you have quit, or will be quitting and ask them not to smoke by you or offer you a cigarette. Or if you associate beer or spirits with fags, why not change your drink or drink soft drinks.

ON THE PHONE
Most people when they hear the phone ring is pick up their cigarettes and can often go through about half a packet and not realise this, until the call is finished. Why not keep your cigs out of reach of the phone, maybe in a different room, or move the phone into a place where it is not comfortable, and you will keep the call short, such as hallway or kitchen or even bathroom. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit such as strawberries, grapes, cherries or blackberries by the phone to nibble on while you are talking.