In today’s health-conscious world, it’s increasingly common to see people committing to the difficult but worthwhile task of quitting smoking. While this habit is among the hardest to break, it can definitely be done, and in this post we’re going to give you a couple tips to get you on your way to quitting for good. Let’s start off with an overlooked but important point: You need to have a reason.

Know your reason.cigarettes

In order to actually stick to quitting, you’re going to need a strong, personal reason to do so. This could range from not wanting to create secondhand smoke for your kids, preventing yourself from potentially contracting lung cancer, or even to appear younger. Whatever your reason, having a specific goal in mind will make it much easier to stick to your decision.

Be prepared.

While it would be nice to just throw out your cigarettes and be done with it, it isn’t that easy. Considering nicotene is an extremely addictive substance, you’re going to need to get some support in place to get this new habit (or lack thereof) to stick. You can use strategies like classes or apps, even things like medication, counseling and hypnosis. Whichever methods you choose, it’s best that you make sure you’re prepared.

Think about nicotine replacement.

Nicotine withdrawal can give you debilitating headaches, it can sap your energy, and can even sour your mood. As a result, you’re going to want to think about nicotine replacement in things like nicotine lozenges, gum, or even patches. Studies show that people who use some sort of nicotine replacement as opposed to going completely cold turkey have much better rates of kicking the addiction completely in the long run.

Consider prescription medications.

It might not seem like an ideal solution to you at first, but prescription medications can really help you kick those cravings, and ultimately, the addiction itself. There are some medications that actually make smoking less satisfying even if you do take up smoking again, and there are also drugs that can help to reduce withdrawal symptoms such as lack of concentration and depression.

Turn to your support system.

One of the best ways to stick with this new, drastic change in your life is to reach out to friends and family and let them know that you’re planning to quit. This will give you a strong support system of people who can encourage you to keep going when you have urges to smoke. Behavioral therapy is another option that can help you to kick the addiction for a good, and even a couple of sessions of this have been shown to help.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, these are a few helpful tips that will get you on your way to kicking this incredibly harmful habit for good. This might be a difficult addiction to kick in the long run, but it can be done through persistent effort and patience. Get help from a physician too. Your life is worth it.