Coping with setbacks.

Quitting can be hard. You might be feeling it is fine, and suddenly you feel like smoking again Sometimes, you gain confidence that quitting is easy and why not smoke again. Remember. Every craving lasts only few minutes. You can fight it: Delay, Deep breathe, drink water or do something else. Remind yourself. Of the rough and difficult days you have gone through in quitting and to reach the goal. How far you have come away from the evil. Do you really wish to start all over again? List your reasons for quitting. Carry them with you. Look at them each time you have the urge. If you did smoke once: Think of how long you have gone without a cigarette and say to yourself " I am determined to give up. This is a slip. I used to smoke 20 a day. I shall not slip again" If you go back to regular smoking Don't despair, and don't give up on your plan to quit. You have to quit again. People who have quit but again started should remember the following facts. Quitting smoking at any age will result in major and immediate health benefits. This applies to persons with and without diseases caused by smoking. Two hours after stopping, all nicotine is out of your system. In about 2 days, all the nicotine by-products have gone. Within a few hours of quitting, the carbon monoxide is out of your system. After a few months, your lungs work better with less effort and you can do more before you run out of breath. Quitting reduces your risk of stroke and chronic bronchitis. This is specially important for women taking contraceptive pill, whose risk of stroke is increased 10 times by smoking. Within two days of quitting, your taste buds come alive and your sense of smell improves. Your breath, hair, fingers, teeth and clothes are cleaner. After three weeks without smoking, exercising will be easier because your body needs less oxygen and more air is getting into your lungs. Most smokers want to quit. Research shows that around 80% of smokers have made at least one serious attempt. Within two months of quitting the blood flow to your hands and feet improves. Recovery symptoms (Withdrawal symptoms) are a good sign. They show that your body is getting rid of the chemicals in your system. Within three months of quitting, the celia (the fine hair-like structures in your breathing tubes begin to recover, remove the mucus and tar in your lungs and help you to cough it out. The phlegm may be brownish. The lungs work better, and getting up stairs or running for a bus are easier. Quitting reduces risk of lung cancer. After ten years the risk is halved. After twelve months of not smoking, your risk of heart disease becomes half that of a smoker. After 15 years it is the same as nonsmoker. More indians have quit smoking Non smokers are more in India than smokers. Many Public Places like restaurants, cinema halls have banned smoking. Tips for Difficult days: Breathe deep and slow Relax your body and your mind: Lie down or sit comfortably. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Tighten your feet and toes, hold them tight for 3 seconds, then relax them. Repeat these exercises with your leg muscles, your stomach, arms and shoulders. When you are relaxed and ready open your eyes and feel the freshness. You can adopt any yogic practices suitable to you. Ask a friend for a neck and shoulder massage. Make changes in your routine · Get up early, take a morning walk, change your place of breakfast · Chose a different chair before the TV. Eat pop corn, hard candies or sweets. · Keep a pen in your hand and keep it busy writing, scribbling · Take a rubber ball and exercise with it, when you feel the urge · Avoid alcohol. Chose soft drinks. Exercise. A simple procedure like walking a bus stop before your house, marketing by walking with your spouse, using stairs instead of lift can be enough. Stress. Try to make some changes in your work or home schedules to reduce stress. Talk about the problems leading to stress openly with those involved.