How many ways are there to give up smoking? Five? Ten? How about 163,839? Yes, it’s true – research carried out by Boots into how people in the UK are giving up these days has shown that as well as the familiar methods, like nicotine chewing gum or just going ‘cold turkey’, there are some more unusual approaches to consider if you’re trying to stub it out.
17% of quitters have found success by spending time in places where smoking isn’t allowed; like churches, theatres, libraries or museums. One in ten have tried or would consider trying to hide cigarettes (in places like the freezer) and 2% would try writing a song about stopping smoking as a motivational tool.
But whatever method you choose, it seems as though finding one that suits you is vital. Nikki Shah, Boots pharmacist says: ‘Many people who have successfully given up smoking have told us that one of the most important elements was for them to feel in control of their quitting journey.’ So why not pick one of our favourite methods and see which works for you.
Cold turkey
Going ‘cold turkey’ is the most popular way to quit smoking. It means just stopping without any help from medication, nicotine substitutes or therapy methods. It’s the route chosen by most quitters first time around, but only a small proportion are actually able to kick the habit without help. If you’re going to try this method, check out our motivators below.
E-cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes – or ‘e-cigarettes’ – are becoming increasingly popular as they allow smokers to physically act out their smoking habit without the health implications associated with smoking traditional tobacco. They simply contain nicotine, via an odourless water vapour, and make a great transitional step to help people stop smoking altogether.
Nicotine substitutes
To help you ease nicotine cravings while you cut down, or to support you if you’ve given up completely, there are a range of nicotine substitutes available – from gum and lozenges to patches and inhalators. Try NiQuitin, available from Boots and other pharmacies nationwide.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis helps some people to stop smoking and works by getting them into a deeply relaxed state where they are open to suggestions that strengthen resolve to quit and increase negative feelings toward cigarettes. You don’t even need to visit a hypnotherapist – try a CD like Stop Smoking (£8.95) from selfhypnosisuk.com
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be a helpful complementary therapy if you’re trying hard to quit. The treatment tends to transform the taste of tobacco into a bad experience, which can make stopping easier. It also eases the nervousness and agitation that can make giving up stressful. •
How to do it
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again! Psychologist Dr Funke Baffour has teamed up with NiQuitin to share these motivational tips for people trying to ditch the cigarettes…
Identify the emotions Understanding the emotional context of your habit and how this leads to making unhelpful decisions is paramount. For example, do you turn to a cigarette when you’re anxious, or bored? By identifying the emotions, you’ll get a better understanding of the attachment that you have with your habit.
Find a replacement habit
Trying to break a habit without having something useful to replace it with will make it very difficult. For example, if you want to cut down on your smoking then you may increase your physical exercise so that your mind is distracted from thinking about the old habit.
Banish excuses
The word ‘can’t’ is given a lot of power in reigniting old behaviour and it is easy to go back to old unhealthy habits based on excuses. If you have a goal to cut down from 20 cigarettes a day to five, think about which cigarettes during the day are the easiest to give up and start with those.
Be patient
Research by NiQuitin has found that a third of smokers trying to cut down don’t think they’ve been successful so far – changing unhealthy behaviour can be a long process, and doesn’t happen overnight.
Avoid conforming
Remember that you’re unique, and your experiences and decisions are unique to you. Don’t feel you need to stick to a habit in order to conform, as you run the risk of leading a life that is not representative of your true identity.
Find out more about the problem of addiction.
