Category: Healthylife® QuitWell™

Summary of Small Steps You Can Take:

*  Keep tracking your habit.

*  Wait 5 minutes when you have an urge to use.

*  Buy your cigarettes by the pack (not the carton), your chewing tobacco by the can, or a lower concentration of e-cigarette cartridge.

*  Store tobacco/nicotine products in a different place then usual.

*  Set up a buddy system. Write goals in S.M.A.R.T. ways.

*  Add to your list of “pros” for quitting. Star what is important to you.

Change Is Your Choice

The decision to make changes is up to you. You can decide which changes you want to make, how long it takes you to make them, and who you will tell. Answer the following:

*  What do I want to do? Am I willing to do this?

*  What am I going to do right now (within the next hour)?

*  How will today be different for me?

We will teach you four skills to relax:

*Relaxation Reflex:Getting rid of muscle tension.

*Mental Imagery:Thinking of calm, restful places.

*Deep Natural Breathing:Feeling relaxed by breathing in more oxygen.

*Spend Time with Animals:Feeling relaxed, happy and secure.

These relaxation strategies are not designed to take your stress away. Done correctly, they will help you calm your body and mind so that you can think more logically, see major problems as manageable challenges, and get through a tough day.

If something helps you-even a little-add it to your quitting tool kit. Remember, you will probably need a lot of strategies to be successful in the long run. One strategy may work on Monday morning, but you’ll need another tool on Friday afternoon!

Heart Disease

Smoking is the greatest risk factor for heart disease. A smoker’s chance of having a heart attack is 3 times that of a non-smoker. High blood pressure is a major cause of stroke and a prime risk factor for heart disease. High blood pressure is more severe in smokers. People with high blood pressure can lower their risk of heart disease by 50% when they quit.

1. Carbon monoxide reduces oxygen going to the heart.

2. The heart works harder to move  the oxygen through the body. Breathing speeds up.

3. Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict. Blood pressure goes up. The heart becomes more stressed.

4. A greater amount of cholesterol forms on the blood vessel walls.

5. Over time, less oxygen puts strain on the heart and heart cells die.

Cancer

Cigarette smoke has been proven to contain cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and co-agents (co-carcinogens). The parts of the body that come into direct contact with smoke are more likely to develop cancer: lungs, mouth, trachea, esophagus, and larynx. The breakdown products in smoke also affect other organs that do not come into direct contact with smoke:  the pancreas, kidney, and bladder.

Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis can make it very hard to breathe. This is because the lining of your bronchial tubes (the tubes that air goes through to get to your lungs) becomes inflamed and irritated. While acute (temporary) bronchitis caused by a cold or virus usually goes away within a few weeks, excess mucus and lung damage can mean months and months of coughing and breathlessness.

1. Cigarette smoke paralyzes hair like fibers (cilia) that line and clean the bronchial tubes.

2. Excess mucus is produced in the tubes. The result is a mucus plug.

3. Chronic coughing is the way a smoker removes the plug so oxygen can get in.

Emphysema

Emphysema can also make it very difficult to breathe. This problem develops in a different way than chronic bronchitis:

1. Oxygen enters the blood stream through air sacs in the lungs. The ‘tars’ from cigarette smoke gather on the lung walls and burst the sacs.

2. These heavy tars also make the lungs longer and less able to stretch.

3. Breathing becomes difficult.

*Body Posture:Be relaxed and natural. Avoid slouching, putting your hands in your pockets, or facing away from the person you are speaking with.

*Eye Contact:Good eye contact is vital to convey self-confidence and interest. Don’t stare at the other person-this comes across as a challenge.

*Voice, Tone, and Quality:Use a strong, varied tone. Speak clearly and firmly. Don’t shout or speak too softly. Don’t whine.

*Distance from the Person:Don’t position yourself too far or too close.

*Facial Expression:Let your face convey the same message as what you are saying.

*Content:Use short sentences. Be specific, clear, and firm.

Practice First

Plan or write down what you want to say. Have responses ready ahead of time to deal with questions and comments. Reinforce your remarks by saying what positive outcomes will occur for you and the other person. Practice in front of a mirror or with a friend.

Benefits of Being Assertive:

*  You can feel comfortable saying “no.”

*  You have more confidence to ask others for help.

*  You gain more respect from others.

*  You feel less angry with yourself and with others.

*  You feel justified to say what you want to say.

*  You feel comfortable requesting clarification.

*  You accept compliments graciously.

*  You can change your mind without feeling guilty.