1. 1 D O N O T N E G L E C T Y O U R B O D Y
It is very important for everyone to have a well balanced diet and
eat healthy wholesome food. At the end of the day, you should put
in your body how you would like to feel - the best possible. Take
time to understand what your body needs.
2 C U T O U T C A F F E I N E
While you smoke you become accustomed to the quantity of
caffeine you drink, but once you stop smoking you may feel jittery
or irritable. If you're feeling like this then the amount you
normally have might be too much. De-caffeinated tea and coffee
are widely available.
3 E X E R C I S E
Regular physical activity has proven to have wide health benefits
for everyone. Exercise releases endorphin, the 'feel good'
hormone leaving you happy and refreshed. Take a walk in the
Cleveland Hills, Eston Nab or the local park, or take up cycling,
running or join a gym with the money you would save from
quitting!
4 S L E E P W E L L
Having enough sleep is a very important thing, especially for those
during the first stages of quitting as you can feel very tired. Allow
more time than usual for sleeping if it is possible so you can feel
revived and revitalised for the next day ahead!
5 V I S U A L I S E
Meditating and creating a personal space for you in your own mind
is a great way of taking a step back from everyday life and smoking
cessation stress. It is great to learn how to shut down the mind,
listen to your body and focus on the present. Apps such as
'Headspace' are great for beginners.
It's often thought that smokers need
cigarettes to calm them. But the reality is
that smoking actually causes more stress.
D O N O T W O R R Y A B O U T T O M O R R O W
Focus on today and managing today's challenges and
successions, tomorrow is a new day.
R E C O V E R I N G F R O M N I C O T I N E A D D I C T I O N
Recovery is both physical and mental, this is why it takes a smoker a lot of
will-power to succeed in quitting. Statistically smokers are four times more
likely to quit successfully by using a combination of medication and
behavioural support. Physically you will feel the withdraw symptoms of
nicotine as well as from the thousands of chemicals present in cigarette
smoke. These physical symptoms lead to more stress which is the core
reasoning behind systems for behavioural support. Mentally you will become
more aware of the psychological reason behind smoking and start to
recognise how to manage these without cigarettes.
Put together by Laura Woolley, student at Teesside University and volunteer for
Tees Valley Public Health.
6
TIPS FOR
MANAGING
QUITTING