4 Wellness Practices That Will Help You Quit Smoking
Smoking is a harmful habit that leads to health conditions such as heart disease, lung illness, and diabetes. Consequently, it’s vital to quit smoking in order to maintain one’s wellness. A few practices that will help smokers stop this habit are healthy eating, nicotine replacement therapy, Yoga Nidra, and counseling. All of these contribute to smoking cessation and wellness, helping smokers achieve a healthier state of being.
Quit Smoking Through Wellness Practices
By Delaney Heston
Smoking harms all of our organs, especially the heart. This bad habit permanently damages the blood vessels and the heart, leading to cardiovascular disease. In fact, the FDA found that some heart diseases that can be acquired from smoking include coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke. Apart from this, smoking can lead to lung illnesses and diabetes because of the toxic chemicals—like benzene—present in cigarettes.
Stopping smoking is, therefore, vital if you wish to avoid these conditions and maintain wellness. Having said that, here are some practices you can adopt to kick this habit for good.
1. Healthy eating
Eating balanced and nutritious meals keeps the body in an optimal state to reduce cigarette cravings. The famous study titled “A Longitudinal Evaluation of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Cigarette Smoking” concluded that regardless of differences in age, gender, race, or ethnicity, smokers who consume more fruits and vegetables are three times more likely to quit successfully. One possible reason is that these foods contain high amounts of fiber, which helps you feel full and prevents you from feeling the need to smoke.
To do this for yourself, integrate healthier, fiber-rich foods into your diet. This can be as easy as swapping out ingredients in your favorite recipes, such as using whole-grain instead of regular pasta.
2. Nicotine replacement therapy
Therapy is a treatment method intended to relieve a health condition or disorder. In particular, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is designed to aid smoking cessation. It involves using smokeless nicotine alternatives to help you gradually reduce nicotine consumption. You can get started with nicotine pouches and sprays.
A nicotine pouch is tucked between the mouth and gum for nicotine absorption. This allows users to enjoy the potency of nicotine without getting the side effects of tobacco. The Rogue nicotine pouches featured on Prilla use advanced steam extraction technology to isolate natural nicotine from tobacco leaves and ensure a 100% tobacco-free product. When used over time, the pouches can effectively wean you off your dependence on the tobacco present in cigarettes. Meanwhile, nicotine nasal sprays are liquid medicines delivered through the nose. The Nicotrol nasal spray can be used for up to eight weeks after quitting smoking. From here, you can reduce your intake, so that your body gets used to the lowered nicotine consumption.
3. Yoga Nidra
Yoga consists of holding poses and breathing exercises that improve strength, balance, and flexibility. Our article “Yoga Nidra for Quitting Smoking” highlights that “yoga” means union, while “nidra” refers to sleep. It thus involves getting into a psychic sleep, a state comprised of being half-asleep and half-awake.
As such, Yoga Nidra can aid smoking cessation because it has the power to change our personalities. The activity creates “Sankalpa,” a Sanskrit word translating to resolve or resolution. It is a clear and decisive statement where we embody our wish, which in this case, is to quit smoking. It becomes effective as our minds and bodies relax during Yoga Nidra, allowing us to internalize our wish and turn it into reality.
4. Counseling
With counseling, you can enlist the help of a licensed professional as you commit to quitting smoking. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s 2022 article “What Are Treatments for Tobacco Dependence?” reveals that counseling methods like motivational interviewing (MI)—which only an expert can provide—are effective for smoking cessation. During MI, a counselor helps a smoker resolve their hesitation about quitting and realize their motivations for wanting to stop the habit.
As you attend more counseling sessions, you can view quitting from a more optimistic perspective. This can inspire you to fully commit to—and follow through with—your cessation plans.
Smoking can negatively impact one’s health and wellness. Try these practices today to quit this habit and improve your state of being!
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About the Author
Delaney Heston is a freelance writer who likes to dabble in topics surrounding health, sustainability, and lifestyle. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading a classic novel or doing crossword puzzles.
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