And there is still some very Good News to report: while cigarette smoking IS the most difficult addiction to break, it IS possible to do so – and the information in this post just might help.

THE PHYSIOLOGY of FREEDOM

As insidious as nicotine is (if you haven’t read it yet, you can check my last post for more info on this), becoming free of nicotine’s grasp is a surprisingly rapid process.

After quitting, the quantity of nicotine in the ex-smoker’s body is cut in half EVERY TWO HOURS, and within 72 hours of quitting, the mind and body become 100% nicotine-free! This means that nicotine is completely out of the ex-smokers’ system in only three days. Without nicotine present to high-jack the body’s production of pleasure-producing neurotransmitters, the brain’s receptors of these compounds steadily repair themselves, restoring them to their pre-smoking status within 21 days.

That means that in only 2-3 weeks, the ex-smoker has completely eradicated his/her physical dependency!

Granted, these 2-3 weeks can prove to be relatively unpleasant (understatement), and yet freeing yourself from the clutches of nicotine truly IS IN YOUR POWER.

After the physical withdrawal is complete, there still remains the challenge of dealing with the psychological withdrawal from cigarette-smoking (which normally takes much longer), AND YET by applying some or all of the following tips (and/or coming up with your own), a Meaning-full life can indeed be reclaimed.

SETTING YOURSELF FREE (a few useful tips)

If you, like thousands of other smokers each day, have decided that you Love yourself and your Loved Ones enough to finally quit smoking, there are tried & tested practices that can very well make your difficult journey not quite as difficult.

Try a few of them, or try them all – heck, ignore them completely and just quit – it makes no difference to me. All I know is that I Care deeply for each of you and would like to do whatever I can to help you stop destroying yourself and those you Love.

So with that in mind, consider setting cigarette smoking aside for Good while trying any or all of the following:

*TIP #01 – QUIT “COLD TURKEY” … Each year, more successful ex-smokers quit completely “on the spot” than by all other methods of quitting combined. What was the common focus of all those who inevitably succeeded? “No nicotine for just one hour at a time … No nicotine for just one moment – this moment” And what is the common element of all those who relapse? Taking that one seemingly harmless puff of that one little cigarette.

*TIP #02 – MAKE IT THROUGH THE 1st WEEK … By far most of all those who relapse while quitting do so while the physical withdrawal symptoms are strongest – meaning the first seven days. Mark that first week in your calendar and simply do whatever you have to do to get there.

*TIP #03 – EAT WELL … This means eat regularly, eat frugally & eat healthily. It is especially important to eat a good breakfast each morning while quitting, as skipping breakfast causes blood sugar levels to plummet, making recovery far more difficult than it has to be. Drinking natural fruit juices, especially during the first three days (especially cranberry juice) is helpful, as is eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (a Duke University study found that eating such foods make cigarettes taste terrible again). It is also important to NOT combine quitting smoking with any kind of weight-loss dieting, as this places too much stress on the already-taxed psyche.

*TIP #04 – KNOW WHY YOU ARE QUITTING … Maybe it’s because you realize that you are committing slow suicide and decide you want to live a long and healthy life. Maybe it’s because you realize that your second-hand smoke is slowly yet surely killing the ones you Love. And maybe the thought of getting cancer simply scares the bajeesus out of you. Whatever it is, find a powerful reason and think on it every day. Some folks even post pictures of their Loved Ones where they can frequently see them … This helps quite a bit.

*TIP #05 – ENLIST SUPPORT … Tell your close friends, family members and co-workers what you are doing. Ask for their emotional support and encouragement. Of course, it is wise to make sure that these folks are either non-smokers or ex-smokers (a close friend who has already kicked the habit is best).

