Smoking may lead to an addiction; one thing that is very difficult to keep away from your system. Quitting smoking is a very hard process; thus, if your friend is on the process of doing so he will need all your support to do it. Be supportive and encourage him to defeat his urge to smoke. Be there with him as he tries to stop smoking.
Proper Encouragement
As a friend, your encouragement is your best contribution to your friend’s rehabilitation. Remember, with the right words said at the right time, you are able to push your friend to reach his goal. But, how can you really give encouragement without sounding too much of a nagger?
Encouragement follows after a person finally decides to quit smoking. Once he has the determination to quit, you step in to give him words of encouragement so that he will not lose his focus. This is the time when you have to let your friend feel that you are with him throughout this process and that you will stay beside him until he finally reaches his goal. Sometimes, words are not necessary anymore – your acts alone may be enough as encouragement.
You also have to remind yourself of the difficulty of the process that your friend is going through. This reminder will let you understand your friend more, and the better you understand his situation, the more helpful you can be. There may be times when your friend may not stop himself from puffing another stick, but you should not use this against him. Instead of criticizing his mistakes, try to remind him of his progress and steer him away from the said errors. You should not dwell on his mistakes, but on how he was able to correct such afterwards.
And though after quitting, addictive substances such as nicotine and tobacco still remain present within the system of someone who has recently stopped smoking. This is what causes relapse. Thus, the process still continues even after a long time, and you should continue to encourage for as long as your friend’s battle with smoking continues.
Process of Quitting
People have their own ways of quitting. Some say that it is better to quit all at once; however, there are still others who believe that it should be done slowly but surely. Slowly quitting would mean that nicotine exposure would be decreased moderately by consuming lesser cigarettes each day.
Really, it does not matter how one chooses to proceed with quitting. Whatever method he chooses, you should always be ready to give him the encouragement he needs. To do so, here are some things that may help you give confidence to your friend who needs to stop smoking:
1. When you talk about progress, stay positive and inspiring by pointing out the instances when he has really surpassed a trial.
2. Talk about his slip ups but refrain from dwelling on the matter.
3. You should support whatever quitting technique he may have chosen.
4. Help him avoid situations which may trigger his desire for smoking again.
5. Continue to be a friend!
You do not need to be licensed counselor to give good encouragement. All you need to be is to be loyal and one who cares for a friend. Just stay with them, back them up and make them feel that they are not alone in their attempt to stop smoking.
Filed under Quit Smoking by on Feb 23rd, 2010. Comment. 
Smoking is a bad habit that is very difficult to give up. It is not only dangerous to the smoker, himself, but to the people around him as well. Once a person becomes addicted, it becomes difficult for him to stop smoking. However, despite all the reminders regarding the bad effects of smoking to health, a lot of people are still drawn into the aroma of cigarette smoking.
People should not have started to smoke. Because as you all know, once you have become dependent on nicotine, it would be very difficult for you to eliminate it from your system. Advertisements have constantly reminded people that cigarette smoking is dangerous to health, yet it is as if they have not heard a single reminder. Well, people who do not admit that they are addicted to smoking have a really big problem.
Smokers who are trying to stop smoking can attest to the difficulty of the process of quitting. Determination and will power are needed in order for one to reach his goal of being a non-smoker.
Most people would say that a gradual cutting down of the cigarette smoking is a good method for quitting. Small steps are taken, one at a time to ensure that the process is going in the direction that is more beneficial to the smoker who plans on quitting.
Preparation Necessary to Stop Smoking
Preparation is necessary when you feel like stopping. Reflect on your reasons for smoking, and take note of when you usually smoke and how you typically go about it. You may want to deviate from your usual smoking habits, and try things that you son not usually do when smoking. For instance, you may want to try new things as a replacement for smoking, like when you are urged to smoke, you may just chew a gum or munch on healthy snacks. Or, if you really want to smoke, you may do so but not with the hand that you usually use when smoking. If you are used to holding the cigarette with your right hand, you may try your left hand instead. You need to learn these things so that you can make a good plan that you can follow as you cut down the sticks you smoke.
The Beginning of the Actual Renouncement
Get rid of all the things that may remind you of smoking. You may want to keep your ash trays way from your view, or you may also, for the time being, avoid people who smoke. This way, you are not constantly reminded of your tendencies to smoke. Think of ways activities that can keep your mind off the idea of smoking. Give yourself a reward when you have not smoked for the whole day, this way your act of not smoking will be reinforced. You may also want to visit your dentist so that you can get your teeth cleaned from all the nicotine that may have stained them.
Living a Smoke-free Life
There may be times when you feel irritated or depressed; these may just be the withdrawal symptoms. You should learn to avoid smoking despite these symptoms. It may be difficult at first but as time passes by, you would realize that it gets easier and better. Think of all the benefits that you may have if you stop smoking – financially, physically and socially.
Filed under Quit Smoking by on Feb 22nd, 2010. Comment.
Hi, my name is Karen and I am a non-smoker. Having kicked my addiction to nicotine and cigarettes I am living a healthier no smoking lifestyle. If you would like to be a non-smoker, too, join me on your quest to find the best solution to help you stop smoking.
