Smoking is a habit that is hard to stop, yet stopping is necessary if you want to protect your lungs and heart from disease. Smoking leads to cancer, asthma and other serious illnesses. So read through the tips in this article and learn how you can stop smoking sooner, rather than later.

If you smoke as a way to control stress, you'll want to have other stress remediation techniques ready when you decide to quit. Keep yourself out of situations that may stress you out for the first few weeks after you've quit. You can also manage your stress through yoga, meditation or by getting a massage.

Be sure that you are willing to stick with your plan to quit smoking. A lot of people aren't successful because they aren't in the correct mindset or they easily give up. You may stay committed through thinking of the reasons why you want to quit.

If you want to quit smoking, you need to identify factors that will motivate you to stop. Preventing lung cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and emphysema, or protecting your family are strong motivators. Showing respect for your body and for the gift of life is also a powerful motivating force. Whatever reason you choose, it needs to be enough to prevent you from lighting up again in the future.

Remember that false starts are common when people try to quit smoking. Even if you've tried and failed to quit before, you should always keep trying. Ultimately, any reduction in your smoking habit is good for you, so as long as you are trying to quit you are improving your life and health.

Talk to your doctor about prescription medicines. If you want to ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms, consider prescription medications. There are certain medications that affect the chemical balance in your brain and can help reduce cravings. There are also drugs that can reduce bothersome withdrawal symptoms, like inability to concentrate or depression.

In order to quit smoking, find something else you can hold in your hand and put in your mouth. Many smokers find it hard to quit because they have an urge to have a cigarette in their hands and mouth. Rather than a cigarette, you can hold onto a straw.

To optimize your chances of success, don't try to quit smoking during a stressful time in your life. This is when your nicotine addiction is strongest, and trying to quit only sets you up for failure. Wait until you feel empowered by other successes - regardless of how large or small - and use that success as a springboard for quitting.

Start moving. Physical activity is a great for reducing nicotine cravings and can ease some of the withdrawal symptoms. When you crave a cigarette, go for a jog instead. Even mild exercise can be helpful, like pulling the weeds in the garden or taking a leisurely stroll. Plus, the extra activity will burn extra calories and help ward off any weight gain as you are quitting smoking.

Make sure you reduce your stress as much as possible when you are trying to quit smoking. Many people turn to smoking when they are under pressure because the nicotine helps them to relax. Listen to some relaxing music, get a massage, go for a walk. Do whatever helps you to relieve stress.

If you are trying to quit with the use of crutches such as patches and medication, then you need to be careful. When you begin taking in these other substances, you are in turn putting yourself at risk of developing a new dangerous addiction. Be careful when you begin your quitting crutches.

Avoid dieting when trying to quit smoking. A lot of aspiring quitters try to diet while quitting so they can avoid the supposedly inevitable weight gain. However, in doing so, they're depriving their bodies of too much at once and they wind up relapsing. This just means gaining weight, while they're still smoking.

There are many barriers you will encounter as you try to break your nicotine addiction. You need to know why you smoke in order to break them. The hints and tips you've been given can help you make informed and thoughtful choices, so you can make the process of giving up your smoking habit smoother and easier.