Are You Dealing With These Obstacles In Your Quest to Quit Smoking?
Congratulations on making the decision to give up smoking. I’ve been there and I know that it is not an easy decision to make. I’d by lying if I tried to tell you that it’s easy to quit and stay quit.
There are obstacles along the way, and you will undoubtedly face a few of them yourself. It’s how you deal with them that will determine how successful you are in your quest to stop smoking for good.
Here are three of the most common obstacles that you may face along the way.
One of the biggest obstacles you will face is the fact that no matter where you go, you will be confronted with the temptation to have a smoke. It’s not nearly as bad now as it was before all the smoking bans in workplaces and public places were put into place. But people can still smoke on the street, and until you get through the initial phase and realize that you are indeed a non-smoker, it will be a challenge to be around people who smoke especially when they are in places where you can’t easily get away from them.
A second obstacle you may find yourself dealing with is the fascination that well-meaning friends and family members will have with your decision. You will no doubt be bombarded with questions and comments, especially from the people in your circles who haven’t yet decided to give up smoking. The most common questions you will get center on why you want to quit.
The best way to deal with having to answer this question over and over again is to be know, for yourself, exactly why you are determined to succeed. Having to explain why you want to quit smoking over and over again may cause you to second-guess yourself.
Don’t give in to the temptation to change your mind. If you are strong in your why and completely committed to quitting you will find it much easier to grin (or grit your teeth if you have to) and answer the question one more time.
Another obstacle you may be dealing with could be all the ways to quit smoking that are available today. This may seem a little counter-intuitive, but the truth is that there are so many products out there now that deciding on a course of action can be more than a little overwhelming.
When it comes to dealing with any obstacles on your road to becoming a non-smoker you will find that it’s helpful to have a good handle on two main things: why you smoke, and why you want to quit.
Knowing why you smoke in the first place will help you develop an action plan that addresses your specific needs. For example, one of the main reasons I smoked was to have something to do with my hands. For me it was easy to get over the nicotine addiction but it was really hard to deal with not having a cigarette in my hand all the time. Once I found a way to deal with that giving up smoking for good became much easier.
Knowing why you want to quit and staying focused on that will make it easier to face temptation and deal with these roadblocks and any others you may com across along the way.