5 Ways To Help your Friends Quit Smoking!

It’s no mystery on how smoking distorts a person from within and squeezes out one’s stamina, health, and self-esteem slowly but surely. It’s nothing new that we’re trying to say or do but , let’s join hands in helping your near and dear ones quit smoking, for a better health. There’s more to just tossing the butts away, you might need to lend a part of yourself to help the smoker lift up to life. It’s not going to be an easy task though, but if that person really matters to you, you might as well consider this as an important mission to help that person live a longer and healthy life!

Here are some of the ways you can follow

Be an emotional support: Understand the fact that this is a tough decision and even tougher task to accomplish for a smoker. Being an emotional support in their journey helps the quitter realize his/her worth and importance in your life. But that doesn’t surely mean you should constantly nag or ask them about whether they have quit smoking or not. Be empathetic and gentle while being a source of encouragement and confidante to whom they can open up to.

Consider that Slip happens: There can be times when the quitter might lose enthusiasm and slip which is common, be the one to remind them how far they have come, remind them how they have been able to stay away from the craving so far and how a little more effort can help them win!

Respect their decision: Supporting doesn’t always mean you shower advise whenever you see them around. Just assure them that you respect their decision and are open to help whenever they require you. Don’t doubt their ability to quit, your trust on them can remind them to stay on the track. Moreover, stay away from nagging, scolding or preaching while they are trying hard to keep their hands-off smoking.

Celebrate small victory: Help them cherish smaller achievements and celebrate along with them. Quitting smoking is a big decision and a huge commitment too! A quitter can understand how painful time can get when the craving hits. Help them divert their mind to something interesting or ask them what they enjoy doing the most and motivate them to switch their minds by doing simple things.

Help them deal with withdrawal syndrome: Many of us might not be aware of this, but nicotine withdrawal can make a person grumpy, moody and restless. In such situations, don’t lose your calm and be patient with them. Trust me, it’s even worse for them and the behavioral changes they are going through are not always under their control. Assure them that these are natural, and won’t last forever. Ask them not to bottle up their feelings and reach out to you whenever they feel they need to verbalize!

We know quitting isn’t easy! But remember, nothing worth cherishing for comes easy, anyway. Helping smokers quitting is a big responsibility and if you feel your near and dear ones need help, don’t waste a second. Join hands with Gympik and say no to tobacco to make the world a better place!