Key takeaways
- Supportive environment crucial for quitting smoking
- Includes family, friends, and quit smoking groups
- Reduces risk of relapse and improves focus
- Provides a sense of belonging and community
- Encourages new activities and restful environment
No matter how tough it is to reach a goal, it’s always more bearable when you’ve got someone in your corner.
That’s why smokers who are serious about quitting need a supportive environment to help them tackle the tough challenges of nicotine withdrawal and cravings.
It can make all the difference in finally kicking the habit for good.
Support can come from family or friends who help create a smoke-free space for you.
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For instance, even friends who smoke might avoid doing it around you to steer clear of adding to the temptation.
Non-smoking friends and relatives can also play their part by refusing to buy you a cigarette, even if you’re struggling with cravings, and they certainly wouldn’t tease you on the hard days when you’re trying to better yourself.
They can also pitch in by organising new activities to keep you busy and distract you from triggers that might make you want to light up.
Another option is joining a smoking support group where you’ll find understanding and empathy, especially if this is your first attempt at quitting.
If you’re wondering whether a supportive environment is enough to help you quit for the first time, keep reading to discover how a positive support network can make your quit-smoking journey a lot smoother.
Reduces the Risk of Relapse
Many first-time quitters worry about relapsing during their early attempts, especially after hearing other smokers’ stories.
And yes, it’s true that relapse often happens because of familiar triggers in your environment. It could be something as simple as being around people who are always smoking while you’re trying to quit.
You might feel isolated when everyone around you is still doing the very habit you’re working so hard to shake off.
That’s why having supportive family and friends around can make all the difference during those peak withdrawal moments and intense cravings.
Their encouragement and understanding can give you a much better shot at staying smoke-free, providing the right kind of help when the urge feels too much to handle.
Studies show that having a supportive environment helps change a smoker’s behaviour and boosts the chances of quitting successfully.
Improves Focus and Productivity
Many successful ex-smokers most likely attribute their success to staying busy. By working on something, no matter how good you are at it, you forget about your cravings and withdrawals.
Do you remember a time when you wanted to learn about gardening, painting, or something similar? You bought tools, set up a room, or even built a shed to start on your new hobby.
An environment designed to quit smoking is the same. It helps replace an unhealthy activity with one that lets you focus and stay busy.
Strong evidence shows that changing your behaviour and activities makes it easy to quit cigarette smoking. So, stay busy and enjoy learning something new.
Gives You a Place Where You Belong
Creating a supportive environment gives you a place where you can share the challenges and victories with people who will listen, understand, and never sway you from your decision to quit smoking.
Motivated smokers who feel good and encouraged about quitting have the best success rate of finally kicking the habit.
We mentioned that a supportive smoking cessation environment begins at home. Family members and friends who support your decision make you feel loved and have a sense of belonging.
With a support group, you have a community that understands your difficulties. They can listen and understand you well because they’re also going through what you’re currently feeling, making you feel that someone cares.
When you have a place where you belong, you have all the help you need to go through anything on your quit journey.
Encourages Meditation and Rest
To someone on a quit journey, new activities change your habits. New activities can transform your space at home, give you an environment that encourages meditation and rest, and make it easy to forget about smoking.
You’d probably be tired but fulfilled after a weekend of hiking. You will also want to try new things with what you’ve learned in a hobby class. Once you sit down and think about your fruitful weekend, you will feel happy accomplishing something new and exciting.
Having peace of mind and reduced anxiety also makes way for restful sleep. With nicotine out of your system by changing your activities, you can sleep better and wake up much more refreshed than the day before.
Summary
A supportive environment that helps smokers quit makes managing withdrawals and cravings easier. Motivated smokers will have a place they belong with people who encourage their decision and help in many ways.
A quit smoking support community can empathise and genuinely listen to them, inspiring those on their quit journey to keep fighting against their urges and eventually stop smoking.
You found this article because you wanted to know what a supportive environment looks like. If you haven’t found the right support for your plans to quit smoking, we know a way to help out.
Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around!
If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.
Link Reference:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18540780/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32196796/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6459678/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8162739/