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The coming year is bringing with it the opportunity for new beginnings. Many people are thinking to quit smoking as a New Year’s resolution to live healthier lives. Leaving smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and the quality of life if you smoke.
Begin your New Year’s resolutions by committing to quitting smoking. Making a quit plan can help to improve your chances of success, your quit plan should include strategies for dealing with any nicotine withdrawal symptoms you may experience.
The good news is that there are several ways to manage withdrawal symptoms, which can help you to complete your resolution about quitting smoking in 2022.
How to Handle Common Withdrawal Symptoms
When you leave smoking, your brain and body must adjust to the lack of nicotine. You may experience some unpleasant symptoms, such as anxiety or difficulty concentrating or sleeping. This is referred to as withdrawal. As long as you don’t smoke, your withdrawal symptoms will fade. The seven most common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are listed below. Knowing what to expect ahead of time may help you stay on track to quit for good.
- Having smoking urges or cravings.
- Being irritated, grouchy, or upset.
- Having a jittery or restless feeling.
- Feeling hungrier or gaining weight
- Anxiety, sadness, or depression.
- Having difficulty concentrating.
- You can manage your withdrawal symptoms in a variety of ways. Quit-smoking medications can be very helpful, and the following quitting tips.
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Make your environment work for you by avoiding temptations and avoiding tobacco products.
- Distract yourself by doing something else.
- Find safe substitutes for cigarettes, such as toothpicks, straws, or cinnamon sticks.
- Listen to what the urge has to say, then respond! Ride the waves!
- Allow the urges to come and go. You should adjust your medication.
While experiencing withdrawal symptoms, remind yourself that you are most likely feeling this way because your body is becoming accustomed to being nicotine-free. Take a few deep breaths and collect thoughts that why you’re quitting. We would suggest you to take sessions from our expert psychiatrists in this time period to make your journey easy.
Healthy ways to Clean your Lungs
There is no strategy to reverse lung damage caused by years of smoking, there are steps you can take to avoid further damage and improve your lung health.
1. Exercise
We would stress the significance of the physical activity. Staying active all the time is an effective way to maintain and improve lung function. Going for a walk in an outside setting can help keep your lungs’ air sacs open. If those sacs remain open, they can exchange oxygen and deliver it to your body.
2. Avoid Pollutants
This may seem obvious, but avoiding secondhand smoke, dust, mold, and chemicals promotes healthy lung function. Check your local weather with its air quality reports before going outside. Avoid spending most of the time outside if it’s a “bad air day.”
3. Drink Warm Fluids
Staying hydrated is critical for lung health, according to the American Lung Association. Taking 64 ounces of water per day (eight 8-ounce cups) keeps any mucus in your lungs thin, making it easier to expel when you cough. Warm beverages, such as broth, tea, or hot water, may cause mucus to thin, making it easier to clear from your airways.
4. Drink Green Tea
Green tea has different properties such as anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent some types of lung disease, according to research.
5. Try some Steam
Inhaling water vapor to thin mucus and reduce inflammation in the airways is referred to as steam therapy. A 2018 study found that using a steam mask significantly improved breathing in a small group of COPD patients.
The Advantages of Quitting
- Smoking cessation has health benefits at any age, regardless of how long or how much you have smoked. Even people who have done smoking for a long time or heavily will benefit from quitting. Some advantages may include better heart health, a lower risk of cancer and other diseases, and living a longer life.
- You can complete your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking if you know what to expect and how to manage withdrawal symptoms. The benefits of quitting smoking outweigh any withdrawal symptoms, which will fade with time. Make 2022 your year to shine by quitting smoking! New Year’s greetings!
Final Notes
A psychiatrist can help you make a plan to quit smoking, so please contact an expert. Counseling can help you prepare to deal with stress, cravings for cigarettes, and other issues that may arise when attempting to quit smoking. A quit coach can also assist you in correctly using quit-smoking medications. We hope that this new year would bring amazing new changes in your life.
Book an appointment now, to answer all your queries. You can book an appointment with the top Psychiatrists in Pakistan through Marham by calling at Marham helpline: 0311-1222398 or by online booking facility through the website or Marham mobile app.
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FAQ’s
How long does it take to stop craving cigarettes after quitting smoking?
Fortunately, these initial cravings are fleeting. While it may take up to three months for your brain chemistry to return to normal, cravings usually begin to fade in strength and frequency after the first week and are gone completely in one to three months.
Can your lungs heal after three years of smoking?
Fortunately, your lungs clean themselves. After you’ve smoked your last cigarette, they’ll start the process. Your lungs are so extraordinary organs that, in some cases, can repair themselves over time.
Why do I have a worse appearance now that I’ve stopped smoking?
Cigarette nicotine constricts your blood vessels, which transport oxygen and nutrients to your skin. When these blood vessels constrict, your skin loses oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the skin appears dull and uneven. *
What are the four stages of quitting smoking?
The Change Stages
- Pre-contemplation (not considering quitting)
- Contemplation (considering quitting but not yet ready to quit)
- Planning (getting ready to quit)
- Take action (quit)
- Regular up keep (remaining a non-smoker)