If someone close to you is trying to quit smoking, then you should be aware that there are many things you can do to help them. Just a small percentage of people who are trying to quit smoking succeed in their attempt because of a lack of support during the process. On the other hand, people who had a lot of support in their intentions, made super successful results because of the motivation and since they succeeded to replace their bad habit with a positive one.
Giving support to your quitter can have a greater role than you could ever imagine. So, for you to make even better results and support your special person in their intention to give up smoking once and forever, here are 7 useful tips.
Show Your Concern, But Do not Turn It Into Lectures
Truth to be said, most smokers are already aware of the risks smoking causes, yet, they find it difficult to quit smoking. For them, risks such as lung cancer and heart diseases have little to no meaning, so you need to switch your strategy in order to make them realize how harmful it is, not only for their personal health but the health of their close ones. The majority of smokers do not realize how much secondhand cigarette smoke can be hazardous, and besides can seriously affect home budgets due to high cigarette prices on the market.
Some things you can use as your arguments are cost analysis and showing them how much money your family could save only by reducing cigarette costs. In some countries, smokers cannot smoke inside the house so they need to go out to have their cigarettes and therefore isolate themselves. Show your personal concern and that you are afraid that their bad habit can seriously affect their life span.
Uplift Your Loved Ones During The Quitting Process
It is very important for your loved ones to stay uplifted and motivated to quit their bad habit. The worst thing you can do is to blame them for the whole flood of negative emotions they feel because they struggle with their cravings and nicotine withdrawal.
You can help people who are quitting to deal with these emotions by pointing out all the positive things they made during the period of quitting. For instance, you can congratulate them on how much they made without cigarettes and motivate them to continue doing it. Another thing you can do is to do some activities together so that they can be distracted from their bad habit.
Be Patient
You must be aware that your loved ones may face significant challenges when attempting to stop smoking, and you must be prepared to assist and support them. There would be numerous symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and some of them are anger, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating, but you need to be patient since these symptoms can be much stronger than nicotine cravings.
Distractions Are Your Best Friends
Come up with a couple of distractions that can help your quitter stay busy so that they do not think about cigarettes and having a cigarette or two. If your partner needs distractions to stay away from cigarettes, then you can play a game with them, watch a movie, work in your yard or redecorate the space, watch a movie, or simply take a walk.
Be Their Backbone in Hard Times
The keyword in the process of quitting is supported. Being supportive, especially in hard times is vital for your friend to be successful. To be honest, nicotine is nothing but a drug, and quitting nicotine is something that will be very demanding since this will be both emotionally and physically painful. The majority of nicotine quitters are not successful on their first try and will probably take a couple of attempts until you make it.
Stay the Greatest Motivation
The essential thing you need to do is to stay realistic all the time and avoid some unrealistic expectations that will lead to great disappointment. Do not try to push your quitter, instead be supportive and encouraging on their path and make sure to point out even slight progress they make since this will be something they will hold to.
Know When to Contact a Professional
Seeking professional help during the period of smoking quitting is nothing you should be ashamed of, the point is that there are some moments that will eventually need professional consultation. If you notice that your quitter is having an immensely difficult time and that their withdrawal symptoms are severe, then you should probably seek professional help so that their effort pays off.
In the final line, it is important for you to understand that quitting smoking is a rocky road and that there will be many challenges but you will make it work only if you stay the greatest support and motivation throughout the process.
Author bio
Allen Brown is a keen writer covering topics such as health, travel, beauty and such. He enjoys spending time playing the drums in his past time.
