If you are a smoker one of the best things you can do for yourself is to quit smoking. Many smokers have either thought about quitting or tried to quit within the past year but did not succeed. Why is this? It not only hurts the smoker but the people close to him or her. For most, nicotine has such a strong hold on their life that quitting seems to almost be impossible. Well it is NOT impossible. Millions of smokers have quit smoking and stay quit. You can too. There are three types of cravings that make quitting smoking difficult and the better you understand them and prepare for them the better your chances of quitting smoking.

The most obvious craving you will experience after you quit smoking is the one associated with nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine withdrawal will affect you physically as your body adjusts to not having nicotine in it. This period of time can be quite uncomfortable and many people relapse due to nicotine withdrawal. Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include: feeling irritable, difficulty concentrating, depression, headache, anxiety, feeling lightheaded, increase in appetite, and sleep problems. The feelings associated with nicotine withdrawal will come and go. You most likely will encounter only a few of these nicotine withdrawal symptoms, typically at different stages in the quit smoking process. Be reassured they will not last, they typically come and go quickly and you will find that anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks they will subside almost completely.

The next type of craving you may experience after you quit smoking is the cravings associated with habit. Just think about how many years you have smoked. There are specific feelings and or time of the day you like to have a cigarette. For example, I like to smoke while I talk on the phone. I felt like when I was on the phone it was a great opportunity to go outside and light up. The longer the conversation the more I got to smoke. This became a habit for me. When I quit smoking it was difficult at times because the phone would ring and I would instantly think about grabbing a cigarette. Other examples of habit cravings include: after having an alcoholic beverage, going to the store where you used buy cigarettes, driving in your car, finishing a meal, getting angry, being bored, and taking a break. As with nicotine withdrawal cravings, they will come and go. Just wait them out. Each day you make it not smoking the easier it will be. Build yourself up by telling yourself you can do it.

There is one last type of craving you will experience after you quit smoking and that is memories of smoking. For me this type of craving has lasted the longest. The nicotine withdrawal cravings and the habit cravings lasted at most 30 days. However, memories of smoking still creeps up every now and then and reminds me how nice it was to kick back on the back porch and have myself a nice relaxing cigarette. Dealing with this type of craving is relatively easy compared to the other two. The key here is not to get caught up in the pleasant memories about smoking. You quit smoking for a reason, one of which was it was killing you and those close to you. Simply reminding yourself of the reasons why you quit smoking can pretty much squash this craving.

Do you want to stop your smoking habit? Everybody has their own reason to quit smoking. One of the reasons is it will cause health problem. Quitting smoking is a great idea and can ultimately save you from suffering from chronic complications of cigarette smoking. Using natural herbs have been known to be effective in helping smokers quit smoking. There are many herbs that are main ingredients for smoking supplements and dietary aids like Lobelia, St. John’s Wort, Black Cohosh, Hyssop, Korean ginseng, Motherwort and Peppermint. Here are some simple tips before you use natural herbs in quitting smoking for good:

Research on the herb first before you use any supplement. Knowledge is power and the more you know how a certain herb works like dosage, side effects, safety levels, adverse effects on various medications, etc, the more you will likely use it to quit smoking. Use the web as a great resource of many herbal remedies to stop smoking.

Some herbs may be effective to use to stop smoking but are unsafe to use for along period of time. Some herbs are also banned by the FDA so it is best to visit their site or look for alternative herbal remedies that are safer to use.

Natural herbs may cause adverse effects to medications you are currently using. It is best to consult your doctor for the use and dosage of any herbal supplement or treatment that uses natural herbs before using them.

Buy natural herbs only from trusted dealers. The web may be a great resource of knowledge about herbal remedies but can also be a haven for scammers. Look for FDA approved sites that supply safe natural herbs. Do not go for fly by night offers and fantastic companies that offer money back guarantees. They may just be out there to get your money and credit information when you pay online.

Check how natural herbal supplements are prepared before you buy them. When herbs are dried and moisture removed for processing and packaging, herbs may lose their therapeutic abilities. It is best to look for herbs that are prepared more naturally and faster after harvest so that nutrients and the therapeutic properties are preserved.

The use of natural herbs in quitting smoking may only be successful if combined with smoker’s education and other alternative remedies. It is still best to consult your doctor regarding the ideal quitting smoking treatment for you so you can stop smoking for good.

Everyone knows that smoking is unhealthy and is the culprit behind most of the diseases. There are a number of ways to get rid of smoking but these will help only if you are willing to quit. You should be aware of the harm it is doing to your health. If you have tried a lot of quitting methods before and have not been able to succeed then you are not willing enough. You smoke only when you want to and it all happens in the mind. Once you tell your mind that smoking is not good for you and you have to stop smoking then you can quit easily. You need to be really positive about quitting and should motivate yourself to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Here are a few tips for desperate smokers who have tried to quit but have not succeeded till now.

• Continuously remind yourself that if you can avoid cravings for smoking during 6 to 8 hours of sleep then you can definitely avoid it when you are awake.

• Try to quit smoking with a partner. It can be very effective as it will provide you support and accountability which is beneficial to succeed.

• Self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy helps a lot in getting rid of smoking and you can take help of a hypnotherapist too. Once you undergo hypnotherapy, your mind will experience its magic and a few sessions may ultimately end the smoking addiction.

• Avoid particular foods that lead to smoke cravings and go for healthy and nutritious foods that can speed up nicotine detoxification and recovery. Do regular exercise for at least half an hour as it can replace cigarette satisfaction with endorphin production and it can also help in maintaining the post-nicotine metabolism.

• Use cigarette substitutes like lollipops, gum, sunflower seeds, toothpicks, coffee stirrers, and straws. Put any one of these in your mouth when you have a smoke craving and you will really feel better within a few minutes.

• The best quit smoking way is to go for cold turkey and stop smoking at once. Although it’s hard to do and you need very strong will power and motivation and it may take several attempts for ultimate success but no doubt it’s a very effective method.

• Go for any Nicotine Replacement Therapy like nicotine patches, gum, spray, inhalator or lollipops as these are not as harmful as cigarettes and reduce the smoking urge and ease withdrawal symptoms.