Smoking is an unhealthy habit, and quitting it is a challenging and exhausting process with many rewards in the end. Once you say NO to cigarettes, your life will change for the better. You'll see great results along the way besides benefits to your health. So the hardest and most important thing to quit smoking is making a decision and sticking with it. However, you can make the process slightly more manageable for you, depending on what suits you the best. So take a look at these top ten suggestions on how to overcome nicotine addiction as smoothly as possible.    

10. Cravings

When you quit smoking, you'll have a need to light it up again. However, this urge lasts for just a few minutes. So the best way to overcome it is to think about why you are quitting this bad habit, as, by that time, you probably have a list of reasons. Nevertheless, for some people, this just prolongs the agony. While they are thinking of why not to light up, they still have cigarettes on their minds. 

So it would be the best way for those people to distract themselves, take a shower, walk, read, play a game…. Whatever you pick, remember that cravings will pass in five to ten minutes, and you'll probably have a handful of those during the day. 

9. Bad Habit

When you stop smoking, your mind will likely urge you to switch to other habits instead of cigarettes. The most common substitutes are snacks, junk food, and sugary food. Therefore, to overcome getting off the nicotine and hooking up on sugar, you'll have to plan your quitting strategies. Hence, the best way is to carry healthy snacks such as carrots or celery sticks and sugar-free chewing gums with you, as you don't know when the cravings will hit you. Thus, this way, you'll overcome urges to light it up and eat some candy.

However, don't worry, as, after a few months, you'll be able to enjoy your favorite slice of cake without fear of substituting cigarettes with sugar. By that time, nicotine will be long gone from your body. 

8. Take the Stress Away

After we stop smoking, especially in the first few weeks, we'll probably be anxious, depressed, angry. Basically, you could almost count on that, so prepare yourself! All you need is to find some relaxation strategies that work for you. The best way would be to add exercise, as it solves all your troubles and your body will be grateful for it. 

So if you don't like running or working out, just simply go for a walk. If this doesn't work for you, try a massage, take a long bath, watch TV, or do something else. We are sure you can find some activity that'll make you feel better than mind-controlling cigarettes. 

7. Health Benefits

If you can't find enough good reasons to stop smoking, you should check the facts and figures that might inspire you. In just 20 minutes after your last smoke, your heart rate and blood pressure will stabilize a bit. Additionally, twelve hours after, carbon monoxide in the blood decreases, and the oxygen supply improves. 

Moreover, just a few months after, your lung capacity will increase. Hence, as the years pass, your risk of getting lung cancer will shrink, as well as the risk of heart diseases. Furthermore, kicking cigarettes will be visible on your skin and teeth.        

6. Motivation

Searching for motivation and strength to quit smoking can be challenging, as you'll always find reasons to light just one more. So, your will must be strong. The funny thing is that smokers usually know how unhealthy their habit is, but they stick with it anyways. So if you are like many of us, the best motivation or health benefits are out of the motivational pool. 

Thus, you'll have to find some mantras on your own, and after a few months, health will be the main one. So if you like to win, look at it like a strength contest - who is stronger, you or a tiny cigarette? Or, if you are a caring person, think of the harm you are putting on the people around you with cigarette smoke. Finally, consider how much money you'll save for your home budget. 

5. Situations Linked to Smoking

Most people relapse when they get out with their friends for a drink. This is because alcohol and cigarettes are somehow linked in the mind of the smoker. So to avoid temptation, try ordering non-alcoholic beverages. However, if you can't drink the water or juices, get something different. Thus, if you are a beer person, order wine or cocktail, or vice versa. 

If you like to smoke after a meal, try to wash the dishes once you stop eating, or just go to the room where you don't usually smoke. Hence, basically, everything that will keep your mind away from a cigarette. 

4. Substitutes

If you think that you can't overcome the addiction on your own, many supplements can ease your struggle. For example, nicotine patches are pretty popular and supply your body with a dose of nicotine during the day. Hence, over a few weeks, you slowly decrease the dosage until nicotine addiction passes. 

Nicotine gums and lozenge fix the problem when you have sudden urges to smoke, and you can buy them in a pharmacy. However, you'll need to consult your doctor before using some prescription medicine, as well as inhalers and nasal sprays. 

3. Reward

Set your goal, and stick with it! You can use the money you save after quitting smoking to reward yourself for a job well done. However, don't do it after only a week - set your goal on the big prize, so save money for at least six months. By that time, you'll officially be a non-smoker while having much more money to spend on a summer vacation.

So set your goals a bit higher, as you'll enjoy it much more as you accomplish it. Just to encourage you a bit, let's take a look at the numbers. For example, if you smoke a pack a day and spend $13 each time, in a year, you'll save $4.745. Thus, with that money, you can take a trip. 

2. Support

You are not alone, and you are not having the worst time ever! Quitting smoking is hard! Thus, no one can argue that, as almost everyone thinks they are having the toughest time. However, every smoker goes through the same problems, so ask around, and you'll probably find support groups near you. 

Once you hear that everyone understands your difficulties, it will be easier for you. Also, tell your friends, family, and colleagues that you are quitting smoking, and ask for their support. This helps a lot.

1. Tricks to Make it Easier

There are a few tricks to ease your withdrawal. One of those is to increase intake of vitamin C and vitamin B complex. Next is to eat more vegetables and fruits, avoid sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and fast food. Start drinking tons of water, and you may add lemon juice to it, as it's full of vitamin C. Hence it will flush the toxins out of your body.

Moreover, some teas can ease your pain, like shenzhen, green, and mint tea. Furthermore, you can find apps and plans online to get motivated, track your progress and help you stay on the right path. 

To conclude our top ten list, you can get a lot of help while quitting smoking, as the only thing you need to have is a clear goal and strength to focus and stay in the line. There'll be a lot of temptation along the way, so don't be so hard on yourself if you slip sometimes. Hence, the important thing is to get back on track. Moreover, smoking is addictive, so don't be cocky and think that you can't return to it after a few months, as the temptation will always follow you. Yet, you just need to stay focused if you get the urge to light up. So set a date, and stop smoking, as your body and your budget will improve!

Are you a smoker? Have you ever tried quitting? Please, tell us in the comment section what helped you?

Cover photo: TopTens/Midjourney