Quit smoking - Why and How?

They're raising taxes on tobacco again, this time to cover for even more administrative follies that smokers did not cause. And at the same time, smoking is still becoming more of a target of political correctness! How can both things be true? Because nobody ever said it had to make sense.

Most smokers agree; it would have been better not to start, than to feel helpless and want to quit smoking. Unfortunately, moderation is not an option for most people. Once the subconscious gets a taste of that nicotine rush and makes it a clear habit, it wants it all the time. Then you are not the boss any more. Some people can smoke occasionally, but those folks, like their smokes, are few and far between. Yes, it is a good time to get rid of the habit. It will be better to get your jollies from something else anyhow, such as accomplishment, making money, reading or artwork, for example. That way you won't have to gamble on poor circulation or respiratory problems from the smoke, either. And everything will be cleaner.

Face it - however painful, becoming free from cigarettes is an attractive thing. You can be relaxed anywhere, not merely 'waiting' for the next opportunity to smoke. And the money! Taxes have made the cost of tobacco completely ridiculous. So, say you have decided to quit, and the only problem is the difficulty and how to go about stopping.

The answer is right there in that last sentence: Decided! We are talking 100%, no ifs and or BUTTS decided. You can handle a few days of the heebie-jeebies with a little help from some clever tools. Not the patch, or the gum, mind you, those are just more nicotine to prolong the agony. You want to be free from all of that stuff. Be aware, though, your subconscious is going to try to trick you, and it is very good at it.

Guess what? You can trick it right back, using subliminal and/or hypnosis audio. The subconscious is ALWAYS listening! And those things are very inexpensive, maybe the price of only two packs of cigarettes or so. But you have to be determined and actually use them. You can get a subliminal .mp3 download or hypnosis from anywhere. You can play the silent subliminal one anywhere with anything else going on, and it will help.

Cold turkey, while not the "easiest," is by far the best and most effective way to stop smoking cigarettes. As if there was an easy way. For some people it's the only way, but since we are all so different, for some people cold turkey is not even an option. The cravings are just too overwhelming, and the will power beats the won't power. So just know yourself and decide. Decide at the deepest level possible, the unconscious mind. It is easy to say it, and 'decide' at the conscious level, but convincing the deeper self is another story. But you can do it. Lots of people prove this all the time. If yours is a tough nut to crack, you'll need stronger crutches. But just don't give up on giving it up; be strong, and decide your way to freedom!

By : Dave Asprooth (http://www.sprudio.net)

Yes, You Can Quit Smoking Easily

A question that most smokers who are considering quitting smoking ask is "What is the best way to quit smoking?" or if there are more than one ways "What are the best ways to quit smoking?" There are several ways and several techniques out there that can help you quit smoking. Different people will have different preferences, so the answer to the above question will be different for different people.

To start with, you have to put everything in proper perspective. You need to analyze the situation seriously. So, sit down somewhere and write down the situations where you like to smoke best. I am sure you know these situations very well because usually these are the same for most people. It is usually when you are having a good time with friends or colleagues or when you are stressed out. Once you identify those situations, you need to think of a solution for how you want to deal with that situation. Try to remove or avoid everything that reminds you of smoking.

Next, think about and decide the day you will stop. It can be immediately or after some time when a more favorable or important moment comes. A word of warning, don't use this as an excuse to procrastinate.

Let people know that you are going to quit. Give them the impression that you are taking this as a challenge. Then take it as a challenge. The social admiration might possibly be the reason for never going back to smoking.

Watch over your eating and drinking habits. Drink lots of water, and eat lots of fresh fruits. Avoid excessive tea and coffee.

Make sure you get enough physical relaxation and also balance it with physical exercise like walking or swimming.

Give an incentive to yourself. Keep a goal and reward yourself when you achieve that goal. The goal can be no smoking for 3 weeks and don't reward yourself with a cigarette after that period. Instead, you can treat yourself with a trip to your favorite restaurant and give yourself something like CD or cloths.

Try to stop immediately instead of gradually as that will never happen. If you fail, don't give up. Instead analyze the situation, find out the when, where and how and try to avoid that next time.

One of the biggest problems that you will face after you decide to quit smoking is what the professionals call withdrawal symptoms. You will get strong desire to smoke. You need to be strong against that desire. Don't worry, this desire will not stay forever, it will go after a while. Try to distract yourself with something interesting while it lasts.

Stop Smoking To Save Lots of Money

In the last year the cost of living has gone up tremendously. In our area electricity, water and food all cost more than one year ago. And if gas prices rise to where they were last summer, it will hurt our budget even more.

So if you, like our family, are trying to find ways to reduce spending, here is one way you could save thousands of dollars each year: stop smoking.

If you are trying to quit smoking it is often necessary to really look at your overall budget to get a real reason to quit. Simply trying to stop smoking for your health sometimes is just not enough. You need to really open your eyes at times to see how much smoking really is costing you each year that you smoke. Additionally, this can also be impacted if you require a great amount of health care due to smoking related complications. However, at a minimum the costs that you can count on for certain will include the costs of the cigarettes themselves.

If you have ever stopped to think about how much you are spending a week on cigarettes you have surely noticed that it is a rather significant amount. Prices are climbing higher than ever before, and this is largely due to the fact that many states as well as the federal government are imposing extremely costly taxes on cigarettes to help offset many of the increased health problems that are created.

On average, all around the country cigarettes can cost as much as $5 per pack. If you have a habit of smoking that consists of only a single pack per day, you are smoking seven packs in a single week. This might not seem like much, but if you consider that each week, you are spending $35 on cigarettes, it can add up quickly. In a single week if each pack costs $5 you will have spent as much as $35 on your cigarettes! For many people this is a tank of gas, a trip to a movie theater, or even a new outfit if you know how to shop right. You could even put the money in a savings account and start to find how your money could actually grow, rather than be burned.

As much as the idea of $35 might seem like a lot of money, to many people it is just a minor price to pay for something that they thoroughly enjoy. If we consider that the average month has 30 days, and each day you are smoking a $5 pack of cigarettes the monthly price will jump up to approximately $150. This is a rather substantial amount and could easily cover most people’s gas bills, power bills, water bill, phone bill or even a great night out on the town occasionally. If you really want to see the overall impact of smoking each year, consider that each year you are smoking 365 packs of cigarettes. This multiplied by 20 comes up to 7,300 cigarettes each year, which comes up to an astonishing $1,825 dollars each year! Talk about a huge amount of money spent on smoking.

Remember, though, this is just the price of a single pack a day habit, and it is assuming that you are paying only $5 per pack. Many states have higher prices, while others are a bit cheaper. If you actually smoke more than a single pack a day, you would be looking at $3,650 a year for a two pack a day smoking habit as well as 14,600 cigarettes each year that you smoke!

The sheer price of cigarettes when added up in a single year is horrific. If you consider that you would probably be smoking for a period of 5 years you are looking at a total cost of $9,125 for a single pack a day habit and a striking $18,250 for a two pack a day habit. The amount of money that can be saved by not purchasing cigarettes is absolutely enormous.

If the idea of just improving your health is not enough to get you to quit smoking, you may have a sudden desire to quit after you see exactly what it is costing you each year to smoke. The prices of cigarettes are continuing to rise, and this combined with increased living expenses makes it extremely hard for families to make ends meet.

Saving money any way possible is a huge help, and even the expense of pricey stop smoking aids is significantly cheaper than the cost of actually continuing to smoke.