Beneficial Quit Smoking Tips that are Unlike Any Other

If you're preparing or considering giving up smoking then no doubt you've been inundated with wise tips to help you quit and tips to keep you from falling back into old patterns. Over the years of my hypnosis practice I've found some tips that are not necessarily obvious but are key to helping smokers make the transition to being a non-smoker.

These quit smoking tips take you beyond the everyday such as don't hang around other smokers or tips to help you with cravings that I've covered elsewhere. These tips will give you something entirely new and original to think about to ensure you have plenty of tools to keep on the road to quitting - permanently.

Start with peanuts when you decide to quit smoking.

In other words, break everything that is big and seems intimidating and overwhelming down into smaller components. Make all of your non-smoking goals small goals and all of your victories small as well.

Do not think in terms of many years from now, or worse, in terms of forever. This will do nothing but stress you to the max. Instead adopt for a realistic and optimistic attitude and a timetable for giving up the nicotine habit. And celebrate all of your small successes. A success of one day may seem insignificant at first but it can lead to a two day success, three, four and so on. It all contributes to your success in the larger scheme of things and it all matters.

There is rocky emotional terrain to navigate as you leave the smoking habit behind. You must prepare yourself to have to deal with emotions of a disquieting and uncomfortable nature.

Smoking is a habit that you became emotionally connected to and that is why you must go through a series of phases to let it go. They are similar to the phases one suffers when a death occurs or a relationship ends.

Chemical dependency on nicotine is very powerful and that is why it takes effort and strength to say no (and mean it). Smoking has also become a relationship in your life that is repetitive and has always been something you could count on. This is why the draw to hold onto it has such a strong hold over you.

Prepare to mourn your loss by going through six phases that are a necessary and healthy element of letting go. These phases include:

* Phase One- Denial

* Phase Two- Anger

* Phase Three- Bargaining

* Phase Four- Depression

* Phase Five- Acceptance

* Phase Six- Complacency

If as a smoker you were used to skipping meals then it is time to change that unhealthy habit pronto!

Going without eating meals can lead to your blood sugar going up and down like crazy. This was not something that would cause you a problem as a smoker but it is a different story once you quit.

If you go without eating foods and/or if you do not eat the right type of foods (i.e. healthy and nutritious foods), it can wreak havoc with your ability to focus and can cause anxiety. Do not allow this to happen by consuming the healthiest diet possible on a daily basis.

However do not eat excessively. Bear this important point in mind - eating smaller amounts of food more often is wiser than eating larger portions of food at a sitting.

Drinking an acidic fruit juice the first three to four days following your last cigarette is a good idea. Cranberry juice is an excellent choice. The acidic nature of the juice helps to remove nicotine from the blood stream that much faster. Guard against drinking too much juice after this period of time however as it can lead to another problem - excess pounds.

It has often been said that no one can take just one puff without wanting to take a second, and a third and on it goes.

Addiction and dependency get you in their grip and do not want to let go. Exposing yourself to nicotine caused chemical changes to take place in your brain. In fact, millions of nicotine receptors developed in as many as 11 areas of your thinking center. This is a very big deal and must be treated as so much more than a small habit.

Give it up completely or not at all. There is no happy medium and no neutral ground in between.

Here is something you may not know - caffeine and nicotine have a special relationship. If you drink coffee or tea regularly then it is wise to reduce your consumption as you enter nicotine withdrawal.

This is also the case if you consume other sources of caffeine such as soda pop or chocolate drinks. If you do not then you may find yourself riddled with anxiety and not able to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. Cutting your caffeine in half until you have been nicotine free for at least a few weeks can make the transition that much easier for you.

If you drink alcohol, be careful of how much you consume once you first give up smoking and start showing the symptoms of withdrawal.

This is true regardless of whether you drink often or once in a while. You already have enough to deal with so you do not want to compound your problems any more.

While you were a smoker you probably did not dream of smoking but you may find that once you bid farewell to the habit your slumber hours may be filled with images and dreams of your former favorite habit. This is normal and not a cause for concern.

Just let the dreams come as they are a sure sign that you are beginning to heal. Do not give them any more power than that. They are a step away from your past life as a smoker and a step towards the new and improved life you are building for yourself.

It may be tempting to find a crutch to lean on but this can lead to dependency which is not what you want. You are in the process of leaving one form of dependency behind. Remember? This means any form of a crutch be it a person, place, activity, service or product, etc.

You need to find your own lifeboat instead of clinging to an artificial one. Your strength to get through this must come from within, not without. You are more inclined to suffer a relapse if you lean on any crutch that is external to yourself. Of course this does not mean that you cannot look for support, encouragement and a good listener whenever you need that extra boast of incentive to keep on track.

This is not strange when you really think about it. Getting movement going - however minimal - starts you down a path of quitting. After all how many athlete's have you seen smoking? Not many. It's difficult to get to a good level of fitness if you smoke. But if you begin to exercise - walking is fine to begin - you'll be surprised with how much you get motivated.

Obviously if you're taking medication or haven't done any exercise for many years talk to your physician first. But chances are spending a few dollars on comfortable walking shoes and finding a friend to walk a few miles a day with you will start the ball rolling.

Remember - you heard it here first.

Taking the step towards becoming a non-smoker is significant and then keeping on the path can be challenging for many. Feeling confident you have tools and resources available to help you complete your quest to be smoke-free is key to success.

Here I've provided some tips and suggestions to provide you extra help and some of which you'll connect with and find useful, and other tips you may not - everybody will be different. Try the various "caps" on your head and keep the ones that fit... and discard the ones that don't.