It’s 2020, the start of a new decade, the perfect time to think of ways to quit smoking. If you’ve been battling the nicotine monster since you took that first drag as a rebellious teen, you’ve probably already tried a number of different quit options over the years. But here’s a reminder just in case you need a fresh approach to explore all the ways to quit smoking.

Nicotine Patches

The additive part of the cigarette is nicotine, and one of the most popular ways to quit smoking is to stop the horrible withdrawals your body suffers when you stop smoking. A nicotine patch allows your body to slowly wean off nicotine, ridding your need to put up a cigarette. Nicotine chewing gum and mouth spray are also available as manageable ways to quit smoking. This is a way to quit smoking which allows you to be kind and gentle to yourself as you create a new smoke free life. It’s a way to quit smoking that you can do on your own, or via a GP or a pharmacist to assess which nicotine replacement is best for you.

Cold Turkey

It’s certainly one of the bravest ways to quit smoking, to simply give up cigarettes completely. Just like that. Gone. For those with great willpower, going cold turkey to quit smoking can work. But many quitters say you need to form new habits – find other things to relax when you get cravings. Don’t be disappointed if you try this method and fail. Some addicts say giving up smoking is harder than giving up heroin.

Support Groups

One of the most widely supported ways to quit smoking is not to attempt it on your own. Having others around you that you can speak to, confide in, get personal feedback from, can reduce the pressure and stress that goes with giving up the cancer sticks. Quitting with a friend is one of the ways to quit smoking that might work for you. Having someone else to make you accountable or simply to talk about the challenges of cravings and facing social situations without cigarettes could be just the helping hand you need to ditch the smokes.

Hypnosis

Stop smoking hypnotherapy is one of the most unorthodox ways to quit smoking but it’s also one of the most championed. Smoking hypnosis works on the unconscious mind to stop the temptation from wanting to smoke in the first place. It’s about changing your perspective. Mind over matter. Controlling your attitude to smoking from the very belief centre of your brain. If you’re looking to create a healthier, happier you as a non-smoker, hypnosis is proving to be one of the long-term ways to quit smoking.

New Habits

People who have given up cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs often say the most important ways to quit smoking is to create new habits. Music legend Elton John, a former drug and alcohol addict who has been sober more than 30 years, says he learnt to ‘fill the hole in the donut’ – to find new things to do which occupy your time and thoughts in the absence of the old habit. Try not to replace the hand to mouth contact with eating as that’s a fast track to weight gain. Consider walking, a new hobby, movie streaming, whatever makes you forget about smoking, as you embrace this fresh new phase of living.

Do the Sums

Motivation is one of the most practical ways to quit smoking for good. Calculate how much money you were spending on cigarettes. Work out what t was costing your per week, per month, per year. Think about that figure when you feel your willpower tested. Set yourself a financial goal to use the money saved to put towards a holiday, a new wardrobe of cosmetic enhancement of your teeth now that you’re not destroying them with cigarette staining.