You’ll know if you’ve tried quitting smoking before that, it is one of the hardest things that you can ever do. There’s a reason why so many people around the world can’t seem to give them up, and why they take them up in the first place: cigarettes are incredibly addictive. They are also just incredibly bad for your health. The number of health issues that are directly tied to smoking cigarettes is absolutely staggering, which is one of the best reasons for stubbing that last cigarette out for the last time.
It’s a great thing if your partner has decided that they are going to quit smoking, there’s no doubt about that. But you must remember that they are about to embark on a very tough journey. It can feel like there is nothing that you can do in these kinds of situations to offer any practical help. But at the same time, you don’t want to just sit there and wait for things to get easier for them. You need to get proactive.
Encourage Them To Talk About How They’re Doing
It’s tough to give anything up that has been such a big part of your life and daily routine, let alone something as addictive as smoking cigarettes. During times like these, a lot of people will try to bottle up their feelings because it feels like there’s something shameful about opening up. Everyone has learned a lot about mental health over the last couple of years. We’ve learned some important lessons about talking about the things that you find tough. Smoking has even been tied to mental health issues. It’s up to you to encourage your partner to keep talking about their mental health during this tough process. If they feel like they can’t talk to you, then encourage them to talk to their friends. You could also suggest a therapist. Remember that GPs can offer advice on quitting smoking.
Go Through Their Daily Routine With Them
Smoking can be so difficult to quit because it’s tied so tightly into your daily routine. Smokers will have times of the day when they would normally pop outside for a cigarette. If the routine doesn’t change, then there is going to be that itch in the back of their head telling them that it’s time for a cigarette break. Sit down with your partner and go through the times when they’d normally be lighting up and think about what you can either do to offer an alternative or switch up the daily schedule. The sooner you can start to shake them out of the routine, the sooner you can see some real changes.
Help Them Find An Alternative They Like
Quitting smoking cold turkey is a tough proposition, so a lot of people look at alternatives which give them the nicotine hit and the sense of familiarity. Vaping has soared in popularity over the last several years and it’s easy to see why. For former smokers, it has the sensation of having something in your hand and a cloud of smoke, but without all that horrible tar. If you or your partner have never looked into vaping before, it might seem like there is an overwhelming amount of choice. Your partner can decide what kind of rig he wants to go with in the long run, but there are a lot of advantages to going with a disposable vape pen until he does so. What are disposable vapes? As the name suggests, they are vape pens that you don’t have to refill or recharge, you can simply toss them when you’re done. You can learn more about disposable vapes and browse accessories at Grey Haze.
Talk To Their Friends And Family
A lot of people pick up smoking because of peer pressure and the social smoking factor. If your partner has been smoking with their friends or family, there may be a few awkward conversations and situations heading your way. It’s not always easy to tell your oldest friends that you are doing things differently now, so have a word with your partner about whether it would be OK for you to do that for them. Even if they know that your partner has quit, all it takes for one of the group to offer them a cigarette on a night out for that slippery slope to reappear. Make it clear to them that your partner is taking quitting seriously and that they need to be supportive. You might be surprised by how well they take it, as most people know someone who has had an illness due to smoking. You might even encourage some of them to think about quitting too!
Remind Them Why They Are Quitting
It’s not always easy to see through the fog of cravings when you are trying to quit smoking. When the cravings are really bad, you might be asking yourself why you are even bothering. You can make a real difference simply by reminding them what they’re quitting for. You don’t necessarily need to wave health statistics in their face or show them the pictures from the front of cigarette packets, but there is nothing wrong with telling them that you want them to be around for a long time yet and that there is a much better chance of that happening if they quit. Maybe they’re quitting because they want to save money. A lot of people quit smoking because they want to have children. If this is the case for you and your partner, remind them that they’re not just doing it for you both. Smoking while pregnant can lead to a lot of health issues for the baby, and you don’t want your child to be around second-hand smoke. Help them to make the responsible choice now.
Give Them Goals To Work Towards
Goals are a great way for anyone who is quitting anything to think about how far they have come. In the early days, it’s easy enough to mark the number of days that you have gone without a cigarette, so you can think about how you can celebrate landmarks like the first week and the first month. Don’t be afraid to get cheesy with cards and presents, because it doesn’t always need to be so serious. But you can also think about other landmarks that you and your partner can work towards. When you quit smoking, you will notice that you can breathe more easily, and physical exercise becomes much less of an effort. So why not think about getting into running or cycling? You can embark on a fitness journey together.
Be Patient
Finally, and this one isn’t always going to be easy, you need to remember to be patient. It’s a stereotype that people who quit smoking will be short-tempered but it’s absolutely true. There will be times when your partner is grumpier than they would usually be, and they may be harder to rally when they are feeling down. It’s OK to tell them that they are being moody and unreasonable, but remember that their bodies are going through withdrawal and it is not always going to be something that they have a lot of control over.
