Health Corner

As you embark on your journey to become a non-smoker, there are a few things you can do to prepare

●Think about and write down your personal reasons for making this change.

●Become aware of your triggers. People, places, times when you are most likely to smoke.

●Think about what you can do to avoid smoking during triggering situations. Some of these times might be your morning coffee routine, when you're driving, when you’d normally take a smoke break at work, or when you're feeling stressed. Make a plan ahead of time.

●Consider reaching out to the health department for resources or call Maryland’s Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW to work with a trained quit coach.

●Learn about medications that can make stopping easier. If you choose to use medications, the cost is sometimes covered by insurance or the Quitline.

●Stock up on oral substitutes like gum, carrot sticks, or hard candy.

●Tell people you are stopping and let them know how they can support you. Do you want help planning things to do to keep busy? Do you prefer extra help around the house so you can have some quiet time to rest and relax? Or maybe a mix of both? Do you need extra encouragement or others to be mindful not to smoke around you?

Each new year comes with new beginnings. Your life is valuable. We often think about things we want to change to improve the quality of our lives. If you smoke cigarettes, you’ve probably at least thought about stopping at some point.

Most people that smoke do want to stop. There are financial, physical, and psychological benefits to stopping. This new year, embrace your life by making the decision to be smoke-free. It’s a journey and you are the only one that can make it happen.

Do some pre-planning to increase your chances of being successful.

Think about your personal reasons for becoming a non-smoker, why is this important to you?
●Do you want to save money?
●Improve your health?
●Smell better?
●Take back your freedom?
●Set a good example for your kids or grandkids?

Now think about why you smoke and what you enjoy about smoking.
●To relieve stress?
●To “get away” or take a break?
●To be social with friends?

Get rid of all cigarettes, lighters, ash trays, etc. There is no reason to keep a pack “just in case”. The only reason to have cigarettes is to smoke them. You have to learn to “un-smoke” and getting rid of temptations can make this easier.

More Tips for Success:
●Delay when a craving strikes - it will pass in a minute or so!
●Drink lots of water.
●Exercise if you can.
●Make your house and car smoke-free places.
●Keep straws handy, cut them in half and use them to mimic the hand to mouth motion of smoking.
●Distraction is a powerful tool for cravings. Do something different! Change things in your routine. For example, if you always smoke with your morning coffee, have your coffee in another room and brush your teeth immediately after instead of going outside to light up.
●Have a plan for dealing with stress. Stress happens whether you smoke or not but taking a smoke break does a few things - it usually removes you from a stressful person or situation and you take deep breaths without even realizing it during the act of smoking. Guess what? As a non-smoker you should still take those breaks! Walk away if something is stressing you out, take some deep breaths, pull up a game or video on your phone or reach out to a friend to chat.

Finally, celebrate your success! Each cigarette you don’t smoke and each day you go without smoking is a success. Those moments and days will add up to weeks, months, and years as a non smoker and that's something you can be proud of!