If you want to quit smoking, you should consider quitting cold turkey. This method is hard, but it is the quickest way to quit.
You need to be extremely motivated in order to quit cold turkey. Put together a list of all the reasons why you need to quit and look at this list when you experience cravings. You should also join a support group to share your experiences and difficulties with other smokers who want to quit or find some friends or relatives who can help you stay motivated.
Once you decide to quit cold turkey, you should have a last cigarette. Get used to the idea that you will have stress to deal with for a little while but remind yourself that you will feel better very soon. If you manage to completely stay away from nicotine, your cravings and the other effects of withdrawal could disappear in less than two weeks.
Withdrawal and its negative effects are caused by the presence of toxins in your system. Toxins are released when you smoke or are exposed to caffeine, alcohol, unhealthy foods and pollution. Having a high amount of toxins in your system will cause you to experience stress and crave more toxins. This means that smoking a cigarette will make you crave nicotine even more. Cravings will disappear if you manage to eliminate toxins from your body quickly.
Make some changes to your lifestyle to reduce your exposure to toxins. Create a healthy environment by adopting a better diet, drinking plenty of water and staying away from second hand cigarette smoke. If you have a busy lifestyle and a stressful job, take a few weeks of vacation to relax and spend some time away from your stressful daily life.
You can eliminate the toxins present in your system by sweating. Quitting cold turkey will actually be a lot easier during the summertime if you live in a warm area. You should drink plenty of water so you can sweat and find a good cardio workout. Be careful if you have not exercised in a long time; start very slowly but do your best to work out more regularly and for longer periods of time. If you cannot workout, find a sauna nearby so you can sweat on a daily basis.
If you focus on eliminating toxins, your withdrawal period should only last about a week. Be prepared to experience stress and other unpleasant emotions during this week, but always keep in mind that things will get better very soon if you can manage to completely avoid nicotine. Try dealing with your stress by relaxing as much as possible, for instance by practicing yoga or tai chi. Do some research on different relaxation or meditation techniques before you quit and give yourself a few weeks to explore a relaxing activity so you know how to manage your stress by the time you quit.
Quitting cold turkey is the best way to be done with smoking for good. If you are a heavy smoker, you should talk to your doctor to find out whether it is safe or not to quit cold turkey.