Quitting smoking is not an easy task This is especially known to smokers who, at one time or another, have tried to quit smoking, whether they succeeded or not. Smoking is a very common addiction, which leads many people who suffer from it to try various techniques to help them quit smoking.
But the people around us, can we help them? Do you know someone who is quitting smoking? Or are you the one trying? In this article we will learn about 10 effective techniques or strategies on how to help a person who is quitting smoking.
We can help a person detoxify from tobacco in many ways, although it is true that only they will be able to achieve it, on their own, if they really have the necessary motivation and apply the appropriate effort. Let’s learn 10 useful tips on how to help a person who is quitting smoking
1. Positively reinforce
One strategy we can use on how to help a person who is quitting smoking is react positively when said person does not smoke when they would like to, or when you make any type of comment related to the benefits of not smoking. We can praise her behavior, reinforcing it, encouraging her to continue down that path, and valuing her efforts.
2. Offer support
Another technique we can use is to offer support to that person at all times, especially when they need it. You should know that we are there to help you and to prevent relapse, to the extent possible. We can do this through actions (not smoking when he/she is in front of us, in case we are also smokers), through gestures, words, etc.
The goal is to help you stay motivated and not feel alone. It is essential that she feels that we can understand her, and that we are aware that she is going through a hard time.
3. Do not smoke in front of you
In relation to the previous technique, we find this already mentioned, but we are going to develop it further. A person who smokes, and who is breaking the addiction, will feel great temptation when other people in front of him smoke. To avoid that temptation, we can stop smoking when it is present.
In someway, It is an act of solidarity and empathy This is advisable to apply in the first moments of “unhooking”; However, it is also good that over time, that person can get used to being in environments where nearby people smoke, and still not do so. This will strengthen your disengagement from him.
4. Talk
Another way to offer support is to talk about the issue whenever the other person needs it Through conversations, we can reinforce his decision to quit smoking, making him see the importance of his decision, and the reasons why it is recommended that he not smoke (although he probably already knows them); This will strengthen your decision and will also make you more aware of the negative aspects of tobacco.
It will also be important to listen to the other person, letting them explain their feelings and emotions. However, it must be said that it is not good to “always” talk about tobacco either; We must encourage moments of disconnection from the topic.
Whether we believe that it is a good option to quit smoking or whether we believe that it is not, whether we are smokers or not, It is good that we do not judge the other person’s decision to quit smoking ; Furthermore, we must respect their decision whether we see the other person capable of achieving absolute abstinence or not.
It will be important to keep comments that imply ridicule, judgment, a negative aspect or demotivation for him/her.
6. Don’t lecture/scold
In line with the above, another way related to how to help a person who is quitting smoking is Do not scold them as if they were a small child, since this person is probably an adult and that reprimands, rather than helping him, make him angry or hinder his disengagement.
That is, we should not act as teachers or parents, but as friends, with respect and common sense.
7. Empathize
As we have seen, although it may seem like an easy decision or a simple path, deciding to quit tobacco and begin this new direction is not at all simple. Let us remember that it is an addiction, and not a simple whim. That is why we must empathize with the other person, both in good times and in times of relapse.
This means understanding that you may be irritable during “mono” moments, for example In the end, that person must feel that understanding; If he also feels that we can understand him, he will feel more supported and stronger.
8. Be positive
When we surround ourselves with positive people, our mood improves If this person is having a really bad time and has people around him who encourage him, who try to see the positive side of things, this can help improve his optimism and make him feel capable of achieving success, achieving and maintaining abstinence. .
That is to say, fortunately sometimes positivism is contagious, and it is evident that a constantly negative person will only harm the person who is quitting smoking.
9. Encourage distraction
Another strategy on how to help a person who is quitting smoking is to try to stop the other person from thinking so much about tobacco or the “monkey” of smoking (withdrawal syndrome), proposing plans and activities to do together.
Doing other things and keeping your mind busy will keep you from focusing on desire and the desire to smoke, keeping these types of thoughts and sensations away. These activities can be something as simple as going for a walk, going for a coffee, going to the movies, playing sports, etc.
10. Encourage her to do things
Finally, the last tip on how to help a person who is quitting smoking has to do with their new energy or mood; Thus, it is likely that the person who is quitting smoking, if he is really succeeding, will feel increasingly more energetic and in a better mood.
We can take advantage of these moments to encourage her to go out, to continue with that healthy lifestyle, as you take advantage of your new energetic state. We must approach it as a new way of enjoying that you should take advantage of.
