Quitting smoking might seem like too daunting a task to even attempt, especially for those who have been holding on to this destructive habit for many a year. However, with the advancement of technology, lots of options exist for the prospective non-smoker, and not all of them are inaccessible or exorbitantly expensive. Read on, as we list ten novel new ways to attempt giving up on a nasty addiction, which can turn even the healthiest and most strong willed people you know into weaklings. And get ready to forget everything you have ever known about cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and the dreaded weight gain.
10. The Self-Contract
This might seem like a basic enough way to quit smoking and it is also one which involves a hefty dose of volition. The smoker needs to set a quitting date, write all the cons of smoking in contract form, and then undersign the paper. The contract also needs to be co-signed by a witness, who would basically vouch for him or her, and help them stick to their guns. The success rate of this method has not been scientifically researched, but, given the amount of will-power it entails, it’s safe to assume that it’s not for the weak-willed.
9. Tea
That’s right – plain old tea can provide a great amount of relief for nicotine cravings. Consider the act of brewing the tea, to begin with. It takes a little while to warm up the water and then let the infusion ready itself for the drinking. This span of time you spend refocusing your attention from the nicotine craving to the act of drinking tea will help you calm your nerves – as will all the beneficial antioxidants that tea contains; especially the green variety. What is more, tea can actually help keep your skin looking young and fresh, whereas nicotine, toxins, and smoke will produce just the opposite effect.
8. Auricular Acupuncture
Not necessarily a remedy for the faint of heart or for those with a strong fear of or dislike for needles, but certain researchers have said that auricular acupuncture can work wonders when it comes to coping with cigarette cravings. According to scientists from the National Institute of Health, expert needle pricks to the ears will cause a decrease of cravings. If acupuncture seems too much to handle, then consult a list of pressure points in the area and tape small beads to them. Whenever the need for a smoke arises, squeeze them like there’s no tomorrow. You might be surprised to experience the effects.
7. Logging or Journaling
One method to track your smoking habit immediately prior to quitting per se is to keep a log of all the times of day when you feel compelled to reach for that pack and lighter. It’s not the precise moment in time that matters and needs recording, of course, but the emotional trigger that induces the need to smoke. This is what you need to be looking at, as you work your way toward a smoke-free life. By successfully identifying your nicotine craving patterns, you will also have an easier time managing the initial part of your smoke-free life. You will know when, where, and why to expect a craving and, hopefully, you will also have an available alternative around to resort to.
6. Homeopathic Remedies
Some choose to believe in homeopathy, while other dismiss it altogether, as bogus and old wives’ tales. That being said, there are some herbal remedies that you might want to try out, in your effort to give up smoking. One is cinnamon-flavored sticks, whose strong flavor has been said to help quell cravings. Also, Avena sativa, or oat extract, taken in daily doses of 1 milligram per day, can also be a good aide in driving down your number of cigarettes smoked during one day.
5. Naltrexone
Naltrexone is a little pill that has been long in use in addiction therapy. Aside from helping people quit all sorts of damaging habits, science says it can also help with not packing on the pounds. Two recent studies have found that women who quit smoking by taking this pill did not put on as much weight as those who did so through therapy. Two cons: the reduced weight gain effect only applies to women and the pill is not necessarily more successful in helping people stay non-smokers for good than more traditional therapies.
Believe it or not, according to several researchers in Great Britain, playing tennis is effective in coping with nicotine cravings. Part of the reason probably has to do with the fact that this sport is both active, as well as goal-driven – not to mention that it’s one of the most elegantly competitive sports known to man. The fascinating fact is that even visualizing a tennis match can help smokers cope with the cravings.
3. Snus
Snus comes from snuff, with the added difference that it’s moist. It was originally invented in the 19th century by the Swedes and, in its original version, it was dry snuff turned into a sort of paste. It is placed under the tongue for long periods of time and releases nicotine into the blood stream. While it may act like a good palliative, or a more natural form of a nicotine patch, it does have negative health effects and is not recommended by healthcare professionals.
2. The Allen Carr Method
Hundreds of thousands of people around the globe swear by Doctor Allen Carr way of quitting smoking. The author of the popular self-help series of books The Easy Way…, also known as ‘easyway’ pioneered a method of quitting nicotine not through will-power, but through acknowledging that smoking fills an often non-perceived void within the smoker. By acknowledging that void and seeking to fill it with something else (other than alcohol or food, of course), the smoker will find it much easier to give up the habit altogether. Nowadays, though Carr is no more, his legacy lives on through a network of psychotherapy centers which help smokers quit – with a money back guarantee.
1. The Electronic Cigarette
Comprising a cartridge, into which flavored liquid goes, as well as an atomizer, which helps turn that e-liquid into vapors, the electronic cigarette is one of the easiest ways to give up on smoking – and for several good reasons, too. For one thing, it looks and feels a lot like a regular tobacco cigarette, but one which is never finished, which you can smoke even on a plane or on the subway in most parts of the world, and one whose nicotine concentration level you can adjust to suit your needs. Blu electronic cigarettes, for instance, can even be charged via USB by being connected to a personal computer – an aspect that makes this sleek little gadget a must-have for all those who want to quit.
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