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Learning the Reasons Many People Smoke |
By Carlos Scarpero
 Quitting smoking is not an easy task. Learning why it is you started smoking and why it is so hard for you to quit is no picnic either. But, if you can pin point the main reason you smoke then it may be easier for you to actually quit. Determining why you smoke may be the key to reaching your goal of becoming a non-smoker.
People started smoking or keep smoking for various reasons ranging from using the cigarette as an anti-depressant, mood relaxer, stress reliever or as a quick pick me up. Consider this, you get overly stressed over a situation and decide to smoke a cigarette to calm your nerves. When you go back to what you are doing you are a bit more relaxed. Is it because of the cigarette, or, is it because you took a few minutes and removed yourself from the situation and allowed yourself time to think and reevaluate the situation? Often times the truth is the latter. You didn't necessarily need the cigarette, you needed the diversion. If you are at work and find yourself
watching the clock for break time to go smoke, it may not be the actual cigarette that you are craving, but, instead the mere fact that you will soon be able to get away from the office and all the stresses at your desk. If you can grasp this concept, quitting smoking will be much easier for you.
Not being able to smoke anymore is another reason many cannot seem to quit. Think about it, have you ever had a medical test that required you not to eat or drink anything after 8 pm. After 8 o'clock you feel as if you are starving because your mind knows you can't have anything. Quitting smoking can have the same effect. You may have never wanted a cigarette as bad as when you know you can't have one.
Some smokers smoke out of shear boredom. If you have ever noticed that you smoke more cigarettes when you are bored then you also fall into this category. Idle hands are a devil's playground. Keeping yourself busy is no easy feat, but, it is possible. Create a schedule that you can keep handy and stick to it. Pack your schedule with many activities or to-do lists and you will soon find that you are too busy to take a break and smoke. You don't have to live out the rest of your life being a busy bee, just long enough to get past the major cravings at the beginning of your process of quitting. However, be weary of creating a schedule that is only going to add more stress to your already full plate. Plan your day with fun activities.
Another reason it may be hard for you to quit smoking is because you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep each night. Being tired only increases your stress level and you will find the urge to smoke to calm yourself down or to give you a quick pick me. If you can go to bed early at least one night out of the week you will cut out some of your shortage of sleep. Avoiding staying up too late will reduce the time you have to smoke in the first place. You can't smoke while you are asleep. For every hour you are asleep you are decreasing the amount of times you would have craved a cigarette or caved in and smoked one.
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