NOTE for all the non-smokers out there: forwarding this email or speaking with a Loved One about their smoking addiction may not be enough. Have the courage to be bold for them. After all, even though it is tempting to look away and silently hope they quit, they are killing themselves – and YOU LOVE THEM! Will you possible “lose a friendship” by doing so? Yes, you might … AND maybe that is better than attending that person’s funeral one day and wishing you had been stronger. It’s just a thought …

“If you see someone smoking, assume they are on fire and take appropriate action.” ~ inspired by Douglas Adams

TIP #06 – MANAGE YOUR STRESS … Nicotine is used by many smokers as a way to relax, so if you are quitting, find ways to bring relaxation and calm into your life (e.g. long walks in the woods, meditation, massages, calming music, yoga, etc). If you are simply friends with someone who is quitting, purposefully having relaxing fun with them is a beautiful way to help them do so.

TIP #07 – CLEAN HOUSE … And by this I don’t actually clean your house (though such activities do help ease cravings for nicotine). I mean remove as many smoking-triggers as you can find and throw them out. Lighters, ash trays, smoky clothes, stinky draperies – anything that smells like smoking or reminds you of smoking has simply got to go.

TIP #08 – KEEP ON KEEPING ON … Most ex-smokers try several times before they finally quite for Good (literally), so if you slip and start smoking again, forgive yourself and then simply quit again – and if need be again & again & again. In essence, never quit quitting!

TIP #09 – GET MOVING … Physical activities reduce nicotine cravings as well, and they have been known to ease withdrawal symptoms too. Even mild exercise helps, so be sure to get up every day and move!

TIP #10 – TREAT YOURSELF … Giving up smoking saves LOTS of money, and you are allowed to remind yourself of this fact by setting a side a bit of cash for every day you don’t smoke, and then treating yourself to something fun every week or so with your savings. Be sure to write your “Reward Days” in your calendar – this helps with remaining motivated.

TIP #11 – KEEP YOUR MOUTH BUSY … Once the physical urges wane after the first week of not smoking, the behavioral challenges take center stage, and many of these have to do with the smoker having developed a psychological addiction to having a cigarette in their mouth. Chewing gum, eating healthy snacks, sucking on Vitamin C drops and even sipping cold water have all proven helpful for many who have succeeded in quitting.

TIP #12 – BRUSH YOUR TEETH … And do it a lot. The fresher your breath, the less you will want to foul up that clean mouth with a cigarette.

TIP #13 – FIND WAYS TO LAUGH … Depression is a powerful smoking trigger, so find ways to stay happy – especially when feeling down. If you have to watch funny movies every night or listen to jokes on your I-phone everyday, do it – just find a way to keep smiling.

TIP #14 – AVOID ALCOHOL … Over 50% of all relapses are associated with consuming alcohol. Consider taking a break from “the sauce” while you quit smoking.

TIP #15 – VISIT NO-SMOKING ZONES … Movie theaters, many restaurants, airports, libraries, and even malls are now smoke-free areas; zones where you simply cannot smoke no matter how strong a craving might become. Most cravings will fade within a thirty minute period, so these places can be good spots to weather those short “storms”.

And, the TIP of all Tips – KEEP IT IN THE NOW

As with any addiction, you will dramatically enhance your ability to succeed if you choose to work WITH your ego as opposed to against it.

To do so, simply follow the following five steps every time you have a craving for a cigarette …

Step 01) Pause in the moment, and RECOGNIZE your urge to smoke …

Step 02) REALIZE where this urge comes from (your ego’s constant state of fear) …

Step 03) THANK your ego (and its addictions) for doing its best to keep you “safe” and “happy” (even though it is unwittingly killing you in the process).

Step 04) REASSURE your ego that you are not quitting smoking forever; only for this one moment. This will help it to relax and allow you to engage the all important —

Step 05) Immediately go forth and DO SOMETHING KIND. Simply get up and do something – anything active – that is designed to bring another person Peace or Joy.

As long as you continue to do so, you will be addiction-free … and in these moments, you are no longer an addict!

If you can manage to perform these 5 Steps, then all that remains is for you to live on happily until the your craving comes … and then do them again (& again & again).

I admit, there will never be a perfect time to stop smoking. There are always dozens of reason to wait awhile until you are “more ready” or “more prepared”. And yet, putting off quitting until some future date actually breeds additional anxieties that diminish your chances of success. As backwards as this sounds, two recent studies actually found that unplanned attempts to quit smoking are twice as successful as planned ones …

… so why not simply start your Stopping right now?