Ways to help you stop smoking

There are countless options, treatments, and resources that can support you in quitting. It is essential for you to say yes to quitting and committing to it. After that, every successful action needs a plan. If a plan is set in place, it is much easier to stop smoking. Your plan may include these steps: 

- Establish a quit date 

- Think about the situations around you, does anyone smoke that you spend time with, and how you are going to manage temptation in those situations 

- Build a community of support (Doctors, applications for quitting, counseling, family, and friends

- Consider alternatives to help you 

After deciding to stop, it is important to remember that you may feel symptoms without nicotine, these include: 

- Having a strong urge to smoke

- Anger 

- Irritability 

- Finding it hard to concentrate

- Anxiety 

- Depression 

- Increased appetite 

These symptoms are common once you quit smoking. These symptoms can last up to a month, depending on how much you smoked, but the symptoms will start to subside as time passes. Just remember that there are people and healthcare staff that can help you in the process of quitting

There is a variety of resources to help you make quitting easier. The right resources and having help from healthcare, family, and friends can make quitting easier and help manage your withdrawal symptoms. Below is a list of resources to help you quit smoking:

- Medication (nicotine gum, patches, bupropion, and varencline) 

- Counseling 

- Support groups within the community 

- Websites with more information on quitting 

- Apps to help you cope with symptoms and the need to smoke 

- Talking to your doctor 

- Having support from your family and friends